Page 155 of The Edge of Darkness

“You, my darling, are stunning.” He slipped my arm from his, taking my hand instead and pulling me to the center of the clearing.

“I’m not sure how the humans do it,” he said, “but here, we have a dance, just the two of us.”

“It’s the same.” I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, letting him cinch me against his body and lead me in step as the music began anew. “You know, now that we’re married, I would call you my husband in the human realm.”

“Mmm, husband . . .” He weighed the word on his tongue. “I like that. And what would I call you?”

“Your wife.”

His eyes pulsed, a rim of gold igniting around the edges of his irises. “I like that even more.” His hand slid lower down my back as he leaned into my ear. “Do you know what I’m going to do to you later, wife?”

Chills skittered across my skin, and I pressed into him, smiling and losing myself to the sound of that word on his lips.

“I’m going to lay you down and watch as my shadows strip this dress off of you.”

I sucked in a breath, blushing at the deep, sultry tone his voice had suddenly taken on.

“Then, I’m going to remove anything you’re wearing underneath, and feast between your legs.”

An intense pulse of desire flooded my core, sending a sweeping warmth and a clenching need straight between my thighs. “Niall . . .” I breathed, trying to keep my composure.

Around us, bystanders smiled as they watched Niall lead me around the floor, none of them the wiser to the fact that he was about to have me coming undone with the things he was whispering.

His fingers gripped the back of my dress. “And after I’ve satisfied you with my tongue, I’m going to take you, again and again, and savor every scream of pleasure you release. I’m going to spill myself inside you until you’re so full of me that I’m dripping down your thighs.”

I choked on my own breath, and my steps faltered. A flush washed over my entire body, making my knees weak.

He gripped me tighter, pressing his hard length against my abdomen. “Do you like the sound of that?”

My eyes fluttered closed as I buried my face against him and took in long breaths, trying to keep my light from bursting free. “If you only knew . . .”

“Oh, darling, I know—I can feel it. But I want to hear you say it.”

I finally lifted my head and looked up at him through lust-heavy lashes. “I love the sound of that.”

I didn’t know where his sudden forwardness and savage words had come from, but they had me in a chokehold that I didn’t want to break free of.

“Good,” he said. “Now, we just have to endure a short time here for the sake of appearances, but I’ll be counting down the seconds until I get to feel you come apart beneath me.”

With a sinful grin, he pushed me out into a spin, and I fell further into the throes of my desire with each turn. When he finally reeled me back in, my labored breathing wasn’t from the spinning, it was from the things he was making me feel. Every new wave of his arousal radiated down the bond, making me hum from within.

Damn, this was going to be a challenge.

A gentle applause snapped me out of my own head, and I scanned the crowd. Everyone was smiling, especially Aremis. Gods, that male wouldn’t let himself feel any emotions, let alone tune into his own, but he certainly had no problem reading others. He gave me a knowing look, but I challenged his stare and flicked my eyes over to where Maeson was standing, an obvious reminder that he should tune into her feelings, or his own, instead of everyone else’s.

He inclined his head as if to say, You’re right, and sauntered off in Maeson’s direction.

Whatever song had been playing ended, and I stood there, still caught in my whirlwind of need like I was wrapped up in the early phase of the mating bond all over again.

Niall leaned down once more, his breath warm against the shell of my ear. “Did I mention that after the union, a couple’s desire can become so intense that it’s nearly impossible for them to keep away from each other during the celebrations?”

So it is like the mating bond all over again.

“No,” I murmured under my breath. “You failed to mention that.”

“Mmm, well now you know.” He tossed me another grin as he turned to greet Laurent who strode across the clearing toward us.

I whooshed out a breath, suddenly feeling like this gown was too tight in all the wrong places.