Page 19

"Not long." My voice came out hoarse, needy. "Where am I?"

"My chambers. In Rowen's palace."

My fingers circled lazily against my clit, almost of their own volition. Archer's eyes tracked the movement, his pupils dilating until only a thin ring of blue remained.

"And Rowen?" The question came out breathier than I intended.

"Council meeting." Archer's tongue darted out to wet his lower lip. "He'll be back shortly."

A council meeting. Right. Because Rowen was the ruler of the underworld, and rulers had responsibilities. The thoughtseemed distant and unimportant compared to the urgent need pulsing between my thighs.

"I think..." I swallowed hard, struggling to form coherent thoughts through the haze of arousal. "I think my heat is starting. My grandmother warned me about it."

Archer nodded, his jaw clenching. "We know. We can sense it. It's why we brought you here, where you'll be protected during the process."

Protected. There was that word again. But protection wasn't what I needed right now.

"Archer," I whispered, spreading my legs wider, letting him see exactly how wet I was for him. "Please."

He made a strangled sound deep in his throat. "Please what, Sierra?"

"Make me come." The words fell from my lips without hesitation, without embarrassment. All pretense was burned away by the fire in my blood. "I need it. I need you."

Something dark and hungry flashed across his face. In three fluid strides, he was at the side of the bed, looking down at me with an intensity that stole my breath.

"Rowen should be here," he muttered, but his hands were already plucking various daggers from his body and setting them on the dresser.

"I don't care," I moaned, arching my back as my fingers increased their pace. "I can't wait. Please, Archer."

Several of his weapons hit the floor with a heavy thud, and then his hands were on my thighs, spreading them even wider as he knelt between them.

"Keep touching yourself," he commanded, his voice rough with desire. "I want to watch you while I taste you."

Oh god. The image of him between my legs, his mouth on me, sent a fresh wave of slick rushing from my core. I noddedfrantically, my fingers continuing their work on my clit while my other hand gripped the sheets beneath me.

Archer lowered his head, his hot breath fanning against my inner thigh. "You smell fucking delicious," he groaned. "Like everything I've ever wanted and never known to ask for."

Before I could respond, his tongue licked a broad stripe through my folds, from entrance to clit, gathering my wetness. The contact was electric, sending a jolt of pleasure so intense that my back arched off the bed.

"Fuck!" I cried out, my fingers faltering in their rhythm.

Archer growled against my pussy, the vibrations adding another layer to the sensation. "Keep touching yourself," he reminded me, before diving back in with singular focus.

I resumed my circles, watching through heavy-lidded eyes as this deadly, dangerous man devoured me like I was his last meal. His tongue was relentless, alternating between broad strokes and pointed precision, learning what made me shake and moan the loudest.

"You taste even better than you smell," he said, lifting his head just enough to speak, his lips glistening with my arousal. "So sweet and fucking perfect."

I whimpered, my hips starting to move of their own accord, seeking more of his mouth.

"That's it," he encouraged, sliding two fingers through my folds, gathering my slick. "Show me how much you want this. How much you need me to make you come."

"So much," I gasped, my free hand moving to tangle in his hair, pulling him closer. "I need it so bad."

He groaned against me, the sound primal and appreciative. His fingers teased at my entrance, circling but not pushing in. "You're soaked for me, little necromancer."

"Please," I begged, beyond shame, beyond anything but the desperate need for release. "Inside. I need you inside."

"Like this?" he asked, pushing one long finger into me, curling it upward to find that spot that made stars explode behind my eyes.