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He swallows. “What if you don’t like what you find?”

A jolt shoots through me, and it takes all of my willpower to keep it from showing. Because deep down, I’m terrified that he might not like me when he finds out about the hidden rage and the hatred that festers inside my soul. He has nothing to worry about. But I do.

“That’s not possible,” I reply, making sure that he truly hears the certainty and seriousness in my voice. “I love all parts of you.” Before he can say anything, I pull back and lock eyes with him instead. “Can I show you something?”

He blinks, looking a little disoriented by the sudden change for a moment, but then nods. “Of course.”

I summon my magic. Draven doesn’t flinch, doesn’t show so much as a hint of trepidation, when my eyes begin to glow. And that fact sends a pang right through my heart. Goddess above, what did I ever do to deserve this man?

Reaching inside me, I pull at the massive flame of love in my chest. I can’t create or even manipulate feelings of love in other people, because it’s too complicated an emotion. But I can use my own.

While holding Draven’s gaze, mostly to see if he wants me to stop, I do as Jocasta taught me and reach that emotion towards Draven. Two days ago, after my breakthrough with creating emotions, I finally figured out how to share emotions too. I haven’t tried anything like this before, though.

My heart patters nervously as I attach that feeling of love to Draven’s chest.

He gasps.

Eyes wide, he snaps his gaze down to his chest and presses his hand over his heart. Then his gaze darts back up to mine, his expression completely stunned. “This… I can… I can feel…”

“My love for you,” I finish for him with a smile.

He draws in an unsteady breath, his hand still pressed against his chest. Joy and disbelief and the most heartbreaking glimmer of relief shine in his eyes. “ This is what you feel for me?”

“That’s half of it. When I share an emotion, it cuts the intensity in half so that I feel half of it and you feel the other half.”

But he doesn’t appear to even hear the scientific explanation of it, because his mouth drops open slightly as he just stares at me for a few seconds. Then he presses out, “Half. This is just half of it?”

“Yes.”

He draws in one of those unsteady breaths again, almost looking like he’s about to fall off the roof. Raw emotions fill his eyes as he stares at me.

Smiling, I reach up and cup his cheek. “So remember this feeling, if you ever start to doubt again.”

He closes his eyes. I leave the connection between us, so that he can burn the memory into his very soul and never have to doubt just how much I love him.

Then once he opens his eyes again, I let the connection fade and my magic disappear back inside me again.

That burning flame of love inside me once more doubles in strength as all of the feelings return to me.

His wings flutter as he suddenly moves so that he’s straddling my thighs, his knees on the roof on either side of me.

My heart flips as his powerful body, his handsome face, his imposing wings, his entire essence, blocks out the rest of the world until all I see is him.

He slides his hands along my cheeks and into my hair, tilting my head back so that I meet his searing gaze.

“Azaroth’s flame, Selena,” he says, sounding breathless. “That was…”

“Very impressive, if I do say so myself,” I joke, a grin on my mouth. “It’s a very complex technique with an even more complex emotion, but I am quite brilliant after all, so.”

He claims my lips, cutting off my teasing words with a possessive kiss. “You’re a fucking goddess,” he breathes against my mouth between furious kisses.

Lightning skitters across my skin and my heart skips a beat.

He drops one hand from my hair and instead braces it on the roof behind me.

Leaning forward, he moves us down until my back is pressed against the warm stone.

My short silk nightgown slides up almost to my hips as I lift my legs up from over the edge and instead brace my feet on the roof.

Still kissing me breathless, Draven slips one hand underneath my neck and the other underneath my back. Then he beats his wings. I gasp against his mouth as he flies us away from the edge and towards the middle of the flat roof instead.

My back hits the warm stone again as Draven lays me down gently before removing his hands. Still straddling me, he sits up straighter and locks eyes with me instead. Mischief glitters in his golden eyes.

“I’ve also been working on a new technique,” he says. “Want me to show you?”

Anticipation ripples through my body and a throbbing starts between my legs at the dark promises in his voice. “Yes.” I rake my gaze over his powerful body. “But first, take off your shirt.”

He wraps a hand underneath my jaw, holding me firmly, and leans down to steal another savage kiss. “So bossy,” he murmurs against my lips.

But then he pulls back and starts unbuttoning his shirt. Pushing myself up on my elbows, I quickly slide the silk robe from my shoulders and toss it onto the roof. Then I just watch as Draven undoes the final buttons. The black shirt falls open, revealing his firm chest and sharp abs.

Fire sears through my veins, and I lick my lips.

“Fuck,” Draven growls. “Do you have any idea how fucking difficult it is to keep a single thought in my head when you’re looking at me like that?”

My heart flips, and I flash him a satisfied smirk. “The shirt.”

His eyes burn with desire and approval as he shakes his head at me and then shifts into his fully human form. A small cloud drifts off into the night while Draven shrugs the shirt off his broad shoulders. He tosses it to the roof beside my robe.

“Your wings,” I complain.

He gives me a long look, and then shifts back into a half-shift. His imposing black wings now spread out behind his half- naked body. They rustle slightly as he moves them into a better position.

Still leaning back on my elbows, I gaze up at his muscular body, drinking in the sight of the absolute perfection that is Draven Ryat.

“Azaroth’s fucking flame,” he groans, his voice hoarse. “What the fuck did I just tell you?”

Just to mess with him even more, I slide my tongue along my teeth as I deliberately rake my gaze down his body.

A yelp slips from my lips, followed by a moan, as Draven grips my thighs firmly.

Heat pulses through me as he draws his commanding hands up my thighs, pushing the short nightgown all the way up to my hips, and then curls his fingers over the top of my panties.

My skin prickles and my clit throbs as he slides my panties down my legs. Adjusting his position, he maneuvers the delicate fabric over my feet and then tosses my panties down on the roof next to my robe.

“Spread your legs for me,” he orders.

The command vibrates through my bones, making my clit throb harder. I give him a sly look. “Yes, sir.”

Lust flares up in his eyes like dark flames, and he flexes his hand while forcing out a long breath. “Fucking hell, little rebel.”

With a satisfied chuckle, I lie down fully on my back and spread my legs as commanded. A nervous thrill courses through my body at being so exposed. But up here on the roof in the middle of the night, only the stars bear witness to our depraved cravings.

A jolt shoots through my body as Draven takes a firm grip on my hips and lifts my ass off the roof.

I squirm, trying to get my balance back.

Draven just drapes my legs over his shoulders.

It leaves me lying on my shoulder blades with my ass in the air and my pussy right in front of his face.

My nightgown slides down towards my tits, leaving me almost entirely naked.

“That’s more like it,” Draven muses, his voice dark and teasing.

This position leaves me entirely at his mercy. And the smug bastard knows it.

My heart pounds at the thrill of it, and my clit throbs with need.

“This is the new technique you were bragging about, huh?” I bait.

“Oh, no, we haven’t gotten to that part yet.” His mouth is so close to my pussy that every word sends puffs of air over my sensitive skin.

I squirm, trying to relieve the aching need that is pulsing inside me. “Then you?—”

He licks my pussy.

I gasp, pleasure shooting up my spine. He lets out a smug chuckle, the sound vibrating against my clit as he takes it into his mouth. I moan and squirm desperately again. But in this position, he is in complete control of my body.

Pleasure streaks through me as Draven teases my clit with his lips and tongue before scraping his teeth lightly over the sensitive skin. Another desperate moan rips from my lungs. My hand shoots out, but I can’t even reach him in this position.

Letting my arms slump back on the roof, I suck in shuddering breaths as Draven toys with my clit until I can barely see straight.

Tension thrums inside me, begging to be let out.

Draven slides his tongue along my pussy in a slow luxurious stroke and then pulls back.

My chest heaves, and it takes me a moment to realize that his lips are gone.

Then something zaps my clit.

I gasp, my eyes snapping open.

Pleasure crackles through me as my entire clit tingles with the aftereffects of that zap.

Lifting my head as much as I can, I stare up at Draven with wide eyes.

My legs are still draped over his shoulders, but he looks up to meet my gaze.

There is a wicked smirk on his lips as he holds up his right hand for me to see.

Tiny lightning bolts flicker over his fingers.

My jaw drops.

His smirk widens. “How’s that for new technique?”

Only a gasp and a deep moan answers him as he zaps my clit with his lightning again. I throw my head back, rolling my hips as pleasure pulses through me. He slides his tongue along my pussy and then swirls it around my clit. A whimper drips from my lips.