Page 61 of Hell-Bound

But this was what she wanted, as frivolous as it might seem to him. To reclaim this one moment. To have a real Mortal experience and, perhaps, lose herself for a time. Quench the pain in her heart.

He remained motionless, like a snake ready to strike.

“I want…my first kiss back.” She paused, unsure if she could even finish her sentence. “And… I want you…to give it to me. So will you—give…it to me?”

It fell out of her mouth a little less elegantly than she had hoped, and she had to look away.

Azur, however, remained unmoving behind his desk.

She let the words hover in the air as one of the most powerful beings in the cosmos stared at her unblinkingly.

No. There is definitely something worse than seeing hiswrath. He could laugh at me.

The idea of kissing had plagued her after Jester’s teasing. It was cruel that she had never felt wanted. Intimacy. Surely, it wasn’t so ridiculous. She needed this. If her fate was to be a soulless zombie, she needed to know what it felt like.

After several long seconds, his face changed. But before Ren could process its significance, he had crossed the room, grabbing her face—an insidious fiend devouring its prey. She only just saw a flash of wickedness in his eyes before he descended upon her. There was no softness, only primal hunger.

He traced his tongue over her lips, spreading them apart before claiming a swollen lip between his teeth and biting.

Renata gasped into the perfect bow of his mouth as the sharp pain sent a thrill racing through her. Every thought disappeared from her mind, and her instincts took over, as did her craving. She knew this. No, this wasn’t her first time. She reached up and clutched his hair, his soft curls feeling like satin between her fingers as they coiled through.

Azur chuckled at her boldness before a hand began to move down her back, fondling the softness above her thighs gently before giving a possessive squeeze.

Yes, don’t stop.

His kiss became more forceful as his hand continued its descent from her face to her neck as he gradually curled his fingers provocatively around her throat. He did not squeeze, but the message was clear. He could if he so desired—she was at his mercy. The gesture only increased Ren’s desperation—a moan escaped her, and an ache between her legs began to grow.

Pulling her closer, he offered up the slightest growl deep in his throat, and it was all Ren could do not to gasp with delight between fast kisses.

His hand moved again—this time tracing a line from the backs of her thighs and up her torso, deepening his kiss as he went.

Yes, yes, oh god.

With a throaty laugh, he gave a teasing squeeze to her throat.

Ren’s entire body quivered with pleasure.

She knew then, without a doubt, would have bet her soul again on it that this was the closest to paradise that she had ever, would ever come. She could die here and be content. At peace. All thoughts of redemption were lost to this blissful moment. Then—

He broke their embrace, taking a full step back.

Ren could only gasp for air, blinking herself back to consciousness, her lips still slightly parted.

He was looking down at her, expression unreadable. The only evidence they had been clinging passionately to each other was one small curl lying gently on his forehead.

“Was there anything else you needed?” he asked clinically.

She gazed, mind muddled. She had a million things she wanted to say—wanted to ask. But her brain couldn’t seem to string anything together.

“Since you seem to have lost your tongue,” he said with a knowing grin, “I guess we are done here. Thatwas,after all, three questions.”

He adjusted his vest and walked leisurely back to his desk.

“If you are planning to stay in my domain, I may call upon you again. You seem to have your…uses.”

Every emotion crashed into Ren at once, the strongest of which was embarrassment. The moment, the kiss so pivotal to her, meant nothing to him.

“Don’t worry, darling.” he said, sitting, “It’s just business.”