Page 183 of A Fate in Flames

As seamless as if it were part of our dance, he spun me around to face him.He cupped my face, palms warming my cheekbones.

“Mine,” he whispered, then kissed me, both tenderly and consuming.A warning to anyone foolish enough to think I could belong to another.

I gripped his arms, pulling him closer.He deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding against mine with skilful precision that left me dizzy.

The world around us faded away—the feast, the music, the watching crowd.There was only him.Only this moment.

Smoke curled around us, and the world dissolved.When the haze cleared, we were no longer among the gathered.

I was in his chambers.On his bed.

Dalkhan stood at the edge, his chest heaving and pupils blown wide with need.

It didn’t matter how we got here.I wanted him.Now.

“Do you have any idea what you have done to me?”He stalked forward, ready to devour me whole.

The flames around the room flared brighter, casting the chamber in molten gold.

One knee hit the bed as he braced his arms on either side of my body.“You have driven me mad,” he rasped, his face inches from mine.“I can’t stop thinking of you.I can’t stopwantingyou.”

His lips found my throat, dragging a scorching path over my pulse.I moaned breathlessly as his fingers dug into my waist.The material of my dress whispered against my skin as he gathered the fabric in his fist.

With one sharp tug, he tore the garment away.

I shuddered as cool air met my exposed flesh.

A sharp hiss slipped through his teeth as he cupped my breasts, his thumbs rolling over the hardened peaks.“Perfect,” he murmured.“So fucking perfect.”

His mouth descended, lips closing around one nipple.He flicked and swirled his tongue, teeth scraping the sensitive flesh, forcing a sharp cry from me.

He groaned against me, switching to the other breast while his hand slid lower to grip my thigh, dragging me closer to the edge of the bed.

Invisible, smouldering tendrils of heat coiled around my wrists and ankles, pinning me to the mattress.I writhed as an unseen force held me open.

His fingers traced over the slick heat between my legs, teasing with feather-light strokes.

“Tell me what you want.”

“You,” I whispered.“I want you.”

“More specific.”He slid through my wetness, collecting my arousal on his fingertips.“What do you want me to do to you?”

The words caught in my throat.“I want… I want your mouth on me.”

“Where?”He leaned down, breath hot against my ear.“Here?”His lips brushed my jawline.“Or here?”His hand cupped my breast, kneading with slow, teasing pressure.“Or…” He traced a tantalising path across my lower stomach before settling against my clit.“Here?”

“There,” I moaned.“Please, there.”

He settled between my thighs, his shoulders forcing my legs even wider.“Since you begged so nicely.”

I cried out at the first touch of his tongue, jerking against the bonds.He was merciless, tongue flicking and stroking, consuming me like a man starved.His hands dug into my flesh as he held me steady.I tried to twist, to squirm, but the invisible bonds tightened.

“Stay still,” he ordered.“Let me taste you properly.”

He sucked hard, a deep pull that made my vision blur.

The pleasure built and built until I couldn’t contain it anymore.I broke apart beneath him, body convulsing as waves crashed through me.But he didn’t stop.