Page 36 of Ringmaster (The Kingdom of Shadow & Bone #1)

Mercy

Each kiss feels like a silent vow—an apology layered in tenderness—and yet he’s done nothing wrong. It hurts me to know he’s harboring all this guilt. The pain and suffering I’ve endured… none of it came from him. And yet, he bears the blame. I wish I could take that burden from him.

I part my lips and Azrael’s tongue sweeps into my mouth, sensual and sure.

A burst of warmth surges through me, heating every part of my body.

I crave his touch, every cell aching for him.

Desperate for his touch. His shadows rise to engulf me, caressing my skin like echoes of his hands.

One slides over my hip, guiding me over until I’m straddling him, my knees on either side of his hips.

A shiver of excitement courses through me.

Is this finally happening?

Azrael tugs the blanket around my bare shoulders, momentarily breaking our kiss.

His shadows lap at my legs, eagerly crawling over them, disappearing beneath my silk nightgown in a slow spiral of teasing strokes.

They curl around my waist before spiraling downward again, leaving trails of warmth in their wake.

I arch into the sensation, pressing my breasts together.

The silk slides across my skin, my nipples pebbling under the friction.

His eyes drop to my chest, and the heat in his gaze gives me the courage to guide his hands there.

Azrael doesn’t hesitate. His breathing deepens, then he cups my breasts in both palms, brushing a thumb across each hard peak.

I want more than whispered promises and stolen kisses.

This is exactly what I’ve dreamed about.

No more dancing around it. No more unbearable tension.

I lean deeper into his touch, and his shadows tremble, as though he’s on the edge of losing control.

Good. I want him to lose control. I need him to take from me everything I’m willing to give.

His hands dip beneath the fabric. The heat of his skin against mine sets my entire body ablaze with desire.

It takes all my restraint not to moan. Our eyes lock, the air between us tight with tension as I roll my hips, need consuming me.

I’ve never wanted something as badly as I want this—want him.

Beneath me, his body answers my desperate plea.

I can feel the swell of his length through his leathers, swollen and hard, pressing against me where I ache the most.

I shift, dragging myself over the length of him, and his eyes flare.

A low rumbling growl faintly escapes his lips, the sound pure satisfaction.

His shadows draw me closer to him, holding me in place as his mouth lowers to my breasts.

His tongue flicks out, circling one nipple before drawing it between his lips.

My head falls back, but the shadows catch the moan swallowing it before it escapes.

He moves to the other, repeating the motion, his mouth hot and possessive, his shadows swallowing every sound I make.

He’s close, hovering on the edge of control.

I sense it in the taut set of his jaw, in the tremor of restraint that runs through his body.

His hands tighten at my hips as though anchoring himself—taming the storm within.

My breath catches when I shift atop him, deliberate and slow.

A deep sound escapes him, not quite a growl, not quite a sigh, but something far older.

More primal. All he needs is a small push.

My breast pops free, and our mouths collide once more.

I nibble his bottom lip, sucking on it before gently nipping it and grinding against him harder this time.

He groans, deep and guttural, and presses himself against me, letting me feel every inch of how much he wants this—wants me.

Melting into his kiss, I match each thrust of his tongue with my own until I’m panting…

and I can’t get enough. The shields he hides behind have crumbled away, and all that’s left in their wake is a vulnerable Azrael.

My fingers rake through his hair, tangling in the ebony strands and clenching tight.

I’m so consumed by this moment I forget everything but the two of us.

I want to stay right here forever. It doesn’t matter that he’s dangerous or that my soul belongs to him.

I’m starved, and addicted in the worst way.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispers, pulling back.

“No. I don’t want you to stop.”

“Fuck,” he groans, losing even more control.

His hands inch up my thighs, trailing closer to where I’m already wet for him.

One hand grips just below my ass while the other slips between my legs, skimming across the fabric of my underwear.

He grazes my clit just enough to send a burst of pleasure rushing over me.

My back arches as shadows swallow my cry of pure ecstasy.

That strong hand tightens around me, pulling me forward, balancing me with the help of the shadows as they draw me near enough for him to capture my mouth.

“Shhh, angel.” His voice is deep and husky, dripping with need. His fingertip slips beneath the fabric this time, brushing directly across my clit.

I see stars as another burst of pleasure crashes over me.

Goddess, ground me. I need more—I need all of him.

“More,” I gasp, begging. I already know he won’t deny me.

His lips glide over my neck, leaving a trail of heat—lower, across my collarbone, over my shoulders.

I release his hair, my hands gliding down to cup his cheeks.

He kisses each one. My palms find his chest right as he slips a finger inside of me.

My core liquifies. I gasp, I’m clenching around him as the first wave of orgasm hits me.

Shadows muffle the whimpers tumbling from my lips.

Azrael smiles—a wicked, mischievous thing.

Before I can catch my breath, his finger curls inside me, stroking a spot so sensitive it sends pleasure rushing through me.

His mouth finds mine again as I grind into him, chasing more friction.

His tongue mirrors the rhythm of his fingers.

Then he adds a second. I stretch around him, the fullness proving to be exactly what I needed.

In just a few strokes, I’m coming completely undone, coating his fingers in my slick release.

Drenched in sweat and breathless, I sigh, only to whimper when he slides his fingers from me.

I watch, helpless and desperate, as he brings his fingers to his mouth—sucking them clean.

It’s too much. In an instant, he’s gone from beneath me.

My mattress replaces his warmth. He stands on the other side of the room, eyes dark and fists clenched.

Did I do something wrong?

As if reading my thoughts, he whispers, “I have to go. Not now. Not like this. I want our first time to be special.”

He takes a step toward me but stops. “One kiss from you is enough to last a lifetime. I shouldn’t have let it go this far. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t do this. Don’t ruin tonight, “ I beg.

“I won’t.” There’s restraint in his voice. He’s fighting it. Fighting me. Shadows blur in my room, curling around me in a protective embrace. He steps close again, cups my face, and kisses my forehead. Then my lips—soft, lingering.

“Good night, angel,” he rasps.

“Good night,” I whisper back.

He cups my face one more time. Pain flickers in those icy blue eyes. “I want you too badly to take you gently. When I come for you, it won’t be soft. It’ll be forever.” And then he vanishes into the night. Nothing more than shadow and night.

It feels like a dream, the way he disappeared like mist. But the wetness between my thighs says otherwise. I wrap the blanket tighter, reach up to lock my window, close my eyes—slipping into a dream where he stays to finish what he started.