Page 104 of The Curse of Golden Blood
"Please," she whispered. "My lord."
The words sent a dark thrill through me. I captured her mouth again, rewarding her obedience with a kiss that left her breathless. Then I pulled away, sitting back on my heels.
"Take off your clothes. Slowly. I want to watch."
For a moment, I thought she might refuse. Her jaw set in that stubborn way I'd come to know so well. But then she sat up, fingers trembling slightly as she reached for the hem of her shirt.
She pulled it over her head in one smooth motion, revealing the pale skin beneath. The morning light caught on the scars that marked her body, each one a testament to battles fought and survived. I wanted to trace every single one with my tongue.
"Slower," I commanded. "I told you I wanted to watch."
Her hands moved to the ties of her pants, working them loose with deliberate care. She shifted her hips, sliding the fabric down inch by agonizing inch. The curve of her thighs, the soft skin of her belly, all revealed with the kind of reverence usually reserved for sacred rituals.
When she was finally bare before me, I let my gaze roam over every inch of her. Taking my time. Cataloging each detail like a scholar studying ancient texts.
"Beautiful," I murmured. "Now lie back down. Arms above your head."
She obeyed without question this time, and the sight of her stretched out beneath me, completely vulnerable, sent heat pooling low in my gut.
I stood from the bed, ignoring her small sound of protest. "Don't move."
I went to the wardrobe and retrieved a length of black silk I'd been saving for exactly this purpose. When I returned to the bed, her eyes tracked the fabric with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?" I climbed back onto the bed, straddling her hips. "I'm going to tie you up, little dove. Unless you want to use your word?"
She bit her lip, then shook her head.
"Good girl." I gathered her wrists in one hand, binding them together with the silk before securing them to the headboard. I tested the knots, making sure they were tight enough to hold but not so tight they'd hurt her. "How does that feel?"
"Strange." She tugged experimentally at the restraints. "I can't move."
"That's the point." I ran my hand down her arm, feeling the goosebumps that rose in the wake of my touch. "You're completely at my mercy now. Completely mine to do with as I please."
Her breath came faster, her pupils dilating. "And what do you please?"
I smiled, slow and wicked. "Everything."
I started at her wrists, trailing my fingers down the sensitive skin of her inner arms. She shivered beneath me, trying to arch into my touch, but I kept my movements light. Teasing. Building the anticipation until she was practically vibrating with need.
"You're going to learn patience today," I told her, my voice low. "You're going to learn what it means to wait for what you want."
"I'm not very good at patience."
"I know." I circled one of her nipples with my finger, watching it harden beneath my touch. "That's why you need the lesson."
I leaned down and took the peaked bud into my mouth, sucking hard. She cried out, her back arching off the bed, but I pressed her back down with one hand on her stomach.
"Stay still."
"I can't—"
"You can." I switched to the other nipple, lavishing it with the same attention. "And you will. Or I'll stop."
The threat worked. She forced herself to lie still, though I could feel the tremors running through her body. The effort it took for her to obey.
I worked my way down her body with deliberate slowness, mapping every inch of skin with my mouth and hands. When I reached the apex of her thighs, I could see how wet she was, how ready. But I bypassed it entirely, moving to her inner thighs instead.
