Page 25

Alina

I’M DRUNK ON RAELAN’S TOUCH. I’ve touched myself before—even recently, with his burning dark eyes in my mind—but to be touched by him is something else altogether. It makes my own fingers feel clumsy in comparison.

And now that he’s given me a taste of what he can do, I want more. I want to give him the same in return... if he’ll let me.

He heaves with strained breaths as I sink to my knees before him. The look on his face is one of agony, though I can’t tell if it’s from the magic searing his skin or the pressure trying to burst free from his trousers. Perhaps both.

And I can relieve at least one of those.

“Alina,” he whispers as I tug the cord on his trousers free. “You don’t have to—”

“I want to.” I’m still thrumming with pleasure, and I’m going to chase that high for as long as I can. “Just tell me what to do. I’ve... I’ve never done this before. ”

At first, I think Raelan may be disappointed that I’m so inexperienced when he is clearly not, but instead, hunger flashes across his face, betraying his thoughts before he can battle the expression into submission.

I take the waistband of his trousers in my hands and slide them down slowly, being careful not to hurt him.

And when he springs free, I’m caught completely by surprise.

I’ve never seen a man’s cock before, and though I had some idea of what to expect, this is...

“Fuck,” Raelan grinds out, cutting off my train of thought. He drags his hands down his face and across the stubble shadowing his jaw. “What the fuck am I doing?”

Before he can decide against this, I wrap my hand around his shaft, and he flinches at the touch. His skin is silky and hot against mine, and I can feel his heartbeat as I begin to stroke him.

I don’t know what I’m doing, but I think it’s working, because Raelan closes his eyes and tips his head toward the glass ceiling. The muscles along his neck are pulled taut, and the chain that rests there glows blue white as the magic pours into him.

The head of his cock bobs with each stroke of my hand along his length, and I watch as glistening moisture gathers at the tip. A burst of longing goes through me. I want to taste him, to know what he feels like between my lips, where no other man has been.

So I lick my lips, lean forward on my knees, and take him into my mouth .

His response is a guttural moan. He reaches out to steady himself upon a cart laden with gardening tools, and his other hand comes around to grip my hair. I’m not sure if he means to or if he’s becoming lost to his own pleasure, but his fingers tangle in my long blue strands, tugging, begging me to increase my pace.

And I do just that.

His cock fills my mouth, and I do everything I can not to choke on him. The gentle pressure on my head intensifies. In response, I feel my pussy flutter, and I wonder what it would feel like to have him inside me.

The thought makes me suck him harder, my tongue dragging along his cock as I work him in and out of my mouth. I’m moaning now, little sounds that slip out as I lap at him, trying so hard to give him what he just gave me.

I’ve never cum so hard before. And I want to make him cum for me.

The thought makes me wet again.

At once, his fingers tighten in my hair and his cock goes impossibly hard. I’m not sure what’s happening. Then heat spills across my tongue. I’m surprised by it, enough so that some slips out the corner of my mouth, but I swallow the rest down, maintaining my pace as he moans, the sounds of his pleasure filling the quiet greenhouse. My knees dig into the dirt, pebbles biting my skin, but I don’t care. I’d have stayed on my knees all night if it meant I could finally taste him like this.

He’s still in my mouth, yet I’m already thinking of doing it again, am already yearning for more.

What has he done to me?

When he’s left gasping, I lean back, releasing his cock from between my lips. My gaze turns up to him in the cold silver light.

When he meets my eyes, his are flecked with gold, and they fluctuate between narrow slits and dilated pupils. It’s like I’m seeing his dragon for brief moments at a time as it fights to break through, but he successfully pushes it down, though not without the chain burning bright around his throat.

As he catches his breath, he reaches down to ease me to my feet, his hands coming around my head to cradle my face. With one thumb, he wipes the moisture from my lips.

“Are you okay?” he asks, voice gravelly. “Did I hurt you?”

I shake my head. “No. I’m fine.” I glance down at him. He’s still hard but growing softer by the moment. “Was that...” My heart is still thrumming, and I swallow hard. “Was it okay?” I ask. “Did I do it right?”

Raelan smiles. And it’s a stunning smile. Maybe the most genuine smile he’s ever given me. “Is that a joke?”

My cheeks flare with warmth. “What? No. I—”

He cuts me off with a kiss, his lips crushing against mine as if we need each other to breathe.

Maybe I do.

The thought is both terrifying and exhilarating.

I soften against him, and when he pulls away, he’s smiling.

“It was fucking amazing,” he says, and by the look in his eyes and the light trembling of his hands on either side of my face, I’m inclined to believe him .

Then my gaze goes to his throat. The chain has only a subtle glow now, but I can see clearly the seared skin beneath, and it makes my stomach twist. “You’re the one who’s hurt.”

Raelan seems to notice his injury only after I point it out. He reaches up to touch the metal and winces, expression morphing into one of pain. “I’ll be fine,” he says. “It’ll heal. Just need time.”

“I can help. I learned a healing salve in herbology.”

“You don’t need to. Really. I—”

“Your duty is to me, right?” I ask.

He arches a dark brow at me.

“Then I order you to allow me to help you.”

His eyes narrow, still flecked with shimmering shards of gold. Then he lets out a sigh and tugs his trousers back up, securing them around his waist.

“Very well, Your Highness. I’ll allow you to heal me.”