Page 3 of City of Secrets and Shadows (Empire of Vengeance #2)

3

H eat flooded my body as my dark dreams turned from cold death to dragon fire that raced through my veins. My hands moved down, sliding over his shaved head, the prickle of his newly grown hair beneath my fingers as his tongue circled my clit.

“Tarshi,” I gasped, my hips instinctively rising to meet his mouth.

He growled against my flesh, sending vibrations through my core that made me bite my lip to keep from crying out. His large hands gripped my thighs, spreading them wider as he devoured me with hungry precision.

“Quiet,” he murmured against my wetness, his breath hot and teasing. “You’ll wake Septimus.”

The overhang offered meagre protection from the desert storm, with wind driving stinging rain against my skin despite our shelter. Red lightning split the darkness every few minutes, illuminating our makeshift camp in brief, crimson flashes before plunging us back into shadow. Each thunderclap that followed seemed to shake the very stone around us.

Septimus’s snoring provided a steady counterpoint to nature’s violence. He lay curled on his side near the back of our shallow cave, one arm flung over his face as though to shield himself from dreams I couldn’t imagine. If he discovered Tarshi and I were lying together, he’d kill Tarshi for certain. For some dark reason, the thought of being discovered only heightened the forbidden pleasure.

“I can’t—” I whispered, my words cut short as he sucked my clit between his lips. My fingers dug into his scalp, holding him there as my body tensed.

He looked up at me, eyes glinting in the darkness like a predator’s. “You can,” he commanded softly. “And you will.”

“Gods,” I whispered, arching against his mouth as he slid one thick finger inside me. His laugh was a vibration against my most sensitive flesh, and I clutched at the red sand beneath me.

Tarshi lifted his head just enough to whisper, “Quiet, little dragon, or shall I stop?” His accent turned the threat into something exotic, dangerous.

“Don’t you dare,” I hissed, spreading my thighs wider.

Another flash of crimson lightning illuminated his face between my thighs, his expression hungry and determined. In that brief moment of light, I saw the glistening of my arousal on his lips, his chin, and I nearly came again from the sight alone.

When he slid a second finger inside me, I gasped at the stretch, the fullness. My body clenched around him as he worked me open slowly, deliberately, preparing me for what was to come. I knew what he was doing — what we both needed — and my body responded with a fresh flood of wetness.

“Please,” I whispered, not even certain what I was begging for.

He chuckled, the sound vibrating against my core. “So impatient.” His fingers continued their relentless rhythm, stretching me further as his tongue danced over my clit with devastating precision.

His tongue returned with renewed purpose, flicking and sucking in a rhythm that had me seeing stars behind my eyelids. When he added a third finger, curling them inside me with deliberate pressure, I had to press my forearm against my mouth to muffle my cry.

The pleasure built like a gathering storm, tension coiling tighter with each sweep of his clever tongue. I felt myself climbing higher, my hips moving of their own accord, chasing the release that hovered just beyond reach.

“Tarshi,” I whispered, my fingers digging into his scalp. “Gods, what are you doing to me?”

He paused just long enough to look up at me, his eyes gleaming in the darkness like a predator’s. “Tasting what’s mine,” he growled, then dipped his head again, his tongue working mercilessly against my sensitive flesh. The contrast between his gentle tongue and forceful fingers undid me completely. I stuffed my fist against my mouth as my orgasm ripped through me, my thighs trembling around his head.

He didn’t stop. If anything, my pleasure spurred him on, his movements growing more determined, more possessive. I felt myself building again, impossibly soon, as he sucked my clit between his lips.

“I can’t—” I whispered, but he ignored my protest, his free hand pressing down on my stomach to hold me in place.

“You can,” he murmured against my flesh, “and you will.”

The second orgasm hit me harder than the first, a wave that crashed through my entire body. I clamped my hand over my mouth to muffle my cry as my back arched off the ground. Tarshi held me down, his massive forearm across my hips as he worked me through the aftershocks, not letting me escape the exquisite torture.

Only when the aftershocks subsided did Tarshi finally rise, his massive form blocking what little light filtered through the storm. He moved with surprising grace for such a large man, crawling up my body like a jungle cat, all coiled muscle and predatory intent. His skin gleamed with sweat in another flash of crimson lightning, muscles rippling beneath dark skin marked with the battle scars that told his story better than words ever could. His cock stood rigid between us, intimidatingly large even after all our nights together.

“Come here,” I whispered, reaching for him.

Tarshi lowered himself carefully, bracing his weight on his forearms. “Are you ready for me?” His voice was strained, control hanging by a thread.

I wrapped my legs around his waist in answer, his massive erection pressed hot and hard against my thigh as he captured my mouth with his. I tasted myself on his lips, salt and sweetness mingling with the natural spice of his skin.

“Need you,” he whispered against my mouth, his accent thicker with desire. “Now.”

I nodded, spreading my legs wider to accommodate his bulk. Even after all this time, taking him was never easy.

“This will hurt,” he warned, as he always did, though we both knew I wanted the pain as much as the pleasure.

“It always does,” I whispered back, reaching down to guide him.

“You’re ready for me now,” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. “So wet. So eager. I love it.”

He entered me with agonizing slowness. My body stretched around his girth, the burn of it making me gasp and dig my nails into his shoulders. He paused when I tensed, his muscles trembling with the effort of holding back. He pressed forward, just the tip breaching me, and I bit down on my lip to keep from moaning. The stretch was exquisite, bordering on pain but never quite crossing that threshold. Tarshi knew exactly how to give me what I needed.

“Look at me,” he commanded softly, and I opened my eyes to find his face inches from mine, features tense with restraint. “I want to see your eyes when I fill you.”

Another inch slid inside, and my breath caught. My fingers dug into his shoulders, leaving half-moon indentations in his skin. Thunder crashed outside, drowning out my gasp as he pushed deeper.

“Gods, you’re tight,” he groaned, his accent thicker with desire. “Like you were made for me.”

“Or you for me,” I whispered back, arching as he sank another inch deeper.

Septimus shifted in his sleep, mumbling something unintelligible, and we both froze. Tarshi’s eyes locked with mine, a dangerous smile curving his lips as we waited, suspended in that moment of potential discovery. When Septimus’s snoring resumed, Tarshi leaned down to nip at my earlobe.

“Perhaps we should stop,” he teased, his voice a low rumble against my skin. “Too dangerous.”

I wrapped my legs tighter around him in answer, pulling him deeper. “Don’t you dare.”

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through both our bodies as he continued his slow invasion.

“You’re a dangerous woman,” he whispered, sliding deeper with excruciating slowness. Each inch was a conquest, my body yielding to him reluctantly but inevitably. Lightning flashed again, illuminating the sweat beading on his forehead, the taut muscles of his neck as he fought for control. In that brief moment of crimson light, I saw Septimus shift in his sleep, turning over with a grunt before settling again.

“He’ll kill us both if he wakes,” Tarshi murmured, yet he didn’t stop. Instead, he captured my mouth in a kiss that swallowed my moan as he pushed deeper still.

“Fuck,” he hissed, the rare profanity spilling from his lips as he bottomed out inside me. “You feel like... like coming home.” The fullness was overwhelming, the stretch bordering on pain. But beneath it lay pleasure so intense it brought tears to my eyes.

He remained still within me, allowing my body time to adjust to his impossible size. His forehead pressed against mine, our breaths mingling in the small space between us. Outside, the storm raged on, providing cover for our forbidden union.

“Move,” I urged, digging my heels into the small of his back.

Tarshi withdrew with agonizing slowness until only the head of his cock remained inside me, then pushed forward with equal restraint. The drag of him against my sensitive walls made me bite down on my lower lip until I tasted blood.

“So tight,” he murmured, his accent thickening with each controlled thrust. “Like the first time, every time.”

“Gods,” I breathed against his mouth. “How do you always feel bigger than before?”

His chuckle was a low vibration that resonated through both our bodies. “Perhaps you forget…”

“Never,” I whispered, clenching around him to prove my point. The movement made him hiss through clenched teeth, his massive arms trembling as he held himself above me. “I remember every inch.”

Thunder crashed outside, masking his groan as he withdrew almost completely before sinking back into me with agonizing slowness. The drag of his cock against my walls sent sparks shooting up my spine. He established a rhythm that was torture in its restraint — deep, languid thrusts that had me biting my lip until I tasted blood.

“More,” I demanded, voice barely audible. His lips curved against my neck.

“Greedy little dragon.” But he complied, increasing his pace slightly, each thrust driving deeper than the last. The slick sound of our bodies joining seemed impossibly loud in the darkness, a counterpoint to Septimus’s steady snoring.

“If he wakes—” I gasped as Tarshi hit a spot inside me that made my vision blur.

“Then he’ll see how perfectly you take me,” Tarshi growled, his accent thickening with desire. He shifted his weight to one arm, the other hand sliding between us to find my clit. “How beautifully you come apart.”

My back arched as his calloused fingers circled the sensitive bundle of nerves. The dual sensation of his cock stretching me impossibly full and his fingers working magic against my clit threatened to unravel me completely. Each thrust was deliberate, controlled, the drag of him inside me setting every nerve ending alight. The sound of the storm outside masked our heavy breathing, the quiet wet sounds of our bodies joining.

The angle changed as Tarshi lifted one of my legs higher, hooking my knee over his elbow, and stars exploded behind my eyes. I bit down on my hand to stifle my cry as he drove deeper than before, his cock hitting places inside me that made coherent thought impossible.

“There,” he murmured, satisfaction rumbling in his chest. “There you are.”

His thrusts remained achingly slow but gained intensity, each one ending with a subtle grind that had me seeing stars. The pleasure built like a gathering storm, tension coiling tighter with each deliberate stroke. I clung to him, nails scoring his back, leaving marks I knew he would wear proudly tomorrow.

“I can feel you tightening,” he whispered against my ear, his voice strained with the effort of control. “Let go for me.”

His fingers increased their pressure on my clit, circling with devastating precision. The combination of his massive cock stretching me to my limits and the relentless attention to that sensitive bundle of nerves was too much to bear.

“I can’t—” I gasped, but even as I protested, I felt myself climbing higher.

“Oh, you can,” he commanded softly. “I know you can.”

I turned my head, sinking my teeth into the meat of his shoulder to silence my moans. The taste of his salt-slick skin filled my mouth as I felt myself building toward another release. His rhythm faltered for just a moment when my teeth broke his skin, and I felt a rumble of approval vibrate through his chest.

“That’s it,” he whispered, his accent thicker now, words slurring together with desire. “Mark me, little dragon. Show me who I belong to.”

His cock stretched me to my limit with each deep, measured thrust. The burn of it, the exquisite fullness — it was almost too much to bear. Lightning flashed, illuminating his dark face in harsh crimson light, the gleam of red in his black eyes. I saw the strain there, the fierce concentration as he held himself back, determined to bring me pleasure before taking his own. In that brief moment of clarity, I saw how beautiful he was — all hard angles and battle scars, eyes dark with hunger.

“Perhaps I should make you scream,” he whispered, his voice thick with desire. “Wake him so he knows who you belong to.”

The words sent a forbidden thrill through me. My body clenched around his thickness, drawing a hiss from between his teeth.

“You wouldn’t dare,” I whispered, even as the danger heightened everything — every sensation, every touch.

His eyes gleamed in the darkness. “Wouldn’t I?” His hips snapped forward with more force, making me gasp. “Maybe I want him to see how perfectly you take me. How your body was made for mine.”

I dug my nails deeper into his shoulders, feeling the muscle beneath. “You’re a monster.”

“Your monster,” he corrected, his voice rough as he continued his relentless pace. “Only yours.”

Another flash of crimson lightning illuminated his face — the savage intensity in his eyes, the possessive curl of his lip, the sweat beading on his forehead. In that instant, I saw something raw and primal that made my heart clench painfully in my chest.

“Mine,” I agreed, reaching up to pull his mouth to mine.

His kiss was consuming, tongue delving deep as his cock maintained its torturous rhythm. I wrapped my legs tighter around him, drawing him impossibly deeper, feeling him press against places inside me that made coherent thought impossible.

My body tightened around him, earning a low hiss of pleasure against my ear.

“You like that idea,” he murmured, his voice dark with satisfaction. “The danger excites you.”

“Shut up,” I gasped, tightening my legs around his waist.

He laughed softly, the sound vibrating through his chest and into mine. “Always so defiant, even with my cock inside you.”

His next thrust was deeper, harder, stealing my breath. My eyes rolled back as he ground against that perfect spot inside me, his fingers still working mercilessly against my clit. The dual sensation was overwhelming — his massive length stretching me beyond what I thought possible while pleasure built to unbearable heights.

“Come for me,” he commanded, his voice a rough whisper. “Let me feel you squeeze me.”

His words pushed me over the edge. I buried my face against his neck as the orgasm tore through me, my entire body clenching around him in rhythmic waves. My vision went white, then black, stars exploding behind my eyelids as pleasure crashed through me. He held me through it, his movements slowing but never stopping, drawing out my release until I was trembling and boneless beneath him.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, pressing his lips to my temple. “Again.”

“I hate you,” I whispered, even as my body betrayed me, hips rising to meet his thrusts.

His teeth flashed white in the darkness. “No, you don’t.”

Each word was accompanied by a controlled roll of his hips that sent pleasure spiralling through me. His fingers continued their relentless circles against my clit, pushing me closer to the edge with every passing second.

“Close,” I managed to gasp, my free hand clutching at the hard muscles of his back.

“I know,” he murmured, his breath hot against my ear. “I can feel you squeezing me. So tight. So perfect.”

“Let go,” I whispered, reaching up to trace his lower lip with my thumb. “Take what you need.”

Something dangerous flickered in his eyes. “You first.”

“I can’t…”

“You say that, and yet…”

Tears escaped the corners of my eyes from the sheer intensity, and I cried out. Tarshi’s hand immediately clamped down over my mouth and we froze. Septimus grunted, shifting in his sleep. We remained perfectly still, Tarshi buried to the hilt inside me, his hand warm against my mouth, our eyes locked in the darkness. My heart hammered against my ribs, every sense heightened by the danger. I could feel Tarshi’s pulse throbbing inside me, his cock twitching with each heartbeat.

When Septimus’s breathing returned to the deep rhythm of sleep, Tarshi slowly removed his hand from my mouth, replacing it with his lips in a kiss that stole what little breath I had left.

“You’ll be the death of me,” he whispered against my lips, resuming his movements with agonizing slowness.

I bit back a moan as he withdrew almost completely before sinking back in, the drag of him against my oversensitive flesh both torture and ecstasy. “Worth it,” I gasped.

His answering smile was predatory, all white teeth and dark promise in the shadowed cave. He shifted his weight, changing the angle of his thrusts again.

“There,” I gasped, stars exploding behind my eyes. “Gods, right there.”

Tarshi’s lips curved against my neck in a predatory smile. “Here?” He ground against that spot again, making me bite my fist to keep from crying out. “Or here?” Another thrust, harder this time.

“Both,” I managed, the word barely audible as I clung to him. “Don’t stop.”

His rhythm increased fractionally, each thrust still measured but with more force behind it. The wet sounds of our bodies joining seemed impossibly loud in the darkness, competing with the storm’s fury and Septimus’s steady snoring.

“Never,” Tarshi promised, his voice a rough whisper against my ear. “Could spend eternity inside you and it wouldn’t be enough. Now look at me. I want your eyes on me when you come.”

I forced my eyes open, meeting his gaze as the final wave crashed over me. My body convulsed around his massive length, pleasure so intense it bordered on pain radiating outward from where we were joined.

His control finally shattered. His hips snapped forward with renewed purpose, each thrust deeper and harder than the last. The measured pace was gone, replaced by something primal and desperate.

His massive hands gripped my hips, lifting me slightly to change the angle. When he drove into me again, I felt him hit a spot so deep within me that I nearly screamed. His hand pressed down over my mouth again, holding me down as my body shook underneath him. His lips found my neck, teeth scraping against my pulse point as his movements grew more erratic. I could feel him swelling inside me, impossibly larger as he approached his release.

“Livia,” he breathed against my skin, my name a prayer on his lips. “My Livia.”

His forehead pressed against mine, our breaths mingling in the small space between us. I clutched at his shoulders, feeling the muscles bunch and flex beneath my fingers as he drove into me with increasing desperation.

“Let go,” I whispered, reaching up to cradle his face. “I’ve got you.”

Something broke in his expression — vulnerability flashing across features usually schooled to reveal nothing. His rhythm faltered, then quickened, each thrust deeper than the last. I felt him tense above me, his entire body going rigid as he buried himself to the hilt one final time. I felt him swell impossibly larger inside me, his rhythm growing erratic. His massive body trembled above mine, muscles straining with the effort of his release. When he came, it was with a stifled groan against my shoulder, his teeth sinking into my flesh to silence himself. The feeling of him pulsing inside me, filling me with his warmth, triggered another small aftershock of pleasure that had me gasping against his skin.

For several heartbeats, we lay tangled together, bodies slick with sweat, breath coming in harsh pants. Tarshi’s weight pressed me into the ground, but I welcomed it, the solid reality of him anchoring me in the aftermath of such intense pleasure. His heart thundered against my chest, gradually slowing as our breathing steadied.

He brushed his lips against my temple, a tenderness that contrasted sharply with the savage intensity of moments before. “You’ll be the death of me,” he murmured, his accent thicker in the aftermath of pleasure.

“You’ve said that before,” I whispered back, fingers tracing the scars on his broad back.

“And I’ll say it again.” He shifted slightly, easing his weight off me without withdrawing. The movement sent aftershocks of pleasure through my oversensitive body, making me gasp. “Still so responsive,” he observed, satisfaction evident in his tone. The connection between us remained unbroken, his cock still buried deep inside me, gradually softening but in no hurry to withdraw. I savoured the fullness, the slight ache that would remind me of him with every movement tomorrow.

Another flash of crimson lightning illuminated his face — the dangerous curve of his smile, the possessive gleam in his eyes. In that brief moment of clarity, I saw something in his expression that made my chest ache with an emotion I wasn’t ready to name.

“We should separate,” I said reluctantly, even as my body clenched around him, contradicting my words. “Before he wakes.”

“I guess we should.”

He rolled his hips slightly, sending a shock of pleasure through my oversensitive body.

“Bastard,” I gasped, even as my inner muscles clenched around him.

“One day, I’m going to fuck you like that in front of him,” Tarshi said. “That’s a promise.”

His words sent a forbidden thrill through me, even as I shook my head. “You’ll do no such thing.”

“No?” Tarshi withdrew from me with excruciating slowness, the drag of his still-hard cock against my sensitive walls making me bite my lip to stifle a moan. “The way you tightened around me just now suggests otherwise.”

When he finally slipped free, I felt achingly empty, my body still pulsing from his thorough claiming. A warm trickle of his seed ran down my inner thigh, marking me as his in the most primal way.

“You’re impossible,” I whispered, but couldn’t keep the fondness from my voice.

He chuckled, the sound a low rumble in the darkness. “Impossibly yours.”

Tarshi reached down between us, his large hand gentle as he wiped away the evidence of our joining with a scrap of cloth. The tender care with which he cleaned me contrasted sharply with the savagery of moments before.

“Sleep now,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Dawn comes too soon, and you need rest.”

I was going to argue, but exhaustion swept over me, and I felt my eyes closing before he’d even moved away.