Page 28 of Malum Discordiae

“It’s all I want right now,” was all she said as she stared me directly in the eyes, and that was all I needed. I let her go and reverently stripped her of her clothes, paying attention to all the places revealed as I did, and then I got rid of what little I wore, too. When we were both in only what God had given us, I finally leaned in for my first taste of her lips.

Her taste was sublime, and the feel of her under my hands was a blessing I never thought to receive. She had been temptation for a while, and this was a sin I was more than happy to commit.

Our tongues dueled, our breaths mingled, and I never wanted the moment to end. When I made my way down her body and sampled her honeyed heat, I realized she tasted like the apples on her tattoo—sweet and tart and tempting. Utterly alluring. Completely sinful.

She came apart for the first time, and I gazed upon her face. If ever an angel existed on Earth, Schuyler Liu was it. She was gorgeous, breathtaking. Heavenly.

And right now, in this moment, she was all mine.

CHAPTER15

~Schuyler~

When I could breathe again—barely—I took stock of where I was and what was happening. Paxton Chase had just given me the most intense orgasm of my life, and we’d barely just begun—at least, Ihopedwe had only just begun.

His body was a work of art, a runner’s physique with a bit of gym-body definition. His skin was like silk under my hands, and I didn’t want to stop touching him—though I had to admit, I wouldn’t complain if he wanted to restrain me a bit again because . . . damn, that was hot.

He leaned over and pulled something from his nightstand drawer. When I saw the silver square, I plucked it from his fingertips. “Uh, uh, uh. Not so fast,” I said. He raised an eyebrow at me as I pushed him to his back and straddled his waist, running my gaze down his body.

When my lips followed the trail my eyes had taken, he shivered and groaned. When I took him into my mouth, he gently fisted my hair in his hand—not to force my movements but to connect us in yet another way—and it was the hottest thing I’d ever experienced. I worked him, sliding my tongue up and down his length and cupping him, making him pant with need.

“Sky, you need to stop, or this is going to be over before it even begins,” he said.

“Duly noted,” I said and ripped open the foil packet, sliding the condom down his length. Even that was sexy as fuck, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Just as I was set to settle myself atop him and take myself on what I assumed would be the ride of my life—with apriest!—he surprised me by deftly flipping us and resuming control. My breath caught, and I could only stare, the shine of lust in his eyes making my belly clench and my girl parts melt.

“Okay,” I said. “Your show. Got it.” He proceeded to run his hands all over me again, bringing me to the brink before backing off and then stoking the fires once more. Just as I thought I might explode, he flipped me onto my stomach, raised my hips, and slid home. I could do nothing but grip the sheets and bite the pillow. The stretch, the burn, thepleasurewas too much. In two thrusts, he had me coming again, crying out his name.

Falling to the side and switching to something slightly more sweet and less demanding, he had me cresting for a third time. I didn’t think I could take any more, but when he moved me to my back once again and retook his position, peering into my eyes as he pleasure me—pleasuredus—I couldn’t hold back the building fire. It rose to an inferno and burned out of control, just as he toppled over the edge.

Both of us slick with sweat and breathing as if we’d run a marathon, we lay there for a few minutes, trying to come back to Earth—at least, I was. Pax hadn’t moved at all.

“Uh, Pax? Are you still alive? Do I need to call a friend? I don’t think I have JC’s number,” I asked, a smile gracing my lips.

He finally picked his head up and looked down at me again. “Honestly? I’m not sure. I’m kinda thinking I may have just died and gone to Heaven.”

I laughed. “Not sure your god or the saints would be too thrilled to meet you at the pearly gates in nothing but your birthday suit, but I bet any women on the other side would welcome you with open arms. Though I might have to have Dev do a spell so I could go and throat-punch someone. Just sayin’.”

He chuckled as I intended and then rolled off me. The loss of him tugged at something in my chest—something I didn’t want to dwell on too much right now. When he leaned over and gave me the sweetest, hottest, most complete kiss I’d ever received before getting up and heading to the restroom, I worried that I would have to face it sooner rather than later. But for now, I would bask in the afterglow. Because, oh boy, was I ever. I probably shone like a lighthouse beacon at this point. I’d just been loved more thoroughly than ever before in my life, and by an ex-priest, no less. There was irony there. Likely some really good sass. Perhaps even a joke or two. But I was too sated for my brain to come up with anything useful.

Just as I finished throwing my clothes back on, my phone rang. I checked the readout and noticed that it was well after noon and that it was my mother.

“Hi, Mom,” I said, lying back on the bed.

“Hey, baby,” Mom answered, and I heard the smile in her voice. “How are things?”

“Eventful.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to get into what had been happening at Lamour. Besides, from her voicemail, it sounded likeshewas the one who had something to say. I felt weirdly vulnerable and hoped that Pax would come back out soon. I needed an emotional support buffer, and I could think of nobody better.

“Did you get my voicemail?” Mom asked.

“I did.” I drew out the word. “You sounded . . . odd. What’s up?”

She blew out a breath, and my stomach clenched. I glanced at the bathroom door and tried to will Pax to return. I had a bad feeling about where this was headed, and I had no idea what it even had to do with.

“Oh, honey,” she started, a tone in her voice I didn’t exactly like. That pit in my stomach turned to lead. “Your father and I hoped . . . I don’t actually know what we hoped. This isn’t something we wanted to do. Not yet. Maybe not ever. But given current circumstances, we have no choice. I’m just sorry that we can’t be there in person to tell you.”

“Are you getting a divorce? Is someone sick?” I asked, and heard my mom laugh on the other end of the line.

“No, honey. We’re fine. Everything’s fine. There’s just something we probably should have told you years ago. Something it seems has become more urgent given your job.”

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