Page 98 of Lady of Starfire (Lady of Darkness #5)

This time, he didn’t stop. He gave her no reprieve as he drove into her over and over, each time seeming to go deeper than before.

His hand slid up her spine, before pressing down between her shoulder blades, holding her in place in a way she had never let another male have her while he did exactly what she’d demanded of him.

He made it worth her while.

His hand slid up farther, sliding around her neck to grip her throat once more, and he was hauling her up, pressing her back to his chest. He bent one of his knees, planting his foot beside them. Tilted his hips, he hit a spot inside her that drew a sound from her that was pure sinful pleasure.

“Say it, Eliza,” he said.

She knew what he wanted to hear. It wasn’t that she’d been lying to him about her fingers being as good as his cock because that was the farthest thing from true, and he fucking knew it.

It wasn’t even some declaration of love.

That would come in time. But he wanted her to say something she had never said to another male.

Something no one else would ever hear come from her lips, and something more primal and permanent among the Fae.

His fingers flexed around her throat, just enough to restrict airflow in the best way, as he withdrew all the way before punching back into her again and then stilling, keeping her back secured to his chest.

“Yours, Raz,” she gasped. “Only yours.”

“ Mine ,” he snarled in a way that could only be described as a dragon’s growl, before his movements become erratic, sending them both careening into pleasure.

They flopped down together, a sweaty heap of limbs and ragged breathing. Razik stayed on his stomach, not wanting to lie atop his wing, but he rolled her onto her side. The filthy look he gave her had her breath seizing all over again.

“We’re not done,” he said.

“Never done,” she agreed, hauling his mouth back to hers.

Eliza had no idea what time it was when they lay tangled with each other in the bed.

They’d fucked and slept and then fucked some more.

Now she was on her back, Razik’s arm over her waist while he slept on his stomach with his face nestled into her neck.

The wing with the scarring was splayed across her too, and when she dragged her fingers through his hair, he stirred enough to let her know he was at least partially awake.

“Can I touch your wings?” she whispered.

“You can touch whatever you want whenever you want,” he murmured into her neck.

She huffed a laugh, gently running a finger along the wing draped across her.

She had expected it to feel thin and fragile, but it was thicker like leather and rougher than she thought it would be.

And it was cold. Not hot like the rest of him always was.

She ran her fingers along it again, then stilled when he made a sound.

“Did you just …purr?”

“Dragons don’t purr.”

“It sounded like you purred.”

He lifted his head enough to peer down at her through bleary eyes. “Do you want to talk about all the sounds I have heard you make in the last several hours?”

She snapped her mouth shut.

“Why are you awake?” he grumbled, settling back down. “You should be resting.”

“ I should be resting?” she admonished. “You were hurt worse than I was, and you’re the one who keeps starting things.”

“I heal faster than you,” he mumbled, his words distorted against her skin where he’d once again buried his face in her neck. “And you have started things every time.”

Her mouth fell back open. “I have not.”

“You’re starting this argument right now.”

She rolled her eyes, huffing loudly, and she felt him smile against her flesh.

“Bastard,” she muttered.

She should be exhausted after everything, but she wasn’t. She knew she could get up, but … All right, fine. She liked being in a bed with him and being able to touch him and have him touch her without having to worry about what it would mean later.

Eliza lifted her hand above her head, studying the Mark that had wound its way down another finger. Then her gaze started bouncing around the cave lit up by the soft glow of her flames.

“So this is all the treasure?” she asked, eyeing the various trinkets and gold around the room.

“You were expecting more?”

“The way you spoke about it? Yes. You almost stole a bowl, for gods’ sake.”

He heaved a loud sigh. “I was not going to steal that bowl.”

“Now who’s the liar?”

Razik lifted his head again, giving her a frank look before he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

“What are you doing?” she asked, propping herself onto her elbows, eyes dragging down his bare torso to where the blankets pooled in his lap.

He stretched his arms above his head, muscles rippling with the movement and wings flaring out slightly. “Deeper in the cave, there is an entire room with piles of treasure.”

“There is not,” she tsked.

He leaned over her, reaching out and cupping the back of her head as he brushed a lingering kiss across her lips. “There is. I’ll fuck you on top of all the gold later.”

Razik moved to climb out of the bed, and she gripped his forearm. “Where are you going?”

“To get you food. You’re restless.”

“I’m not—”

Okay, yeah, she was both restless and hungry.

She watched as he made his way over to the kitchen area, opening the icebox and pulling out various items.

“Do you always cook naked?” she asked, sitting fully upright.

He glanced up at her before he went back to what he was doing. “It’s my cave.”

Eliza hauled herself up and out of the bed, dragging on one of his tunics as she crossed the space. Then she hopped up on the counter, the surface cold against her bare ass through his shirt, and watched as he chopped an onion and pepper.

His eyes flicked to hers for a brief moment. “People eat on this counter.”

“Shut up,” she grumbled, drawing her sweeping curls over her shoulder.

He was dumping the onions and peppers into a pan with eggs and moving it over a small flame on the stove when she said, “Razik?”

“What?” he asked, reaching for a utensil to flip the eggs.

“What does mai dragocen mean?”

He went completely still, keeping his back to her. She had slid her hands into the sleeves of his tunic, curling her fingers around the end.

“That was the deal, right?” she asked, her tone soft and small. “I tell you of the Curse Mark, and you tell me what that name means?”

“It is a term from Nordrir,” he answered after a long stretch of silence. “That world was once inhabited by dragon shifters. Or so I have read.”

She said nothing as he flipped the eggs he was making.

“My penchant for collecting treasure is nothing compared to a full-blooded dragon shifter. But their most valued treasure? It was called dragocen . Mai is a variation of ‘mine’ in that language, and while they do not have twin flames, they do have mates. They called their mates mai dragocen. My most treasured. It was a sacred term to them, only used between mates.”

Eliza could hardly speak around the emotion clogging her throat. “That is why Tybalt reacted strangely when I asked him of it.”

Razik didn’t say anything else as he plated the eggs and sautéed vegetables. Finally turning to face her, he set the plates off to the side before he planted his hands on either side of her, caging her between his large frame.

“It was not something I called you lightly,” he said. “It was not something I would have called you unless it was true.”

“The only place I do not need my armor,” she whispered, her hand coming up to cup his cheek, eyes searching his.

“Never with me, mai dragocen .”