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“Do you think that’s what I mean when I say ‘goodbye?’” he asks, his voice still bearing hints of amusement. When I scrunch my face and nod slowly, Nox shakes his head. “No, love. I’m not leaving until I’ve kissed, touched, and fucked your cunt.”

I stop breathing. My heart beats angrily at the lack of oxygen, and my lungs feel as though they’re shriveling. The discomfort has me sucking in air and slapping a hand to my chest.

“What?” I finally manage.

Nox smirks at me, and my pussy flutters. “Is that not enough?” He cocks his head and his blonde hair sways. “I could always add more things to the list, but I thought you were tired. My mistake.”

“I was. I mean, Iamtired.” My words trip over themselves in haste to leave my mouth. That only adds to the nervousness building inside me. “I just…”

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath to steady myself. When I open them, Nox is in front of me, his weight sinking into the mattress. He cages me within his embrace and places a hand on either side of me.

“You just… what?” he asks.

“Fuck it. Just kiss me until I can’t breathe.”

“As you wish, your highness.”

He takes possession of my mouth, and I throw my arms around his neck. The physical connection makes my blood sizzle in my veins, the ruby currents streaming with arousal, coursing through my entire body. How I yearn for him.

I kiss him back with fervor. This could be my only chance to experience intimacy in a safe setting. Although my mind doesn’t remember him fully, the brief memory is enough to put me at ease.

However, my skin remembers him, his touch.

The moment Nox runs his fingertips across the base of my throat, I sigh into his mouth. He smiles against my lips and snakes his hand through my hair to grasp the strands at the nape of my neck. With a firm jerk, he pulls my head back and breaks the kiss.

I blink up at him in a lust-induced fog and tighten my hold on him, not wanting him to disappear. “Is something wrong?” I ask.

He laughs softly, the breath from him skimming my face. “How can perfection be wrong?”

“But you stopped kissing me.”

“I wanted to look at you. It’s been too many years since I’ve had the luxury to do so. I won’t waste this opportunity.”

A smile creeps onto my lips. “Oh. Well, don’t take too long.”

“You’re feistier than I remember,” he says.

I shrug. “Maybe. Now shut up and kiss me like you said you would.”

He tackles me to the bed.

A shriek of surprise gets stuck in my throat when Nox slams his mouth to mine. He kisses me until I can’t breathe and I become light-headed, stars appearing behind my eyelids. I’ll have to be careful when I challenge him. He makes good on his promises.

He drags his lips down the column of my neck, placing a feather-light kiss just behind my ear. A low moan gathers in my chest, and I release it into the night. Nox’s cock twitches in response.

A power that has nothing to do with blood-bending rises to the forefront of my mind. If a simple moan affects him, then what else can I evoke from this man?

My curiosity takes the bait.

I wrap my legs around him and grind into the hardness of his body. Pleasure hits me like lightning, sending sparks of excitement everywhere. My clit pulses greedily, and my nipples tingle, both of them eager to be stroked.

Nox lifts his head from the curve of my neck and grins down at me. “Impatient, love?”

My facial expression is coy as I rub against him once more. “No, you’re just slow.”

“I’m going to remember that.”

He brings his mouth to my breasts. The second his lips encircle my nipple, the peak hardens further underneath the material of my chemise. Nox bites and sucks until I’m squirming and pulling at his hair. Neither of those things pushes him to move faster.