Her fingernails traced an excruciating pattern on his pecs. If only she would trail lower, to where he needed her touch the most.
“Is it too much to ask for you to hold me? It’s been a long time since someone held me without wanting something.” She sighed.
Anything for this to continue. Carefully, he wrapped himself around her. Seconds stretched. RockGate may be his residence, the loft doubled as his apartment and escape zone, but Emeline—she felt like home.
Soft lips grazed his neck. Then his jaw. He didn’t move, didn’t dare frighten her away. Hands circled his head and brought him to her.
She nuzzled him, brushed her cheek along his neck, and purred. A throaty sound and so damn sexy it took everything he had to remain still.
Forehead to forehead, he gazed into her eyes. “I don’t want anything you’re not willing to give. I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere.”
***
Emeline threw away her fears and focused on the pleasure of being in Avery’s arms. Nothing had prepared her for a full dose of Avery. The combination of both set her on an emotional path she’d never journeyed. A path of blazing desire for one man, the man currently molding his lips to hers.
“Mmm. I taste myself on you,” she said and slanted her lips across his. His tongue stroked deep into her mouth, mimicking what she was sure he wanted to do with her body. She groaned, giving into the drugging sensation. He possessed her mouth with swiping sweeps and tender nips. She loved it, submitted under the delicious assault, and craved more.
He rained kisses across her tender jaw and down her neck. Then he lifted her and brought her nipples to his mouth. His tongue flicked out, pink against her brown skin. She stroked her nails over his rough flesh. He quivered, his muscles strained, as if ready for war. He sucked, long draws on her nipples, first one, then the other, creating an unbearable tension low in her groin.
Abruptly, he ceased and brought her level with his hot gaze. “Tell me to stop or tell me what you want.” His fierce features demanded an answer. A decision only she could make.
She wanted him. Every hard inch inside of her. Right now. This wasn’t about Ridley’s schemes, the Order, and the danger surrounding them; everything could wait, except him. She wanted Avery Nicolis, secretly she always had. If this was the only moment she ever had in his arms, then to hell with everything else. She’d take it.
Emeline touched his injured shoulder. His muscles spasmed under her fingers. He groaned, a deep throaty sound. Pulled flush against him, he held her close with one hand splayed on her lower back and the other on her neck. His head dropped to her collarbone, then he licked a trail up to her earlobe and sucked. “Don’t. Stop. Touching,” he growled and the sound reverberated within her.
She couldn’t even if she wanted to. Somehow, some way, she had slipped into his mind. Tumbled down the rabbit hole into a tornado of desire and lust, so violent they snatched her up and carried her away. She was lost in a maelstrom and as her core stretched, begging to be filled, and she did not care.
His mouth bruised her lips with the ferocity of his kiss. Tongue, lips, and teeth assaulted her body until nothing mattered except the ecstasy in his arms.
Through the connection of her palm to his scar, she recognized his hunger because it mimicked her own desires. A moan slipped from her, completely lost in the rampant sensation dragging her willingly toward rapture.
She arched, scored his chest with her rigid nipples, and reached for the towel wedged between them.
He grabbed a fistful of her hair, stalling her intention. Breathing ceased to matter as their tongues glided against each other in a sensual duel neither wanted to win. She slid her hand along the rough skin on his arm. Avery dropped back, propping himself up on his elbows. He groaned again, a deep rumbling sound that egged her on. She dipped her head and laved each of his flat nipples, then scraped her short nails along the ridges of his perfect abs.
He palmed her ass and lifted her off his lap. “Yes. Or no. Tell me now.” Desire slurred his words.
Emeline pointed to the nightstand where she found a box of condoms during her snoop session. She didn’t have to explain. With one arm holding her tight to him, he yanked open the top drawer, sending the contents spilling to the carpet.
She giggled and burst into laughter at his scowl. “I’ll get one.” She scooted back and turned onto her hands and knees, giving him a bird’s eye view of her best asset. He grabbed his shirt and ripped. The two halves fell away from her body. His rough hands traced the curves of her back and the globes of her rear as she searched for a foil packet. A purr rumbled deep in her throat, enjoying the intimate caress. His soft kiss on her flesh had her gasping and leaning back for more of his wicked tongue. It’s not often you find a man willing to literally kiss your ass and she relished every delicious second of his lips and tongue.
His thumb stroked her damp folds and slipped between to circle her clitoris. Lust pulsed through her. She cried out, startled by the intensity. He slipped his finger inside, deep as it would go. Emeline rocked back, greedy for more. She rolled her hips and pumped, and was nipped on a cheek for her efforts.
He stretched her, stroked slick walls, priming her for more. She patted the floor, searching for the gold packet.
“Condom.” Avery moaned against her slick flesh. He nipped her again and soothed the sting with his velvety tongue.
“I’m…trying…to…find…one,” she panted. Her fingers brushed a square foil. She snatched the packet up and passed it back. In anticipation, she listened to him rip the foil open. Any second now, he would fill her, soothe her emptiness.
He flipped her over and scooped her up. She loved a man who wasn’t afraid to handle her. He strode through the apartment to the master bedroom and placed her on his bed. She took a moment to appreciate his body. And what a body. Built for war and made to pleasure a woman. Not an ounce of fat anywhere her gaze landed. He had a heavily padded chest that melded to washboard abs and narrowed to hips. Muscle and sinew chiseled specifically to devastate the female population. Just looking at him made her glad God made her a woman.
The towel fell away, revealing the thick length of him. Her mouth wasn’t the only thing that watered at his jutting erection. HUNG. Yes, capital letters applied.
He came to her with a leonine crawl over the bed and her trembling body to stretch out on top of her. Her legs parted and he settled between her thighs. She loved his weight, the feel of him pinning her to the bed, and brought her knees up to his waist.
“Touch me. I need your hands on my skin.” He said between fevered kisses along her jaw. His black and green eyes pleaded for the contact. The way he gazed at her, longing mixed with lust, he needed her. They needed each other. Emeline wanted this merging of flesh, to feel all of him inside and around her.
She stretched out her hand and the air between her and his tortured skin hummed with anticipation. A vibration started within her and synchronized with the energy radiating from Avery. She’d touched him, lay her palm on his burned flesh. Sifting—the ability to read a person’s thoughts through touch, a skill each Null had to varying degrees—wasn’t a power she ever had, until now.
Being inside Avery’s head, seeing herself as he pictured her left her hungry for things she couldn’t have. Hungry for a life she’d never lead.
Avery captured her mouth in a blistering kiss while he nudged her entrance. Slowly, he stretched her while he sank deep inside her body. God, he was big. Pleasure tinged with a brief spark of pain which faded as quickly as it flared. He filled her so deliciously, so perfectly, as if he were that missing piece she’d always longed for.
He hooked her knees, gripped her rear, and pulled her flush against him. She sobbed and writhed in abandon. A harsh groan rasped from his throat and his hips began a steady rhythm. Each thrust spun a web around her, pushed her toward a towering precipice. The fall from such a height would destroy her soul and leave nothing of the barrier protecting her heart.
And
she did not care.
All thoughts derailed. She met his thrusts with her own, arching her hips with every stroke, wanting him deeper, “Harder.”
Self-preservation withered as the slapping of their bodies competed with their harsh breaths and greedy moans. He squeezed her nipples and he ground the base of his shaft against her.
Tension whipped through her, centered where they joined, building. His strokes lengthened until each left her desperate for more. Yet more would never be enough. All of him, that’s what she wanted. She brought her knees up to her chest. His fingers dug into her flesh and he lifted her rear. His hips pistoned, creating exquisite friction with each push and pull. She panted, trying to hold onto herself, to keep a little of herself for herself. But the battle was already lost.
Avery spread her knees apart. Abdomen to abdomen, chest to breasts, he ravished her mouth as he ravished her body. Her orgasm slammed into her and ripped through her body in throbbing waves that momentarily robbed her of sight and sound. Inner muscles clamped down on his dick, demanding he join her in ecstasy. Avery swelled within her. Never had she felt so full, so complete. His entire body stilled, contracted on a spasm. He threw back his head and shouted as he climaxed. Her walls clenched at him, sucking the orgasm from him.
“Jesus, Eme. You’re killing me.” He groaned while his hips jerked and continued to pump.
She wrapped her arms around him—touched his damaged skin—and absorbed the sensation of his taut body pulsing his release, and harsh face reposed in ecstasy. His thoughts filtered through her mind, loving, sated, sleepy thoughts as his mind fogged.
Emeline kissed him, wanting the moment to last forever. She’d shared more than her flesh. A host of possibilities exploded between them, a beginning…which would lead to a disastrous end. Their moment had ended. She pulled away before he saw the tears.
Avery slipped from her body and instantly she missed him. He tossed the condom into a nearby wastebasket and moved from the bed. She studied his ass as he strode into the bathroom. She studied his front when he returned with a washcloth. Gently, he cleansed her. Blushing, she submitted to his ministrations. No one had ever taken care of her so intimately. His actions left her…stunned.
When he was done, Avery snuggled, spooning her into the shelter of his body. For the first time in a very long while, she felt loved… and absolutely miserable. The pillow soaked up her silent tears as she wondered how long it would last. Then she knew. The euphoria would last until he discovered all her lies and killed her for her treachery.
Chapter Seventeen
Fear had a taste. Ridley could best describe it as acidic as if the bile in her stomach had taken permanent residence at the back of her throat and scorched a mark there.
Under Ridley’s watchful eye, members of the Order streamed through the stone archway and door of the meeting room located underground in the house on Riverside. Their hooded black robes with fiery red trim rustled, reminding her of a flock of birds moving with aerial precision.
Many of the women had petitioned to lead. They’d failed where she’d succeeded. The Order belonged to her. In the age of cell phones and Skype, she’d always viewed these robed gatherings as antiquated. Now, she was grateful for the deep hoods, sheltering their identities.
Seeing their faces, looking friends, associates, enemies in the eye while knowing she had led them to this abyss… Ridley pushed away the guilt. Tonight, there was no room for a conscience.
Khuket had demanded the gathering and hadn’t given a reason, though Ridley did have an idea. Nothing like an introduction through fear and intimidation. Khuket would show the Order she was their leader and the sheep would follow her, including Ridley.
That was not the original plan. She was supposed to lead, the goddess to follow her instructions. The plan worked for as long as it took Khuket to remember Ridley’s name. However, in for a penny…
Softly lit wall sconces illuminated the circular earthen chamber and stone walls. Scented candles couldn’t mask the rich, earthy scents, yet lent a pleasant smoky quality to the still air. Khuket waited in the rear of the room, her back to the gathering, while Ridley stood, robed, in the forefront. Earlier, at the Goddess’s command, the Book of Eidos was brought from the library and placed on the pedestal at which she now stood. With her back to the crowd, none could see her strange features. Her large eyes, gray skin stretched too tight over thick bone structures. Then there were her eyes. To gaze into those lifeless orbs was to lose a piece of your soul. Then she owned you, as she owned Ridley.
The longer Khuket waited to feed, the worse her appearance became. They’d better lure Avery soon or Khuket would die. Right now, Ridley couldn’t decide if Khuket dying would be a bad thing.
She’d picked a side, good or bad, right or wrong. It was a gamble to put your life in someone’s hands. However, the payoff for this leap of faith…life or death. For all she’d done, given up, betrayed, the effort had better be lifesaving. Belinda’s face flashed into her head. Not how it normally appeared, smiling and full of life, but how Khuket left her after she’d sucked Belinda’s mind dry. Sweat dotted Ridley’s forehead and trickled into her eyes.
She scrubbed an arm across her forehead and her gaze collided with Lydia, Ridley’s first mentor. She’d been on assignment in Saudi Arabia, tracking a suspected demi-god when Ridley staged her coup.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” Ridley blurted and drew the attention of the women shifting around them. Heart doing a samba, Ridley didn’t wait for an answer. They didn’t have time to chit chat, reminisce about their time together. She grabbed Lydia’s arm and propelled her to the exit.
“What are you doing?” Lydia yanked away.
Saving you, but those words never left her mouth because the heavy stone door swung closed with a subtle click. Symbols etched into the stone hummed, sealing them all inside and ensuring no prying eyes would gain knowledge of their secret rituals.
Ridley moved through the crowd, intent on opening the door, but a murmur arose from the ranks. She caught the tail end of a few questions, “Who is that?”, “Is she new?”, “Why does she have the book?” The building chatter suddenly ceased and the women herded toward the altar. Swept along, Ridley went with the tide until the crowd stopped a few feet away from the goddess. If she could get to the goddess there was still a chance she could stop this.
Khuket turned from the book and faced the members, her new disciples. Ridley’s breath caught at the pain spiking her nervous system. All of her muscles seized in a brutal spasm. She couldn’t move as she and everyone else waited for the goddess to speak.
Khuket pushed the hood back and let the cloak skim her body. A collective gasp welled and crested in the large room as the Order got their first look at their deformed deity, the one they’d worshipped from the beginning of time, their antecedent.
The goddess tilted her head back and chanted, ancient words leaped from her tongue. Her raspy voice filled the enclosed area. A breeze kicked up, causing her robes to swirl around her calves. A pulse erupted from her petite form and knocked everyone back. They tumbled to the ground like tipped dominoes. But the floor was no safe haven. It heaved and dipped.
“What’s happening?” someone shouted over a growing rumble. A few climbed to their feet and ran past Ridley to the door. They pulled at the handle. The stone wouldn’t budge. The inert signs mocked all of them.
Ridley moved out of their way. Mesmerized, she focused on Khuket. Frantic, screaming crowds weren’t new. She’d seen panicked masses before. Khuket’s display of power? No, Ridley hadn’t seen that and refused to blink and miss a second. She would memorize everything about this night, write it down, and study all the details. Maybe, later—if she survived the next three months—she would add it to the book. Her contribution to history and her damnation for posterity.
The rumble turned into a shriek and escalated into a wail of despair. Lights flickered, the floor heaved, and the room took on a haunted house feel. A gray h
aze seeped from the floor, walls, and ceiling, collected in the air as wispy tendrils. Stars twinkled in those tendrils, little galaxies hovered.
Ridley’s mouth gaped. Khuket had stolen part of the Milky Way and brought it to the party. Some of the women stared, hypnotized by the spectacle. Did they know what was happening? Hell, did she?
“Help us,” Lydia pleaded. The color had leeched from her face, leaving her pale skin chalky.
Ridley snapped out of her trance. Everywhere her gaze landed, carnage. Whip-like appendages dropped from the floating haze and pierced each woman. Ridley rushed to the door and swiped her hand over the symbols, expecting them to hum to life and release the locking mechanism. As the leader, the symbols responded to her command. The door would open and they’d be free to run for their lives.
Nothing happened. The symbols no longer recognized her as leader of the Order.
She pounded her fists into the unyielding stone, determined to beat her way through.
Her body jerked and a foreign sensation spread from her chest, outward. She looked down. The tendril had buried itself between her collarbone and the swell of her breast, yet no blood seeped from the wound. A chill spread from the site, spreading a drugging numbness. Her knees wobbled, almost buckled. Others had already collapsed, but Ridley willed herself to keep standing, to be witness to the crime she had wrought. Though she knew Khuket had plans, she didn’t know this would happen. If Ridley had, she would’ve stopped her.
With her last bit of strength, she clutched the locket dangling between her breast and realized the truth. To save her life, she would do anything. She had three precious months left on her clock to break her curse and wouldn’t waste a second. Still, she choked on a knot of betrayal clogging her throat. Betrayal for her actions. And betrayal toward the goddess.
I believed her. Trusted her to deliver on all of her promises. Foolish…fooooliiisssshhh.
Ridley slid to the floor. A tug started somewhere near her heart and swept through her entire body. The pull tore her insides, shredded muscle and tendons, scraped bone. This couldn’t be her end. She fumbled with the locket dangle around her neck, desperate to open it, but her fingers wouldn’t obey her commands. She screamed, begged for clemency, but her voice was ripped out of her along with her soul. Her essence regressed from a higher life form to a collection of basic atoms floating away to join the others as a bright cloud circling the room. A beautiful, horrifying cloud. Khuket’s mouth opened, her jaw unhinged and the haze, full of twinkling lights flew down her throat.
Evermore (Descendants of Ra: Book 3) Page 16
