Page 182 of A Fate in Flames

I tapped my foot restlessly against the ground, my body straining toward the rhythm while Dalkhan worked me into a complete frenzy.

Dalkhan’s lips brushed against my ear, his voice a sinful whisper.“Dance for me.”

A shiver shot down my spine, and I melted under his command.

He didn’t have to ask twice.

He released me, but not before tracing one last torturous path along my inner thigh, so close to where I needed him most.

I nearly sobbed.

“Remember,” he muttered as I stood on unsteady legs, “every eye will be on you, but you’re dancing only forme.”

The music took hold, and I surrendered completely to its call.My hips began to sway, finding the rhythm as naturally as breathing.I skimmed my hands up my sides, tracing the curves of my body, letting the beat flow through me until I became one with the melody.

Dalkhan’s eyes tracked every movement, every subtle shift and arch of my body.He leaned forward in his seat, drawn to me like a moth to a flame.He gripped the armrest of his chair so tightly the wood cracked under the pressure.

Women attempted to approach him with sultry steps and inviting smiles.They glided eager hands across his back in silent invitation, whispering promises I could easily imagine.

Their boldness should’ve bothered me, but instead it fuelled my confidence.

I was the one he wanted.

Then his power cracked through the air like a whip.

Torches flared violently, their flames leaping toward the sky in hungry tongues.A gust of scorching heat sent the women stumbling back, yelping.Their carefully composed seductions crumbled in an instant.

Dalkhan barely spared them a glance.

The power shift was intoxicating.I knew exactly what I was doing, and I savoured every second of his unravelling.

Slowly, teasingly, I spun away from him, my back bending as my hips moved in a taunting rhythm.The heat of his stare burned into me, his restraint visibly snapping with each sway of my body.

Then his scent surrounded me—rich oud and warm amber mixed with something uniquely him.

Strong arms encircled my waist from behind, pulling me against the solid heat of his body.Every nerve ending came alive as the length of his arousal pressed against me.A tremor of pure anticipation started at my core and radiated outward until I was thrumming with need.

His hold tightened, one hand sliding up to rest just below my breast.

“You’re killing me, little flame,” he whispered against my temple, his breath hot and ragged.

Shocked whispers swirled around us, eyes boring into me from every side, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.The women who had been circling him moments before now watched with naked jealousy.

Mercifully, Iznia was nowhere to be seen.

My focus narrowed to the man consuming me, body and soul.His lips traced along the back of my neck with reverence before he sank teeth into my flesh, just enough to leave a mark.

“I’m going to worship every inch of you tonight,” he promised.“Until you’re begging me to stop.”His tongue traced the imprint of his teeth.“And Iwon’t.

My head fell back against him as we continued to move together.My body responded to his with an abandon that should’ve been embarrassing, but instead, I felt powerful.Desired.

Utterly alive.

He inhaled deeply, his nose buried in my hair.

“So desperate for me already?”He dragged his hand up my side and cupped my breast, his thumb brushing over my hardened nipple.

I could hardly manage a nod, lost somewhere between his touch and the pounding music.