I gasped, watching as male satisfaction flashed in his eyes when he found me wet. His fingers disappeared. He swiped the thick head of his dick between my folds—
And he slammed deep with shocking force.
I choked, startled by the abrupt fullness. There was no room to feel anything but pure pleasure because then he was fucking me with purposeful thrusts. Delving a hand into his hair, I clung to the smooth flesh of his back with my free hand, feeling the solid muscle beneath it rippling and bunching.
His fingers bit into my thighs, unapologetically rough as he held them wide open. Every upward snap of his hips made his cock graze my clitjust right.
Our mouths collided again, greedy and unrestrained. The sensual hunger whirling in my stomach wasbrutal. Almost as brutal as his frenzied thrusts.
The whole thing was feral and basic. Sex at its most raw. And a little too perfect.
A feverish tension steadily worked through my body. I could sense it building in him just the same—sense it in how his kisses deepened, his grip tightened, and his pace quickened.
My chest prickling with the need for air, I tore my mouth free of his and dragged in a breath. He pressed his forehead to mine, grunting against my lips as he started to fuck me harder. I moaned, clinging to him tighter, stabbing my nails into his back.
He snarled and bit my bottom lip. The lash of pain went straight to my core—a core that was heating and aching. Friction built in my belly and clawed at my insides as my frustrated bodyscreamedfor release. Screamed and screamed and screamed until, finally, it found it.
Scorching hot waves of static bliss whipped through my body, emptied my mind of every thought, and wrenched a choked cry out of my throat. It was as the first wave crested that he started violently hammering into me, an animalistic sound rumbling in his chest. Hot streams of come lashed my inner walls as he locked his cock deep. He flexed his hips, grinding and grunting.
Dropping his forehead to the crook of my neck, he sagged slightly. I ungracefully slumped in his hold, resting my cheek on his shoulder.
Making an effort to control my breathing, I took stock of myself. No more restless energy buzzed inside me. Not even a flicker of it. I wasn’t sure if our little battle was responsible forthat, or if it was courtesy of our rather intense round of sex. It might have even been the combination of both that did the trick.
Talon lifted his head, his slumberous gaze. There was no regret to be seen, but there was a distance that had moments ago been absent. Like last time, he was pulling away.
He carefully withdrew his cock and then set me down on my feet.
Hoping he couldn’t tell that my legs were a little wobbly, I cleared my throat. “I’m guessing we’re going to act like this never happened.”
Nothing in his expression contradicted my assumption.
I inwardly sighed. “Thought so. Careful, or I might get offended.”
He granted me a dubious look.
“Okay, fine, it suits me that we keep this to ourselves,” I admitted. “I don’t want people whispering that I slept with you in a vain effort to get a place in the Order. But”—I took a step closer to him, feeling my expression sober—“soon I’ll be an officiate, and that won’t apply anymore. If this happened again, I wouldn’t care who knew. You, though? I get the sense that you would carry on doing this dance where you fuck me and then act like you didn’t.” I cocked my head. “Am I right?”
Again, he didn’t deny my assumption.
I couldn’t lie, it stung a little. I stared at him, trying to figure out what his deal was. If I hadn’t heard stories of him sharing a bed with others, I might have wondered if he simply liked keeping his sexual activities private. But it couldn’t be that. Nor could it be that he was idiotically ashamed about bedding someone who was mortal—he was emotionally committed to a mortal.
Whatever the case, I deserved more. Better.
There was no point in being angry with him for not being willing to give me ‘better,’ though. It wasn’t like he’dmade me promises or hinted at having anything to offer me. Uncomplicated sex was all he ever wanted, no matter who his bed partner happened to be, unless it was Eva. I’d known that in advance. But … yeah, I was done.
“If that’s how you feel, that’s how you feel.” It wasn’t exactly his fault. “But I’m not interested in being someone’s dirty secret, Talon. Don’t touch me again unless you’re prepared to stop treating me like that’s all I’m worth.”
Suspecting that he would roll his eyes like I was being dramatic, I skirted around him and walked away so I wouldn’t have to see it. I grabbed a cloth from my knapsack, cleaned myself up, pulled on my tunic, and slipped back into bed—all without looking at him.
Facing the wall, I burrowed under the blanket as I listened to him pottering around. The room fell dark, and I closed my eyes. My stomach wasnotchurning at the knowledge that he’d never again touch me. I wasnotat all hurt that he didn’t seem to view me as worth more than this. And Iwouldfor certain shake off this attraction somehow—I was going to make a concentrated effort to do so, starting from tomorrow.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Five days later, I smiled tiredly at the tavern’s main barmaid. “Two meads, please, Glory.” I barely got out the latter word before a yawn cracked my jaw.
The tavern was as lively as always with all the laughing, talking, singing, and gambling going on. I didn’t have the energy to be there. I would prefer to be in bed, but Khalida had talked me into coming here with her, since the rest of our group were busy with one thing or another.
Unhooking two tankards from the pegs above the bar, the Delphiae gave me a sympathetic look. “I heard that you had an ugly experience with green ants earlier.”
