Page 154 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“Stop that,” he snarled into her ear. “Tell me why you kept my father from me.”
Her breathing stuttered, her fight stalling for a few seconds. “I didn’t trust you,” she admitted. “You were only there because Theon told you to be.”
“Not in the end. You knew that,” he retorted.
“And what was I supposed to do?” she cried. “Bring it up after we fucked the first time or the second? ‘Thanks for the incredible sex. By the way, your father is being held in the cells in Faven. Let me check with Rordan and see if we can visit before we go for another round.’”
“This fucking mouth,” he snapped, spinning her roughly around so her back was to the window now. She stared up at him, defiant as always, while her power flickered in her eyes. “Loyalty is everything to me,” he said, low and controlled. “You betrayed that.”
“I know,” she said. “And I’m sorry. I don’t know what else I can do or say. I wasn’t keeping him from you. I was keeping him for me. I didn’t know… I was trying to figure out who I was. He was a link to my past, and until I decided which path I was going to take, I needed that secret, Luka. I’m not saying it was right. I’m not trying to excuse my actions. But I?—”
“Do you regret it?” he interrupted.
“What?”
“Do you regret keeping it from me?” Her eyes darted to the side, but he took her chin, guiding her gaze right back to his. “Answer me.”
“I regret it hurt you, but…” She took a deep breath, and those were tears in her eyes when she admitted, “I don’t think I’d change my actions. He was the only one I had when I wasalone. If that makes me selfish, then I own it, Luka. I had no one until you came along, and then I was so afraid of losing you…” Her eyes fell closed, and she tipped her head back against the window. “It didn’t matter in the end. I suppose I lost you either way.”
He slid his hand back into her hair, threading it through his fingers and gripping once more, keeping her in place. “You pissed me off,” he said. “The betrayal gutted me, and yes, I needed time to think. Yes, I wanted you gone. Didn’t want to be in the same space as you.” She stiffened at the words, screwing her eyes shut even tighter. “But no matter how hard I tried to hate you, I couldn’t. Not because of some Marks or some supposed bond, but because you, Tessalyn Ausra, have worked your way under my skin. I’m as obsessed with you as Theon is, and we have time to make up for. Nights to claim and trust to rebuild. You didn’t lose me, baby girl. You may not be my Match or my wife, but you are my light. You aremine.”
Her eyes fluttered open, holding his for seconds that seemed to drag on and on, and then she was pushing up onto her toes, finding his mouth. His lips melted into hers, tongues taunting and teasing while they battled for dominance like they always had, likely always would.
“You can make me suffer now,” she whispered onto his lips, and the growl that rumbled from him was all dragon as he pushed the straps of her top down her arms, freeing her breasts.
He palmed one, savoring the gasp from her as he kneaded the flesh, still gripping her hair in the other hand. Brushing a thumb over her nipple once more, he took her hand and tugged her with him.
Sitting on the edge of the bed to not agitate his wings, he pulled her between his legs. She stared at him, her breasts spilling out of her top, and her chest rising and falling erratically.
Hooking his thumbs into the band of the leggings, he tugged them down as he ordered, “Undress.”
Her lips pursed, but for once she didn’t argue. She took over, slowly peeling the leggings down her legs, stepping out of them and kicking them aside. Then she pulled the top over her head before shimmying out of her undergarments.
“Anything else?” she asked with a smirk while his heated gaze slid over her. He said nothing, only reached for her hips and pulled her back to him, forcing her to straddle his lap. She frowned, her fingertips brushing along his chest. “You’re still partially dressed.”
“And?” he asked, relishing the feel of her touching him again.
“It’s not fair.”
“There’s nothing fair about suffering, temptress,” he replied, leaning in to capture her lips. Her tongue swiped against his, and she sighed into him, relaxing in his hold. His hands ran over her ass, squeezing the soft flesh, and the sigh turned into a moan. Her hands were roaming now, and he knew she was growing hungrier.
But when she rocked against him, rolling her hips against his cock, he nipped her bottom lip at the same time one of his hands left her ass, only to come back with a sharpsmack.
She gasped, lurching back and giving him an accusing look.
“We’re not even close to doing that, baby girl,” he said with a low chuckle as he smoothed his hand over the same spot. Her lips pursed, but that was intrigue in her eyes as she held his stare. “Theon said you killed Felicity.”
Her brows crashed together. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Why did you kill her?”
“Because she kept touching Theon,” she answered.
Luka hummed, his hand still smoothing over her flesh. “Maybe you need to learn to share.”
“Absolutely not,” she snarled vehemently.
He smacked her ass again, leaning in to swallow her gasp while he soothed the spot with his hand, feeling her relax into him once more.
