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PLAY WITH YOUR WIFE (WITHOUT brEAKING THE RULES)

ARABELLA

Steam from my bath still clung to the air when I padded back into the main chamber.

The Syndicate’s visit had left me with a sense of unease.

Zaraiah’s pointed remarks about demons, Kazimir’s sudden, violent fury—none of it made sense.

He had changed the subject afterward, but the memory of his barely contained rage kept replaying in my mind.

Whatever lurked in his past, it clearly had teeth.

I sank onto the stool in front of the vanity.

The door opened quietly behind me. Kazimir stood there, leaning against the frame as if he had all the time in the world.

His expression was a careful mask of control, but intensity burned in his eyes.

He hadn’t come looking for me right after the Syndicate left, retreating into whatever shadows claimed his thoughts.

I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or annoyed.

“Still awake?” he asked in that low, intimate rumble of his.

I reached for my hairbrush. “I was busy reflecting on your delightful associates.”

He came away from the doorframe, stopping near the sofa, keeping a deliberate few strides of distance between us. “Zaraiah loves stirring trouble. It’s best ignored.”

“Is it?” I turned on the stool, letting the robe gap a bit at the thigh. I couldn’t help prodding him, dangerous as that might be. “You didn’t exactly ignore it.”

His gaze flickered, a flash of that earlier storm surfacing, then disappearing behind a practiced calm. “Let’s just say,” he began, lowering his voice so it vibrated along my skin, “I owe you. For the Syndicate’s intrusion. And for my… abruptness earlier.”

Desire coiled low in my belly. “You owe me three debts, then, because you never finished what you started in the study days ago.”

His eyes darkened, trailing down the line of my throat to where the robe lay open. “You know why I stopped. Will you have the same issues with control tonight?”

I felt a thrill spark inside me. The challenge was clear. He was tying his apology, his desire, and my own power into one knot. “My control is better,” I replied, feigning more confidence than I felt. “But I’m still not sure about yours.”

His slow smile made the hairs on my neck stand up. “I’m always in control.” He still didn’t come closer. “But our predicament demands... creativity.”

“Care to explain?”

He lifted his hand, palm up. “As you know, I don’t actually need to touch you to touch you.”

Before I could speak, I felt something brush against my ankle. It felt like cool silk, a tendril of shadow, darker than the rest of the room, twining around my skin. I sucked in a breath, looking from the shadow to him.

He spread his hands innocently.

The shadow pulsed against my leg, tracing the curve of my calf, then slipping beneath the hem of the robe to circle my thigh. A shiver swept through me, not from cold exactly, more from the sheer possibility. Every inch of it whispered of power, of a storm about to break.

“This… is dangerous,” I managed. Another ribbon of darkness slithered around my waist, sending my heart galloping.

He tilted his head, the look in his eyes daring and smug. “Is it?”

A squeeze around my middle lifted me off the stool.

I let out a startled cry as the shadows half carried, half floated me across the room, depositing me onto the bed.

More dark ropes appeared, winding around my wrists and ankles, pinning me back against the soft sheets. My robe slipped and fell open.

“Kaz—” I gasped, not entirely sure if I was begging him to stop or to continue.

“Yes, Arabella?” He stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed, gaze scorching me from a slight distance. A predator savoring the final helpless squirm of his prey.

“This isn’t fair,” I croaked.

He let out a low laugh. “Nothing about us has ever been fair. You, tempting me with every glance. Me, unable to lay a hand on you. Don’t you think we both suffer?”

Before I could retort, a new tendril of shadow formed near my face, brushing against my lips.

I gasped, and it slipped inside, tasting faintly of ozone and old power, stroking my tongue in a brazen kiss.

And then the shadow changed, no longer feeling like a kiss, but growing in width and length until it hit the back of my throat in a rhythm that mimicked other, far more carnal acts.

A choked moan escaped me. The shadows holding my wrists tightened slightly, drawing my arms further above my head.

“Look at me,” he commanded, voice rough.

My gaze snapped to his. A flush marked his cheeks, his chest moving faster with each breath. Watching him lose that perfect composure unleashed a flood of wetness between my thighs.

“Keep your eyes on me,” he ordered, the words thick with possessiveness. “I want to watch.”

Shadows at my ankles pulled, spreading my legs. The robe gave up any pretense of coverage, leaving me shamelessly on display. The vulnerability collided with sick, thrilling pleasure. I was pinned, subject to his will, yet the raw desire in his eyes made me feel like the one in control.

Kazimir made an approving sound.

Another shadow slid up between my thighs. I strained against the bonds, a silent plea for more. The shadow in my mouth prevented speech, but my whimpers seemed to convey my desperation clearly enough.

“Patience,” Kazimir chided, a hint of dark amusement in his tone. “You were so insistent on teaching me restraint. Are you regretting it now?”

The shadow brushed against the delicate folds between my legs before seeking my clit, and I arched into the touch with a strangled cry.

The shadow obliged my silent demand, pressing more firmly, alternating between insistent pressure and barely-there teasing.

My head fell back against the pillows, eyes fluttering shut as pleasure built, sharp and demanding.

“Eyes. On. Me,” Kazimir snapped, the command absolute.

I forced my eyelids open, focusing on how he drank in my response. The shadows held me firmly, sliding across my breasts, my waist, all those tender spots I never imagined darkness could caress. It was a maddening barrage of sensation, too many competing touches to think straight.

I hovered on the edge of release, breath coming in ragged pants. Then, abruptly, the shadows froze. I let out a ragged, muffled sound of protest. Writhing, I found no relief.

Kazimir’s faintly cruel smile made his intentions clear. “Did you assume I’d hand over satisfaction so easily?”

The shadow withdrew from my mouth, leaving me able to speak again. “Kazimir,” I ground out, half plea, half growl. “Don’t you dare stop now.”

He raised a brow. “Ask nicely. Admit that I have more self-control than you.”

I opened my mouth to snap at him, but all that came out was a choked moan as the shadows resumed, tracing lazy circles at just the right spot. My skin lit up in gooseflesh, and my hips twisted in search of more.

“Patience, hero,” he teased. “If you want me to break your every limit, you should consider the word control more carefully next time.”

“I won’t—” My denial dissolved into a sharp moan as a shadow flicked against my clit with deliberate cruelty.

“No?” His smile widened. He shifted against the bedpost, and I couldn’t help but notice the blatant ridge straining against the fabric of his trousers.

“Maybe you need a bit more persuasion. Soon, I’ll be able to replace these shadows with my hands, my mouth.

” His voice dropped lower, raspier. “I’ll finally taste you properly.

Make you scream my name until the foundations of this citadel break. ”

The images his words painted were almost enough to make me lose my grip on my magic. Almost. Caution warred violently with the desperate ache between my legs.

He shook his head, his eyes glittering with admiration. “Gods, the defiance. Even pinned and begging.”

“You want this just as badly,” I accused, arching again as the shadows renewed their torment, circling faster now.

“Undeniably,” he drawled, his gaze fixed between my legs now. Another shadow slid between my thighs, tracing the swell of my ass before brushing with shocking intimacy against the delicate skin of my back entrance. I arched hard off the bed.

He stepped forward. His presence radiated pure command, making every nerve beneath my skin buzz. Meanwhile, the shadows redoubled their pace, each flicker winding me tighter inside.

“Say it, Arabella,” he coaxed, voice dropping. “Tell me you yield. Let me give you what you need.”

I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood, pride warring with the acute need to let go. The tension coiled so tightly that it hurt. I wanted to resist, but the slick heat pulsed between my legs, turning every breath into a whimper.

“I—” I tried, unsure if the words would be rebellion or surrender. Maybe it didn’t matter. Kazimir’s face showed something like triumph. Or hunger.

He didn’t wait. The rhythm of that shadow touch accelerated, merciless and right on target. My body spasmed with a rapturous burst, the crescendo rolling through every tendon. Silently, I screamed, snapping taut against the bindings as release claimed me in a shock wave of color and sensation.

Slowly, the shadows retracted, dissolving back into the dim corners. I lay there trembling, heart galloping, sheets twisted under me. Every bit of me thrummed with pleasure.

Kazimir rounded the bed, and the mattress dipped as he sat next to me. The earlier wicked amusement was replaced by something softer. Gently, he brushed a strand of sweaty hair off my face. The warmth of his fingertips was startling after the cool press of shadows.

“Better?” he asked softly, stroking along my cheekbone.

My throat felt too dry for words, so I nodded, leaning into his hand.

He bent his head. His scent swept over me—winter and a blade’s edge, threaded with magic.

“Soon,” he whispered, voice rough. “Soon we’ll stabilize the Heirloom and won’t need these ridiculous restrictions.

” His lips hovered near my ear, and I shuddered as he added, “And I have so many ways I want to make up for lost time.”

He pulled back, eyes flickering with an unsettling blend of triumph, possession, and something I wondered if he’d ever name. Wordlessly, he stood and smoothed his clothes like nothing had happened. Then he crossed the room and vanished through the door.

I lay there, body still pulsing with aftershocks, mind spinning at the precarious bond between us. It was stronger now—maybe strong enough to scorch everything else to ash if we couldn’t control it.

But in that moment, I just tried to catch my breath, still tasting the faint echo of shadows on my lips.