Page 61 of A Kiss From Death (Oath of Vengeance #1)

His free arm reaches forward on its own accord and grips the back of my neck.

His thick fingers slide into my hair at the nape of my neck like they belong there.

His thumb lashes out, rubbing the front of my neck, making my throat bob.

Water trickles from his thumb, sliding down the front of my throat to my cleavage, leaving a cold chill across my body.

Hade tracks the droplet the whole way, turning eerily still as it drips until it rolls over the curve of my breast. He swallows harshly, his eyes fixed on where the bead disappeared. He looks at me in awe, and I can tell he’s slowly unraveling, on the verge of losing control .

He leans forward slowly, and I hold my breath in anticipation.

He draws the lobe of my ear into his mouth and nips at it playfully.

“Do you know the torture you bring me, woman?” Hade whispers against my throat, his lips dragging across my delicate skin, making it pebble.

Fluttering takes over in my chest, and my body heats deep in my core.

“No,” I manage to whisper back, but it’s barely loud enough to hear even in the silence.

“No?” he mumbles against my skin.

“Enlighten me,” I huff, barely able to get the words out when his lips are pressed into the perfect spot on the side of my neck. The urge to push into his touch takes over my body, consuming my every thought.

He purrs against my flesh, making my skin vibrate, shooting straight to my center. I’m fully at his mercy, my body moving to his every demand. I let out a soft whimper, unable to keep the effect he has over me hidden a moment longer.

The sounds spurs him into a frenzy, making him push his lips harder into my neck, drawing out a gasp.

His warm, lush lips kiss my skin with expert precision, like kissing me is his life’s purpose.

He swipes his tongue across my neck mid-kiss, making my head spin and legs clench.

This man will be the death of me, and the thought of that only heats my core more.

He releases my skin, and I’m sure if I could see my neck right now, there would be a soft pink circle blooming where his lips damned me to hell.

He hovers just above my skin, and his warm breath fans across my neck.

He leans forward more, but this time, his lips make contact with the center of my neck right where it dips.

I think my eyes might have rolled to the back of my head from the way he is giving my body the attention it’s been craving for so long, but my brain seems to be of no use. I let out a soft moan, his lips drawing out a song of pleasure without a care about him hearing.

He kisses me with such care, applying just the right amount of pressure. I unravel my legs and wrap them around his thick body, crossing my ankles to hold him in place. They can barely lock around his huge frame, and the thought makes my head swim. I swallow deeply, my mouth watering.

My throat bobs when I do, and he lets out a growl of pleasure as he feels my neck dip.

His lips release my neck, and a pang of sadness hits me in his absence.

It doesn’t last long, though, as he stretches his neck to reach the opposite side of my neck begging for attention too and presses his lips there, making sure each part is worshiped equally.

He laps at my skin, making me dig my heels in, drawing him closer even though there is no more space between us. I’m sure my heart is beating at its full capacity, a heart attack on the horizon if he keeps this up. He pulls away, dragging in a harsh breath, gathering himself with crazed eyes.

He brings his face right in front of me, his nose a centimeter from touching mine. Reaching up, he tucks one of my wet curls delicately behind my ear as want and need radiate off him. His face turns darkly serious as he pins me with his gaze illuminated by the glowing moon.

“That is how you make me feel every second of every fucking day that I have to spend in your presence without being able to lay claim to your body,” he whispers against my lips, gritty and full of desire.

I can see the war raging in his eyes, swirling with restraint and the need to take me right here and now, damn the consequences.

“I cannot think straight when we share the same air. My body begs to be let loose to claim the life of any person who even dares to look at you the wrong way. My lungs refuse to work when your eyes strip me bare like they are doing right now,” he admits, making my knees go slack.

“You make me want to do very bad, dark, and deprived things, Nyxi, and I’m not sure I have the strength left in me to stop. ”

A beat of silence echoes between us, the only sound my labored breaths I can’t seem to tame any longer.

I’m wrapped around this lethal man like he might vanish right before my eyes.

I can feel my pulse pounding on the side of my neck so hard, I can hear it in my ears.

I’m lost in his endless midnight gaze, and I have no plans on being found.

His darkness nudges up against mine, urging me to let go.

If I do so, I know it will create an addiction I won’t have the will to squash, but right now, I welcome it with open arms.

“Then don’t,” I whisper, but before I can get the words fully out, he tightens his grip at the nape of my neck, drawing me forward.

He crashes his lips to mine with a punishing force.

It’s not gentle or timid, but rather feverish and desperate, like he couldn’t waste a single extra second without tasting me, devouring me.

I melt into his embrace, letting him take the lead and enjoying the ride. My center flares to life, a warmth growing inside me as my pulse kicks up. His mouth tastes like mint and sin swirled together that would for sure make my knees buckle if we were standing.

He plays with the hair between his fingers at the base of my neck as he draws my mouth into him.

He’s like a starved beast let out of its cage for the first time, getting to devour its prey.

There’s no time for exploring or sweet nothings, only a need to reach further inside each other and draw out the pleasure we’ve both been deprived of for too long.

He plants his other hand on the side of my face, sliding his fingers into the hair threatening to spill.

He moans into my mouth and uses his hand to tilt my face so he can kiss me deeper.

I’m lost as I press my almost fully bare body against his warm chest. My nipples pebble against the lacy white undergarment that leaves little to the imagination .

Hade’s tongue darts out, swiping across my lips, asking for an invitation.

I open for him eagerly, and his tongue happily slides against mine, drawing a deep groan from him that I echo back.

His lips mold to mine perfectly, lighting fire to every inch of my body.

He sucks my bottom lip into his mouth, nipping at it playfully until it pops free from his teeth.

“ Fuck ,” he breathes against my mouth as he tries to catch his breath.

“Fucking perfect.” I dig my nails into his back, unable to hold myself back.

I dig my heels into his back, drawing him impossibly closer, and let out a strangled moan when I feel just how much he is enjoying the taste of my lips.

“Nyxi,” he warns, looking at me with utter despair, trying to hold himself back.

“What?” I whisper against him, impatiently drawing his lips to mine again in a claiming kiss.

He moves his hand from my face so it rests on the small of my back, keeping me flush to him.

He kisses me back with burning desire, like he’s breathing the promise of devotion into me with each swipe of his tongue.

I can’t help the way my body moves against him, my lace underwear softly gliding across his skin, making it shift a little each time. Hade lets out a strangled moan as his hand starts to dance along my spine, making me squirm with need.

It’s nothing I could have ever dreamed up. Not a single inch of my body feels neglected as he worships me with his mouth and hands until I’m overheating. Surprisingly, Hade doesn’t replace or overshadow my relationship with Theo but rather helps fill the gaping hole he left behind.

He presses his lips against mine one last time, memorizing my taste before he slowly pulls away. My lips feel swollen and puffy, and I can’t help the smile that takes over my face as I’m lost to the haze Hade’s presence always seems to bring.

I notice his lips are slightly battered too, and a pang of pride flutters up my core as I see the remnants of my actions left on him for all to see. He looks lost to the moment, his cheeks slightly rosy. His eyes zone in on my authentic smile, and he lets out a sigh of content.

“Lie back,” he states softly, and my body obeys immediately. I unwrap my legs from around him and slowly lower myself back until my head connects with the cool water. My legs follow suit, floating up until they bob above the water.

Hade moves in, placing one hand under my neck to support my head as the other softly presses against my lower back, keeping me afloat.

The twinkling night sky takes over my entire view, and a calmness washes over my body.

This is exactly what I told him helps calm me down, and of course, he made it a reality.

He put my peace ahead of the million other things I’m sure demand his attention right now, and it doesn’t go unappreciated.

The dark sky calls to me, making my body relax. The stars take over the sky like an ambush, impossible to count. I let my arms float freely out to my sides as Hade slowly swims us in a circle, my view ever changing.

“What is your favorite time of day?” I question while attempting to count the stars lighting up the sky above me.

I get distracted when I feel Hade’s hand behind my neck playing with one of my curls between his fingers. I turn my neck until his face comes into view, and I find him staring at my inky curl twirling between his fingers.

“Night,” he admits confidently as his gaze remains glued to my hair.

“It’s the most ethereal thing to be in the presence of.

It’s all consuming, because if you stare at it for too long, you will get lost in it for eternity.

Darkness has always called to my soul,” he whispers as he drags his eyes away from my hair until they land harshly on mine.

A chill racks my body, and I’m not sure if it’s from the cold air now dancing across my bare skin or from his words that glided across every inch of my body.

His black magic emerges from beneath the water and slithers over my skin like a blanket.

If only it could protect my body from the effects of his words too.

I let out a soft, satisfied moan as a thin blanket of his magic drapes over my body like a soft wind.

It feels like an extension of him, wrapping itself around me.

It leaves fluttering tingles along my skin as it washes over me like a wave.

I stroke a portion of the magic wrapped around my center, and it purrs back, twisting around my finger, making me giggle.

With the lust driven from my body for the time being, I take the time to properly study the parts of Hade’s body I can see above the water in the glow of the moon.

My eyes trail up his arm, gliding over the smattering of tattoos that all blend together, covering every inch of his tanned skin.

My eyes draw up to his shoulder and then snag on a tattoo hidden under his arm on his side—the outline of an abstract owl stares back at me.

“What does your owl tattoo mean?” I ask before I can stop myself.

“I have always loved owls,” he admits. “They have always felt like home to me. I’ve been drawn to them from a young age. They are deep thinkers and lovers of the night, and I see myself in them. Most live in solitude, content leading a calm life.”

This man is nothing like what I expected.

The more time I spend around him, the more layers he sheds, letting me get to the core of him.

Each new thing I learn draws me a little bit closer.

He feels like a familiar soul I used to know but lost contact with while traveling through many worlds, living out different lives.

“That is beautiful and very fitting,” I say with a small giggle as my eyes trace the delicate lines across the side of his ribs. “And what about the rest of your tattoos?” I resist the urge to dedicate my night to tracing each one of them with my fingers.

“Some are purely decorative, others have meanings, and some are reminders of past battles.” He looks over his arm, and I notice his eyes linger on a few in particular. I hope one day, I may learn the meaning of each and every one of them, but I’m not sure how much longer my life will last.

I must not mask the hint of sadness that takes over my face, because Hade drags me until my body is pressed against his, cradled in his arms. “Let’s get out of here before you turn into a giant ice cube,” he murmurs before placing a soft kiss on my temple.

His magic pushes us through the water until we arrive at the shore. Hade wades out of the water with me still clutched against his body. I would normally swat his hand away and tell him I’m capable of walking myself, but that is the furthest thing from my mind right now.

He plops me down on my feet, and I gather my clothes, shrugging them back on my body. They cling to my wet skin, making me shake with chills. Hade finishes pulling his pants up his thick legs, and I can’t help the way my eyes roam over his muscular body before he covers up again.

“It’s too dark for me to comfortably guide us back up to Lunaria, so I would feel better if we stayed down here for the night, if that’s okay with you?” he asks while slipping on his last shoe.

I nod, and his eyes narrow at my body shaking slightly from the cold.

“First, we need to find you some warm clothes, and then, we can figure out a place to stay,” he states, leaving no room for argument.

“I know where we can get clothes,” I say softly as Hade steps up next to me and gently grips my hand.

“Lead the way, beautiful .”