Page 76 of The Price We Pay (The Path of Temptation 1)

It was a small room, so two backward steps got him close enough to flick the switch. The gas sputtered out, leaving only a pathetic glow from the shielded pilot light. It was barely enough to see his shadow coming closer. Pulling off my gloves, I dropped them on the ground and stepped back, bumping the edge of the bed.

Something else hit the ground, but it sounded almost heavy. Then one more thing, both from Talin. My heart was pounding because this was happening. I was no longer a student, the priest had said, which meant I was allowed to do this, and I wanted to. I wanted to feel a man inside me before I made my decision. Not just any man, but Talin. The guy who'd made me laugh when I hated ale, who seemed impressed that I was more than he first thought. The man who looked at me like I was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

It made me feel desired, and that was all I needed tonight. I knew I'd never see him again, but I also didn't care. I just wanted to feel him once. To know if all of this was a mistake before I was committed to it forever. I also really wanted it to be him.

Not Eladehl or Wraythe, because then I'd have to choose one over the other. For the rest of our lives, that would hang between us, convincing them I had a favorite when I didn't. With Talin, I didn't need to worry about that. I could simply let this happen. I could finally stop worrying about tomorrow and all the things that came after, and just be here with him, because right now was all I would ever get.

He reached the bed, proving he could see enough to find me. His hand slid from my shoulder to my neck, tilting my head up so he could kiss me again. I grabbed for him, thinking I'd pull him down with me, but my hands met bare flesh. His shirt was gone, the layers of fabric no longer shielding me from what lay beneath.

I gasped in surprise, and he pulled back. "Too fast?"

"No," I promised. "Harder than I expected."

"I am, but you're touching the wrong part." He brushed his lips across the side of my face. "That's just my chest."

My hand slipped over his nipple, teasing it into a pebble. "I happen to like muscular chests."

He twitched when I flicked the peak, but he didn't move away. "Oh, is that how it's going to be?" And he reached for my shirt, grabbing a handful on each side to lift it higher.

I ducked out of the top and reached for him again, but his hands were already around my back, following the strap of my bra to the clasp. Like he'd done it a thousand times before, Talin released it, sliding the straps down my shoulders gently. That got tossed to the floor, and then his hands returned to my shoulders only to make their way lower, swirling around the sides of my breasts, slowly spiraling in.

I could feel my nipples tightening until they ached for more. By the time his hands found the hardened tips, I moaned, arching my back to give him access. He immediately bent, claiming one side with his mouth, and he sucked my flesh between his lips where his tongue could torment it.

"By the gods," I breathed.

Without letting me go, he wrapped an arm around my back and lifted, carrying us both to the middle of the mattress. Our bodies were at an angle, but neither of us cared. His weight dented the mattress between my knees, his thigh brushed across the junction of my legs, and his other knee landed just outside my hip. Leaning across me, he found my breast again and repeated the torment until my hips lifted, seeking out his leg for release.

"That's my girl," he praised. "Make yourself feel good."

So I did. While he focused on my nipples, pinching and sucking in time, I ground the seam of my pants against his thigh, feeling my dampness soaking through, but I didn't want to just make out with him. I wanted more. I also wanted him to hurry, because this felt better than I'd imagined.

My fingers found the waistband of his pants, and I tugged him closer. That let my other hand release the button, and a tug made the others give up. Once the flap was open, I reached inside, finding the soft cloth of his underwear. One hand pushed that lower, and my other reached for what I knew was begging to be free.

The heat of his shaft hit my palm first, and my fingers closed around his length. Shit, but he was thick - and hard. So hard. Sliding my hand toward his balls, I felt the skin shift with the pressure, but he felt like stone beneath. Smooth, perfect, and absolutely hairless. Even his balls, which were tight with excitement, were stubble-free. Twisting my hand, I explored, sliding around his cock toward the base. There, I finally found the short hair I'd expected, trimmed down to almost nothing.

And he chuckled. "You are thinking too hard."

I slid my hand up his cock until I felt the dampness of his pre-cum. "I'm trying to see, and it's very dark in here."

He thrust into my hand. "But you should be feeling. Let me go, Nari, because your pants are in my way."

My fingers released immediately, and he leaned back, opening my pants as fast as I had his. The difference was that he hooked his fingers in the part at my hips and eased them lower, clearly not intending to stop. I lifted my ass from the bed to help, grumbling a complaint as he backed up to free my ankles. Then, in the hint of glow from the pilot light, I saw him stand and push his own pants down.

It was too dark to see more than a vague blob of darkness among the rest, but I was sure that was what he'd done. I wondered if he'd have a curve to his shaft, or would he be one of those men who was perfectly straight? Bending my knee, I intended to move higher up the bed so he could join me, but Talin grabbed my other calf and tugged.

I gasped as I slipped toward the edge of the mattress. He just knelt, then kissed the inside of my knee. The next time his mouth touched me, it was inside my thigh, where he began to work his way higher. His arm slipped under my opposite leg, reaching up for my hip, holding me there.

I couldn't see him. I could only feel, and that made every caress a surprise. My skin was on fire, waiting for some hint of contact. In the darkness, even the heat of his touch was tantalizing and seductive. I felt it as he leaned closer. His breath teased my damp folds, and then his tongue dove between them, expertly finding the knot of nerves that made me moan.

He licked across my clit again, flexing as he kept me from bucking into his mouth. His touches were nothing like Eladehl's, but more teasing than Wraythe's. He took control, restricting my movement, daring me to use my voice instead. With both of his hands busy, he only had his mouth to torment me, but in the best way. Flexing the tip of his tongue, he flicked across my clit until I was on the verge of climax, then he paused to delve his tongue inside me.

It was so good. One of my hands clung to his forearm, my nails dangerously close to piercing his skin. The other tangled in his hair, guiding him to what I wanted next. He listened to the tugs but didn't always obey. Instead, he waited for my legs to quiver with the need to twitch, using my body's responses to guide him.

Over and over, he brought me to the edge and then paused, until I'd finally had enough. "Please!" I begged. "I'm so close."

"Good girl," he breathed, letting go of my hip to slip two fingers inside me.

They curled and pressed in time with his tongue on my clit, the pressure starting gentle and working ever harder. When I began to tense, his mouth pressed closer, and he just sucked, his hand plunging into me over and over andover, until my back arched from the bed, and my orgasm took over. I didn't scream, but I groaned, feeling wave after wave run through my nerves, leaving me drained in a way I'd never felt before. The best way.

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