Page 59 of Duskbound (Esprithean Trilogy #2)

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

We hadn't made it to the bed yet. Not even to the front door of his cabin before his lips found mine again.

"I meant what I said," he murmured against my skin. "Every word."

My fingers traced the void burns along his neck, feeling his muscles tense beneath my touch. "I know you did."

He pressed his forehead to mine, our breaths mingling. "I've never wanted anything the way I want you."

"Then have me," I whispered.

His hands found my waist as he guided me through the doorway. When my back met the wooden planks, he paused, eyes searching mine. "In any way I like?" His face held a dangerous curiosity.

Instead of answering, I pulled him down for another kiss. His shadows curled around us as we moved together through the darkness until my legs reached something solid.

He lifted me onto the bed with a gentleness that contrasted sharply with the hunger in his eyes. Dim light trickled in through the window, catching on the metal of his piercings, making them gleam against his skin.

"You're staring," he said, that dimple appearing as he smiled down at me.

"And you're still wearing too many clothes." My fingers found the fastenings of his leathers.

His laugh was low and rich as he caught my hands in his. "You're going to have to be quicker than that." He pressed a kiss to my palm. "Because I have plans for you tonight."

"Plans?" I raised an eyebrow, trying to ignore how my pulse quickened at his tone.

"Mhmm." He lowered himself over me, careful to keep most of his weight on his forearms. "I made a vow, remember? Now I must worship you properly."

Heat flooded my face. "Aether..."

"Starting here," he murmured, pressing his lips to my throat. "And here." Another kiss at my collarbone. His mouth traced a path lower as his fingers worked at the buttons on my shirt. Before I knew it, he was pulling it back, exposing me to him.

"Divine," he breathed, his hands moving to the clasp on my trousers. Soon enough, I was rid of those too.

My back pressed into the fabric, completely bare as he drank in the sight of me. He gently lifted my foot before kissing my ankle, making me squirm. “You're certainly taking your time,” I whispered.

“Patience.” Aether’s teeth grazed the skin at my calf. “How else can I prove that I’m devout?” He raised an eyebrow, his lips already twitching at the corners.

I rolled my eyes as a laugh escaped me, but it didn’t stop my arms from reaching for him again. I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face—preferably with my mouth. He merely smiled down at me shaking his head, continuing his maddeningly slow ascent up my legs.

When his lips finally reached my hip, I couldn't help the small sound that escaped me. His eyes found mine, dark with desire. That look should be illegal. The way it made me feel certainly was.

“People worship at altars, correct?”

I nodded, feeling almost dizzy.

“Your hips can be mine.” I could feel his wicked grin as the words vibrated against my inner thigh. My legs fell open willingly.

His teasing had my body nearly vibrating for more. I tried arching my hips towards his wandering mouth but he tsked, arm pressing me firmly into the mattress, keeping me in place. His teeth bit into my inner thigh, causing me to whimper before moving to my other leg, leaving a trail of heat in his wake.

I was going to lose it.

“Aether,” I breathed, my voice ragged with desperation.

"Yes?" His breath ghosted across my skin, making me shiver. "Tell me what you want."

I could barely think straight, every nerve ending alive with anticipation. The way he held me down, the control in his movements despite the hunger in his eyes—it was maddening. This was so different from our first time when desperation and need had driven us. Now he seemed determined to take his time, to reduce me to nothing but want.

I'd spent my life running from power, from desire, from anything that threatened to consume me. But the way he touched me now made me want to burn.

"I..." The words caught in my throat as his lips brushed the sensitive skin of my inner thigh again.

"You what?" That damned dimple appeared as he smiled against my skin. "Use your words, Princess."

The title that had once been a taunt now held something else entirely—reverence, maybe. Or possession. My fingers tangled in his hair as he continued his torturously slow path .

"You're enjoying this far too much," I managed, though the accusation lost its bite when it came out as more of a whimper.

His low laugh vibrated against me. "Of course I am." His teeth grazed my skin. "I love seeing you like this, flushed and writhing beneath me."

I wanted to respond with something clever, but then his mouth was moving higher, and all coherent thought fled my mind. His breath whispered over my clit, sending shivers across my skin.

“Is this where you want me?” His lips brushed over my center. He took my answering moan as confirmation and his tongue finally pressed against me.

My body had been wrung so tightly in anticipation that the sudden movement had my eyes rolling back. Another sweep of his tongue and I was on fire. It was almost too much. My thighs began to close and he pushed them open again with a force.

Aether seemed to be memorizing my every move and reaction, noting each gasp and shiver, learning exactly what made me cry out for him. His hands held me firmly in place as his mouth worked against me, refusing to let me squirm away.

His rhythm never faltered as he worked, his determination growing with each sound that escaped my lips. Dark tendrils began seeping from his void burns, curling through the air like smoke. They brushed against my heated skin until they paused, sweeping across my nipple and causing me to gasp at the new sensation. The shadows felt like silk and ice all at once, trailing paths of delicious torture across my flesh.

It was different now—the way our darkness merged. No longer two separate forces colliding, but something inevitable. Like our very essences were reaching for each other, recognizing their other half.

"Look at me," he commanded between movements. When I met his gaze, I could have sworn a smile touched his lips as he paused. His shoulders shifted as his hand left my thigh. I let out a labored breath as he slid a finger inside me.

My back arched in response, my head falling against the mattress again.

"Don't hide now, Princess." His breath teased my sensitivity. "I want to watch you."

I allowed my arms to drag across the sheets, lifting myself enough so that my elbows supported me, and just as we locked eyes again, his mouth was back exactly where I wanted it—his tongue resuming that devastating dance from before.

The intensity of his stare combined with the pressure of his fingers sent waves of pleasure coursing through me. The shadows grew bolder, wrapping around my limbs, seeping into my very being.

Everything else fell away until there was nothing but the edge of that sweet oblivion once again, and I was spiraling towards that edge—his mouth working, his fingers pushing deeper as shadows flooded me, filling me with that intoxicating darkness I'd come to know so well. My vision went black for a moment as I absorbed them, the pleasure almost too much to bear. The combination was the most exquisite torment, unlike anything I'd ever experienced.

The pressure continued to build into something devastating, the assault threatening to shatter me completely. My vision started to blur at the edges, my world narrowing to just this moment, just us.

"Come for me," he murmured.

And then I was dragged off the cliff's edge.

Waves of pleasure crashed over me. The shadows around us pulsed wildly, matching the rhythm of my release as Aether worked me through it, his movements gentling as I came down from the high.

He lifted himself up, settling back on his knees. In one fluid motion, he pulled his shirt over his head, giving me a moment to admire the way his muscles shifted beneath his void-marked skin—the way they tapered down to a perfect V . The burns traced smoke-like patterns across his chest and arms, black mist still wafting from them like vapor.

"See something you like?" That dimple appeared as he caught me staring.

"You know exactly how beautiful you are," I breathed, reaching for him.

He lowered himself over me, the heat of his skin against mine drawing a gasp from my lips. "Beautiful?" He pressed a kiss to my throat. "That's not typically how people describe me."

"Lethal, then?" I suggested, my fingers trailing down his chest. "Mysterious, brooding?"

"Much better."

"Whatever you learned in your past life is clearly paying off," I teased, though my voice was breathless. "Maybe losing your memories wasn't such a tragedy after all."

His laugh was deep and rich as his muscles flexed against my skin. "I assure you, this is all instinct where you're concerned." The heat of his body against mine drew a gasp from my lips. "Though I do enjoy watching you come undone."

"Smug isn't a good look on you," I managed, though my fingers couldn't help but trace the defined ridges of his chest.

"No?" His golden eyes sparked with amusement. "And yet you can't seem to keep your hands off me."

"I could stop," I threatened, but my hands were already finding the waistband of his leathers.

"You wouldn't dare." He caught my bottom lip between his teeth.

My heart raced as I helped him shed the remaining barrier between us. When his mouth captured mine again, the kiss was deep and hungry, full of promise. The feel of him against me had my legs wrapping around his waist instinctively, drawing him closer.

"Slow and steady this time?" he murmured against my lips, though I could feel him trembling with restraint.

"You've tortured me enough," I managed, reaching between us to wrap my hand around his cock.

His response was a deep groan as his hips moved towards my touch.

"Look who's eager now," I teased, increasing the pressure of my grip as I stroked my hand up his length.

"Fia," he breathed against my neck. "You're going to be the death of me."

"What a way to go, though," I whispered, drawing another rich laugh from him before I moved my hand back down his cock. As he raised his head, something behind his eyes seemed to crack.

Suddenly, he was sitting up, his fingers digging into my flesh as he pulled my leg up over his shoulder and dragged me towards him. A predatory look had replaced the humor from seconds ago.

His grip tightened on my thigh, his other hand between my legs, positioning himself at my entrance. "You're so wet for me," he breathed, voice raw.

A whimper escaped my throat as he pushed the head of his cock inside me—just enough to make me crave more. I opened my mouth to beg, but he simply stared down at me, something feral in his expression. Then he pulled back with a groan. Everything about the angle of his frame was raw and unrestrained, teetering on the edge of something dangerous. He continued this silent torture, his eyes darkening with every movement until he stilled.

"I plan on ravaging you," his words came out rough as his hand tightened on my ankle, "until you can't remember anything but my name."

And in one fluid motion, he slammed into me, rocking my body against the sheets as I cried out. A groan rumbled through him as his hand found my hip. He pulled back, only pausing for a few seconds before he buried every single inch inside me.

Again.

And Again.

His movements were relentless, each thrust driving deeper than the last. The position left me completely at his mercy, my leg hooked over his shoulder as control began snapping behind those golden eyes.

The bed frame protested beneath us, the headboard slamming against the wall with each devastating motion. His fingers dug into my hip, keeping me exactly where he wanted as my body trembled beneath him. If this was how stars died—in fire and fury and perfect destruction—then let me blaze with them until there’s nothing left but the endless dark.

The shadows flowing from him seemed to pulse with our shared need, dimming the room until there was nothing but us, nothing but this perfect moment of connection.

"The sounds you make," he growled, his voice ragged. "I want to hear more." His grip tightened on my leg, adjusting the angle until a feral moan tore from my throat, and he locked himself in place, pounding into me faster.

"That's it," he breathed, watching my reaction with those impossibly dark eyes. "But you're still not screaming yet." Liquid fire flooded me as he grabbed my free leg and hooked it over his other shoulder. His thrusts never eased as he pressed his hands against my thighs until they nearly touched my chest.

The pressure was building to something almost unbearable, each movement pushing me closer to that perfect edge.

"Aether," I gasped, my fingers clawing at his arms.

"I know," he groaned, the last vestiges of his control starting to fray. "I can feel how close you are." The shadows around us rushed through me, matching his increasingly urgent pace until I halted them, my mind going sharp as I redirected them back into his void burns.

The moan that escaped him nearly had me coming undone.

We were both monsters in our own way, both touched by darkness and marked by powers neither of us understood, not fully. Maybe that's why this felt so right, so perfectly and completely fated. Like finding the missing piece of a shattered blade.

The sight of him above me, completely lost in pleasure, had me spiraling toward that precipice. His usually pushed-back hair fell in his face, sweat glistening on his chest as he pressed my legs back even further, leaning over me until I was gasping.

The new angle had me seeing stars, each thrust hitting deeper than before. Every inch of me felt electrified, burning wherever his skin touched mine. My body sang for him in ways I never knew possible, like some part of me had been waiting for this. Exactly this.

"You're perfect," he breathed, voice strained with effort. "So perfect—taking all of me like this."

His voice, usually so controlled, was so rough with need. It did things to me I couldn't explain. Maddening, intoxicating things. It made me want to prove him right.

My hands grabbed for his arms, feeling his muscles flex beneath my fingers, my nails digging into him. The pressure built to something almost unbearable as he slammed into me.

Over.

And over.

"Please," I begged, though I barely recognized my own voice. "Aether, I need..."

"Tell me," he demanded, though his own voice was ragged. "Tell me what you need."

“Fall with me,” I breathed, and suddenly, he slowed, replacing speed with pure force. It was beautiful, electrifying torment as I felt every glorious inch of his cock invade me, taking my sanity with it. I was trembling on the edge of that oblivion again. Every nerve ending felt like it was on fire as his hands tensed around my thighs—as a low groan rumbled through him.

"Come for me," he growled, his golden eyes burning into mine. "I want to feel you lose yourself."

My back arched off the bed as pleasure tore through me, my toes curling, my mind going deliciously blank. Ecstasy raked across my core, each wave threatening to pull me under. The sensation of darkness flooding me while he filled me was devastating—like being consumed and remade all at once. The shadows seemed to splinter through my veins until I was falling apart around him. Let me shatter. Let me break. He would catch every piece.

Aether's control snapped completely then. His movements grew erratic, desperate, as his own shadows smothered out the rest of the light, glass shattering somewhere beyond as he followed me into that perfect oblivion.

We stayed like that for a long moment, shaking and breathless. When he finally moved, it was to brush the hair from my face. He carefully lowered my legs from his shoulders, his hands gentle now as they massaged the muscles that had been stretched taut.

His fingers trembled slightly against my skin as our breathing slowly steadied. I wondered if he knew that his hands shook, if he realized how much of himself he revealed in these quiet moments. Then he was lying next to me, eyes scanning the room. The destruction around us became apparent—shattered glass from the window scattered across the wooden floor, sheets torn from the bed, furniture askew.

"I didn't mean to..." he started, but I silenced him with a kiss.

"Worth it," I breathed against his lips.

"I think you broke my bed," he murmured beneath a smile.

"Pretty sure that was your doing." I shifted to face him better. "Though I'm not complaining. "

His laugh was deep as he pulled me against his chest. "I'll just have to build a stronger one."

"Planning on making this a regular occurrence then?"

"Clearly." He raised an eyebrow. "I take my vows very seriously."

I rolled my eyes as I settled in against him, lulled by the sound of his heartbeat before realizing how late it had gotten.

"We should probably get back to the fortress," I murmured, kissing his chest.

But he held me against him, blocking my movements.

"Tomorrow," he whispered into my hair. "I want one perfect night with you before the world crashes back down around us.”

And with those words, I was already closing my eyes, sleep pulling at me from all directions, blissful and lovely.

Until the dream began.