Page 59 of Facade

I shut my eyes, savoring the heat seeping into my tired muscles.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

My fingers brushed against my lips.

Aiden’s had been firm but soft. Inviting while claiming. Everything about him drew me in. He made it too easy to forget who he was—what I was. It’d be easier if he were cruel. Still, I liked feeling wanted.

With a sigh, I laid my head back. What if he'd come into the room?

I swirled my finger lazily on top of the water.

Would he have kissed me harder? Touched me? The peaks of my breasts poked out of the water, and I eyed them a moment before I dragged my nail teasingly across the sensitive flesh, already tightened and aching. My back arched as I bit back a moan.

Although I’d never done anything like this before, I squeezed my eyes tighter as I dove into the fantasy further, envisioning that it was his hand that dragged at a tortuously slow pace between my breasts, over my navel, and even lower, following the heated path of my yearning, until I reached the apex between my thighs.

I hesitated.

This is better than acting on my desire with him.

I pushed my finger lower, stroking the sensitive bundle of nerves. My bottom lip stung as my teeth clamped down, holding in a gasp as I imagined it was his fingers that dipped inside of me while still pressing my palm against that sweet spot. I was in that kiss again, but it was deeper, hungrier. His control would have slipped, bringing out a primal need from him that only I could satiate.

The sound of the water sloshing was muffled against the sound of my own blood pumping in my ears. Would he have picked me up and pinned me against the wall? Or taken me in that chair? My heart sped as I imagined him lying me down, settling between my legs. Wondering what it would be like to have his weight pressing me down, his skin on mine, have him inside me—I clamped my lips together, keeping my cry from escaping as release found me.

Shockwaves left me breathless and trembling. A shaky laugh scraped from my throat as every muscle relaxed, easing me further into the water. Maybe this was where Lyra’s obsession stemmed from. If this is what touching myself did. What would it be like to have him—

My markings tingled as the proximity spell flared to life. I tensed, water splashing over the tub’s edge as I gripped the sides, tattoos glistening. Within seconds, it faded, allowing me to relax once more. Yet I wasn’t relaxed. Finding release from thoughts of him only made things worse as degradation cut deep.

I threw my dirty clothes back on, unwilling to wear one of the exquisite gowns from Thaddeus. I padded back to our room, softly opening the door so I wouldn’t have to face Malachai.

Aiden was still gone.

Which relieved me after my… imagination got carried away.

I draped my new coat on the end of the bed and took the extra blanket, setting it on the armchair along with a pillow for Aiden to make it clear that the illusion of us stopped at the door. Not that I thought he’d climb into bed. I was trying not to think about that. Need already burned again, but I refused to give in to it.

With a growl slipping free, I lay down, pulling the covers up to my chin, and fixated on the snow-covered skylight until sleep finally dragged me under.

16

Evanee

The full moon was bright, the music quieter. Distant. Everything else was the same—the shift draped over me, the grass swaying in the breeze. Even the small pond ahead, where the water danced to the distant music, was identical to what it was in recent dreams. But underneath the calm, melodious exterior, there was an urgency pushing me—I couldn’t pinpoint where, though.

The mountains—

Something waited for me there. I could feel it. I hastened my pace until I came upon a winding path lined with torches. Trepidation crept within me. I’d never left the meadow in these dreams. But I had to see—to know what’s up there.

I pressed on.

Time stretched as I went round and round the range—yet I reached the top in a blink. A multitude of moonflowers swayed, their bright colors flashing with each flick of their petals. That’s not what made my breath hitch. It was the male who stood among them. His dark hair, longer since we started on this path together. The deep blue eyes and strong jaw. The way he held himself with confidence—

Aiden.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he called to me. A smile spread across my face as I ran to him, throwing myself in his arms. His eyes lit up in the night as he looked down at me, making me shudder.

A genuine grin spread, his canines showing as he tucked a flower behind my ear, then grabbed my face on either side and leaned in, kissing me hungrily. I returned that kiss with the same fervor, wrapping my arms around him. He laid me down on the moonflowers, crushing their silky leaves beneath us. I clawed at his shirt, pulling it up over his head. He nudged my legs apart, settling between my thighs, trailing kisses and nips down my neck. My shift pooled around my hips, his hand grazing the exposed skin, leaving goosebumps in his wake. I moaned at the sensation of his thickened length pressing against my throbbing core.

He pulled back, staring down, his hair falling across his brow.