“Stanley is blocking the CCTV,” he said, as the door closedbehind us, sealing us into the Senator’s apartment. “And there are two Shades on this floor. The Senator is out for the evening, and they’ve agreed to keep watch while we search.”
I nodded. Aside from the Poltergeist’s blocking of the security cameras, it was such ambient spirit activity that we shouldn’t draw much attention. I still didn’t know why we were here. “What are we looking for?”
We still stood in the narrow front hall, which was all black marble, cold and reflective. Ares shook his head. “To be honest, I don’t know. Eli Cabot is my go-between with Lux right now and he passed this address onto me without context.”
I drew a sharp breath in, impressed yet again that Ares had both been so careful, and that he had strong enough connections with both the Cognoscenti leader and Eli Cabot, who was one of the most talented Thaumas in the city, that he received such favors. I’d never paid Ares Necroline as much respect as I should have, busy as I’d been being furious with him for burning my house down.
My impulsive mouth got ahead of my good sense. “We should have been working together all this time.”
His serious expression deepened, the planes of his gorgeous face honing fiercely. “Things would be better if we could. For our people.”
The way he said “our people” sent a slow, delicious warmth creeping down my spine and through my abdomen. My breath picked up pace. Ares stepped closer to me, backing me against the wall, his eyes burning with emotion. We were alone. Really alone. Not just alone in my room, in an apartment full of people who could hear every move we made if they listened hard enough. But truly alone.
The heat of his body warmed the chill off mine. “We don’t have a lot of time,” he murmured as his head lowered to mine. “We should get started searching.”
My back arched away from the cold marble, my bodyskimming his, the space between us nonexistent as I pressed into him. “Right.”
His arm snaked around my waist, his hand spreading over my back as he pulled me into his chest. “You are infuriating,” he murmured. But it didn’t sound like an insult. It sounded like yearning’s end—like finally giving into the magnetic pull between us.
“You’re a dick,” I replied.
His thigh slid between mine as he backed me up against the wall, giving me a full expression of just how hard he already was for me. My arms flew around his neck and I pulled his mouth against mine.
Ares Necroline kissed me like he knew death intimately. Like he was mortal and understood just how close he was to perishing. Like I was the only thing standing between him and Tanith’s peaceful promise. I had no choice but to be the answer to Tanith’s dark call—Amarante’s endless loop of light.
He pulled me harder against him as we moved against one another, a writhing tangle of breath, tongues, and limbs, of heat mounting and desire finally about to be met. Stanley wound around my leg, materializing in his form as a two-headed black cat with bat wings. I was surprised he allowed me to see him. Ares growled with frustration at the interruption.
“What?” he snarled to the ghost cat.
Though I could not hear the answer, Ares nodded. “The Senator has moved onto the opera from dinner. We have about three hours, unless he has parties to attend afterwards.”
Neither of us moved, but Stanley disappeared, back to his monitoring of the security cameras, and apparently the CCTV system. Ares didn’t let go of me. In fact, he pulled me harder against him. “The next person who interrupts me when I’m kissing you gets their aura twisted into knots.”
The hard length of him pressed into my core with his words. He nipped at my bottom lip, kissing me again, as though he couldn’t bear not to, before his grip on me slowly loosened. “I want you so fucking much,” he murmured, his gaze lowered, as though in prayer. “This isn’t…” he trailed off, worry clouding his eyes.
Was Ares Necroline worried thatIdidn’t want him the way he did me?
My hands went to his face, my thumbs grazing over his cheekbones until his eyes met mine. “I want you too.”
He still wouldn’t meet my eyes. I felt him flinch, as though he might pull away. I pulled gently on the sleeve of his sweater to keep him from going. And then slowly, so he wouldn’t try to walk away, I turned in his arms, dragging his arms around my waist as I leaned hard against his chest.
“Touch me,” I whispered, bringing his hands to the waistband of the leggings I’d worn this evening. I’d dressed practically for quick movement and there were no buttons, zippers, or even undergarments to deal with.
“Ember,” he breathed into my ear as I guided his hand beneath the waistband of my pants.
His hand slid lower, sending heat cascading through me. His opposite hand pinned me to his chest, tightening around me so possessively that I nearly blacked out. The man held me like doing so would absolve him of his immortal sins. I spread wider for him as his fingers wound through the hair at the apex of my legs.
“Touch me.” I begged this time. “Feel how much I want you.” His fingers slid so easily inside me.
“Fuck,” he breathed.
He added a third finger, using the palm of his hand to make a slow, rhythmic pulse against my clit. I moaned, trying to keep my voice soft, but unable to stay completely quiet. Ares’ tongue swept across the lobe of my ear, letting me hear the increase in his breath as he fucked me with his hand. The hand on my abdomen slid upward to cup my breast.
“Can you come like this?” he asked.
The question itself was nearly enough to send me over theedge. It was beyond considerate, free of any ego. Just a simple ask after my pleasure. I nodded, suddenly unable to speak. I was overcome with emotion.
That one question reverberated in my mind as he continued to pulse his fingers into me, harder as I pushed my hips against him, his breath still hot in my ear. “You feel so fucking good.”
