“I was not surprised. You have made an impression on myskiá, Amira. He was… thinking about you today.”
“Really?” I gasped before I could curb the reaction and then cleared my throat. “Youhaveto stop listening in on our thoughts when our guards are down.”
“It would have been impossible to ignore him when he was thinking about how beautiful you are,” Riordan said evenly with a knowing smile. His attention was riveted, greedily absorbing every second of the reaction I could not seem to help or hide. The flush I could never conceal on my fair skin, the shortness of my every breath, and the quickening of my pulse. Riordan saw it all, and his hands were so gentle and tentative on my face. Hopeful.
“You said you would be willing to explore a traditional union with him.”
“I am. Orion and I discussed it,” I admitted haltingly, and his eyes widened at me.
“When? Why did you not say—”
“We spoke about it before the Spring Court collapsed, and this is the first time you and I have been able to talk. There hasn’t been time to tell you,” I explained, and he grunted in understanding. He continued to search my eyes as I traced an eager hand down the rippling muscles in his bare torso. “He said he is interested in me romantically, but he typically… prefers to take male lovers, so he asked for some time and patience from me.”
“But he wants you?” Riordan confirmed, and I could not help an amused smile as I nodded. The irony was not lost on me that my mate was hoping there was something between me and another man.
“But I am not opposed if you want to begin exploring things with him now. If you still want that?” I guessed, and Riordan nodded slowly with his eyes on my mouth.
“He told me he loves me. I told him I feel the same,” he revealed, fighting a coy smile, and I grabbed his arm in anticipation for him. “And… I kissed him.”
“You did?” I blurted, the flush on my cheeks and neck burning even hotter. Not with insult or jealousy as I might have expected, but with intrigue. My gaze lowered to his mouth as I tried to imagine them together, and all I felt was anticipation. And perhaps regret for not being there. “Why is that so fucking hot?” I muttered to myself and then put my cool palms against my cheeks again.
“Are you surprised by your reaction?” he laughed.
“No, I mean, I guess so? It is unusual for people in my world to share lovers. I should be angry.”
“But it is usual for griffins, and you aredreíocha. It is natural for you to take on some characteristics of your chosen mate,” he reminded me. “But I need to be patient with him as well. He is still holding back with me too.”
That did not surprise me. I was actually impressed that Orion had admitted his feelings considering the depth of hisself-loathing and fears of unworthiness. But I doubted he had come clean to Riordan about his awful past.
“So then we will eventually be doing this… with him? This relationship,” I clarified when I realized how those words might have sounded aloud.
Riordan chuckled as he pulled me against him, and my head tilted back to let him kiss and nibble my neck again. “Yes, we will do this with him. All of it, Amira. The love and the sex,” he whispered against my overheated skin.
“I have some news about Erétria before we—”
“We can discuss it later,” he murmured as his fingers made quick work of my corset at the back of my dress. “Right now… Ineedyou.”
“But—” I began in weak protest.
Words failed me when he peeled my clothing down my torso and upper arms to expose my chest. He made that animal growl of uncompromising lust that never failed to drive me absolutely wild. Especially when he followed it up by cupping both of my breasts in his massive hands.
“I need to have younow,” he groaned before latching onto my left nipple and sucking. Any lingering delusions of getting work done evaporated instantly at the sound of desperation in his voice and the eagerness of his mouth.
Fuck the paperwork. It had been days since I was able to be intimate with my mate, and I needed him too.
I succumbed to his fervour, my head falling back with a soft cry of exultation. He pressed my breasts together so he could switch between them more quickly until they were both achingly sensitive.
“So is this why you apologized so quickly?” I tried to tease him a few moments later when he straightened.
“Do not cheapen my apology!” he objected as he took hold of either side of my opened dress and ripped it all the way down to my waist.
“You are the one who cheapened it by following it upimmediately with sex,” I gasped through laughter as he disrobed me roughly. “I wanted to make you grovel.”
“Grovel? If you want me on my knees, Amira, then all you have to do is ask,” he insisted.
“It’s not the same if I ask,” I pouted.
“Then command it, my queen,” he suggested, his smile turning wicked.
