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Chapter twenty-one

D imitri held Astrid, committing the feel of her smooth skin to memory.

They spent the day in the library. During the first hour, he’d believed she used the books as a shield to wedge space between them.

He reconsidered his assessment after she’d eaten her meals from his fingertips without argument.

His little neva was an academic. She savored the words, tracing her index and middle finger over each line of text.

He hadn’t expected her to relax against him in increments as she flipped the pages.

The subsequent hours gave him a taste of what life would be like once she accepted her place at his side.

The day had given way to night when she finished the first book. Astrid set it aside and reached for the next leatherbound tome. Dimitri flattened his hand over the embossed cover and pushed it away, only to have her glare at him.

“You’ve spent the entire day here, neva,” he murmured against her temple. “I’ll have your affection now.”

She turned into him, her lips drawing near. “I’d prefer to read.”

Dimitri leaned in, taking a soft, chaste kiss. “I’d prefer your pretty wine-stained lips around my cock,” he said, whispering the last.

Her lashes lowered and her laughter fanned over his mouth. “No.”

“You forget I own you, Princess.”

Dimitri stood, cradling her in his arms. Her dark hair draped across his chest, and he squeezed her closer.

She didn’t fight him as he guided her wrist across the back of his neck.

Astrid’s midnight eyes narrowed, then widened when he dropped the arm supporting her back.

Her nails racked over his topcoat, and she clung to him while he supported her weight with one arm hooked underneath her legs.

Dimitri pressed a kiss to her forehead before saying, “I don’t need your permission to take what I want from you.”

“If you bring your cock anywhere near my face, I’ll bite until my teeth connect.”

Dimitri chuckled. “I could have a metal ring made for your mouth within the hour, neva. Should I pin your hands behind your back and fuck your throat until you learn to like it?”

Astrid didn’t hurl her usual threats or insults as they made their way back to his room. She remained silent but Dimitri picked up notes of her arousal. He wondered if what he’d said got her wet or if dredging up her next plot to kill him made her cunt soft.

He would take either. His vicious neva’s schemes would fail and he would invent new and creative ways to punish her.

They passed a filigreed mirror, and Dimitri plucked it right off the wall. He carried it with them and Astrid pulled herself higher to peek over his shoulder.

“Just the mirror?” she asked. “Don’t you want the flower vases, or the table beneath it?”

Dimitri didn’t reply. She’d find out what he intended soon enough.

He entered his room and kicked the door closed. “Seeing my clothes on your body makes my cock hard,” Dimitri said, lowering Astrid gently onto their bed. He lifted her wrists overhead and looped the golden bangles with the talon topping of his wing.

Astrid yanked against her restraints but stilled when he turned her until her back met his chest. The sheets twisted beneath her knees and Dimitri inhaled, breathing in her scent of honey and wildflowers.

Dimitri set the mirror down in front of her and began unbuttoning the dress shirt she’d stolen from him. He took his time, enjoying the methodology of the task. The scent of her arousal heightened with each inch of skin he uncovered.

“Are you wet for me, neva?” he asked, pulling her shirt open to expose her breasts.

“The only thing I am for you, is murderous,” Astrid countered.

“Look how hard they are. This isn’t for me?” Dimitri rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefinger until her breaths were short. Then, he tugged until Astrid gave voice to her pleasure.

He softened his touch, circling her nipples to soothe the hurt. “Should I pierce these, too?”

“No,” she answered immediately.

Dimitri palmed her soft curves. “Are they sensitive?”

His princess remained silent, and Dimitri curled his wing in front of her to angle the mirror. Their eyes met in the reflection and Astrid held his stare. She was flushed and beautiful, but it was the defiance etched in midnight that made his cock twitch.

“You can say you like it, neva,” Dimitri purred.

“Do you want to sit on my face while I play with your tits?” He applied more pressure, pinching until Astrid moaned.

“I’ll have clamps made. You can wear them every morning.

I’ll hold your hands behind your back and flog your ass while you ride my cock.

I promise to stop after you make me come. ”

“You’re disgusting,” Astrid breathed.

“Filthy… is the word you’re looking for, Princess,” Dimitri said, reaching between her legs. Arousal coated his fingers, and Astrid thrashed. Strands of her dark hair caught in the stubble across his cheek and Dimitri restrained his prey.

“You’ll never escape me,” he rumbled as his callused hand slipped down her body. Dimitri reached between her thighs, toying with her piercing, before moving lower and spread his fingers in a V.

“I want you to see how wet you are, neva,” he whispered, positioning the mirror between her knees, “and you’re going to watch while I fuck you.”