Page 35 of Behind Amber Eyes

I feel every nerve in my body light up with approval as I feel his tongue against mine. I pull him closer and run my fingers through his thick hair, wanting nothing more than to feel him against me for the rest of my life.

Our kiss slowly grows lighter until he’s giving me small pecks.

“Let’s go celebrate,” he murmurs against my lips.

“Let’s,” I murmur back, and he moves away to pull me toward the park exit. Tonight can be a night of simple pleasures. We can deal with the fallout that will be coming our way tomorrow. It’s been so long since I haven’t felt impending doom, that the permission to release it all for one night makes me breathe a sigh of relief.

I take in my surroundings as he leads me to the entrance of the park and then to the right, toward the back of the community. “Where are you taking me?”

He glances at me with a smirk. “Home.”

I raise an eyebrow, arousal beginning to stir in my belly. “You cut right to the chase, don’t you?”

He chuckles. “Our home isn’t just a home, you know. There’s a lounge on the first level.”

Our home, he called it. His admission leaves butterflies in my stomach. “Well then, lead the way.”

His send me a soft smile that makes my heart melt, and he begins to lead me toward the mountains.

We walk through the mountains for at least twenty minutes before the home—no,castle—comes into view. I stop, my breath catching at the sight. It’s even more beautiful up close; the rockytrail leading up to the front door offers a majestic feel to the traveler, and up close one can see that every dark brick of the building is covered with intricate patterns.

“They’re for protection. Sort of like an added layer of security, in case our energetic defenses go down.”

I blink and turn to Arman, realizing he noticed my appreciation of the carvings. I simply nod and then move forward, this time pulling him along.

He chuckles, falling easily into place behind me.

Once we’re up the winding drive and facing a large rouge arch-shaped door, I stop. I let go of his hand and go to the side of the door to the nearest bricks, running my fingers along the markings, enjoying the power that radiates from them. I smile to myself and then turn back to the door, but don’t move to open it. I was so excited to see everything our home has to offer that I forgot that I have no idea where anything is. I slowly pivot on my heel to face Arman, expression sheepish.

He grins and places an affectionate kiss on my cheek. “I’ll take over from here.”

The inside is even more beautiful, if that’s possible. The floor is smoky black marble and the walls a deep matte burgundy, as if made of pressed velvet. Large, black light fixtures adorn each wall corner and in the middle of the foyer there is an intricate black chandelier hanging at least four stories high. I stare up at it, transfixed.

My daze is broken when I feel Arman’s lips at my ear. “You’ll have all the time in the world to enjoy the view later. Now, time to celebrate.”

I turn toward him and allow him to pull me to the first set of doors to the left. On the outside it seems like no more than a simple bedroom door, but once we are inside a similar atmosphere to the first lounge we had attended fills my senses.

Something about this one was different, however. More…personal. It feels familiar, even though I’ve never stepped foot in here before.

As if reading my mind, Arman says, “We designed this lounge a few of your lifetimes back.”

I nod, unable to speak as I take everything in as we move to the dance floor. It’s not nearly as crowded as the one in town, though that’s not surprising. I expect that spending quality time in a Dark Elder king’s castle is not something that is necessarily open to the public. This is even more apparent by the fact that Arman’s presence doesn’t seem to impact any of them in the slightest. Most of the beings I see are Elders who are wearing a similar marking to one another on their right cheek. I lean into Arman to ask, “What is that mark on their cheeks?”

He glances toward one of the Elders. “They’re my crest. Or sigil, if you will. It shows their loyalty to my regime and allows them to call to me when needed.”

Convenient, and probably necessary. Though the Elders have conveyed a time of peace for the Society, the Dark Elders have never considered the war over. Simply biding time before the prophecy was fulfilled.

Fulfilled by Arman. The idea and its implications cause me to shiver, so I push away thoughts of future turmoil. Celebrate for tonight, as Arman said.

We dance in time with the seductive beat and I feel myself surrendering to the music. Everything about this place is arousing—the air, the dancing and undulating Elders and every now and again, their accompanying humans littered about, and the couples gliding up the staircase to the right, I suspect leading to private rooms. Everyone is so…free.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

I shiver at Arman’s proximity, and swallow heavily when he pulls me close by the waist, every inch of my torso pressed against his.

I stand on tip-toe to brush my lips against his, wanting nothing more than to go up to the second floor. “How could I not?”

He smiles against my mouth and pulls my bottom lip gently between his teeth. He lets go and covers my mouth with his in a slow, passionate kiss. I feel him harden against me as I try to pull him impossibly closer, but it cannot be close enough. A groan escapes me when he parts my lips with his tongue, stroking my waist with his fingers.

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