Page 47 of The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon
“Then you and your desire can spend the night alone.BecauseIam leaving.”Aurorapushed up on her elbows.Histangled hair and pouting lips would not change her mind on this.
“Are you sure?”Thanelowered his mouth to her ear. “SoifIdid this…”Hishand slid up her skirt, stopping just inside her thigh.Aurorafought the urge to lie back and let the god of darkness do what he did best.Pleaseher. “Orthis…”Heran his tongue along the shell of her ear. “Itwould have no effect on you.”
“No,” she said with a breath.
“And ifIdo this?”Hemoved from the bed and kneeled before her, sliding her skirt up further. “AndifIkiss you here and here…”Hekissed each of her knees. “Youfeel nothing?”
“No?”Hervoice was strained as she fought to keep her own desire tapped down.Hisdesire rolled over her, making her drunk on it.
“Hmm.”Thanepressed into her skin. “Whatabout here?”Hetraced a finger far up her thigh and stopped at the junction of her legs.
Gods were beautiful, all of them.Evena god as wretched asPlaguehad his beauty.Buta god on his knees before her was a sight that could take her breath away.Shesat up and looked at him.Hiseyes were bright with all the things he would do to her. “Idon’t know.Maybetry again.Iforget things.”
“Like this.”Thane’stouch was featherlight on her.
Aurora’s breath caught as he added a bit more pressure, sliding one finger in slowly.Thankfullythe curse was based on love and not sex.IfFatehad really wanted to punish them, he would have taken that away.BecauseThanewas good at fucking.Mostgods were.Whyelse would mortals call out to them during sex?
“We are not done discussing this.”Shewatched him push her skirt up higher, her flesh bare to him.Helowered his mouth to her, his breath warm on her skin.Shetangled her fingers in the soft strands of his hair, lying back on the bed.Thiswas one of the reasons she would never be able to leaveThane.Thegods had made his mouth, and it was perfect for doing what he was doing.
Thane lifted his head and rested his chin on the flat plane of her stomach. “Staywith me.”
The plea in his voice made her knees weak and her heart ache. “Deathcouldn’t pull me away.”
Thane pulled her to her feet, undoing the clasp that held her dress on.Itpuddled at her feet.
“How amIso fortunate to have you?”Thanetraced a finger over her collarbone.
“BecauseIwished for you.”Shekissed him again before moving back to the bed.Shemarveled at the way his muscles moved and flexed as he undressed.Shehad wished for him.Ithad taken days to find a star powerful enough to grant that wish.Shecould not wish him to love her.Butshe had the power to bring him to the heavens.
He pulled her onto his lap.Shestraddled him, kissing that perfect mouth of his.Howcould he think that either of them could live without moments like these?Withoutthe taste of each other on their lips and tongue?Hecupped her breast, rolling the nipple between his fingers.Histeeth skated down her neck and across her collarbone.
She slid forward, his need pressing into her belly.Timeseemed to stop.Day, night, the air around them.Fora moment nothing else mattered.Notthe curse orDeath.Nother father or a god as soft as a cloud; it was just the two of them.
Thane pulled her mouth closer to his. “Ilove you.”
“AndIyou.”Shepressed him back onto the bed, kissing his chest.Sheloved the way his muscles tightened under her touch.Shedragged her mouth back to his, shifting her hips.
She seated herself fully on him, then moved her hips back and forth, her hand pressing down on his chest.Thetension that had been deep within her muscles since she had left him slowly eased out.Herhead dropped back, and she let go of everything.Thane’sfingers dug into her hips, and his breath became uneven.Hername hung from his lips like a wish.
She rolled her hips forward, losing herself in the tightness that was building low in her belly.Itspread up her spine and across her chest, making her breath come out in ragged huffs.Herclimax slowly rolled through her, making her limbs feel light, and the stars above her felt close enough to touch.Shecollapsed ontoThane, his heart beating at the same pace as hers.
Neither were broken.
Yet.
CHAPTER23
AURORA
“No, that’s too heavenly.Don’tyou have something less pink?”Aurorahanded the pale pink fabric sample back to the short seamstress. “Whatabout that one?”Aurorapulled a sample of a dark blue silk from the pile.Thecolor almost seemed to change when the light hit it.Atfirst it seemed indigo, then black, and then a deep sapphire.Itreminded her of the sea before a storm.
“It’s a fine color, miss.Itgoes well with your eyes.MayIsuggest some black mercury beading?”Theolder woman dug through her many trays for the beads.
Aurora walked over to the large mirror that stood in the corner ofThane’sroom.She, like most gods, was vain—and the male species was even more so.Sheheld up the sample to her neck.Itwas darker than she normally wore, but that was the point.Shewanted to fit in better atManereto look less like the daughter ofLifeand more like the mate ofDarkness.
In the heavens she wore pale gowns of pink, yellow, and lavender.Goldand crystal beading embellished the arms and bodices.Therethe soft colors blended in with the golden hues her father loved.Butagainst the dark blues and purples ofManere, she looked like a silly bird that should be in a cage.
Aurora turned from the mirror to look at the beads the woman held in her gnarled hands. “Yes, those and anything darker.AndI’lltake another gown in this.”Aurorapulled a black silk from the pile. “Anduse silver thread.”
