Page 33 of The Pactbound Angel (The Soul Mirror Duet #1)

Rolling over to my back and propping myself up by my elbows, I lifted my knees and parted them in turn.

With the most imperious stare I could muster, I gave my next command.

"I want you to approach me on the bed, put your face between my thighs, and lick my pussy and clit-t-t-t-t-t-t-t.

" He followed the orders precisely when given, as if expecting them, and took hold of my thighs before licking from my entrance up, then in swirls and slow circles.

He took my clit between his lips and sucked.

A snaking, desperate need slithered through me, under my skin and in my very marrow.

I exhaled a deep breath in a hiss and lay back, fully lounging into the velvet cushions beneath me.

He gave a grunt in his throat, though if it was a noise of pleasure, or just a noise, I couldn't tell. Lowering my gaze to watch, I caught him staring up at me. Eyes locked, it became clear to me it wasn’t his tongue I wanted. I wanted him . All of him.

Cordani.

Perhaps just a taste…

I whispered, "Stop." He did so without hesitation, rising slowly to catch his breath. I reached for him. "Come closer. Here..."

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but he did as he was told. He crawled towards me, between my legs, and peered down at me. When he pressed his lower belly against my pussy, I groaned, wrapping my legs around his hips. Delirium spun my head. It was sensual. It was forbidden. It was everything.

And it still wasn’t enough.

More. I want more! This stupid pact!

He almost seemed to hear me. He rolled his body like a snake, his lower belly grinding against me as he leaned into the act. He kissed my mouth, my neck, my breasts. His hands went into my hair, then down my curves to clutch at my hips.

A frantic and uncaring wish grabbed hold and wouldn’t let go.

My stomach seized, and my pussy felt needy.

Ready. I grasped at him, his shoulders, his back, wanting him ever closer.

But Ramiren kept a careful distance. The tension I’d so carefully massaged away had returned.

He adjusted slightly mid-movement, and his hips pressed higher, his cock gliding against my clit.

Pressure flared and suddenly radiated outward in a blinding flash, and I threw my head back with a scream.

After my breathing had calmed, I whispered, "You've earned it.

Get on your back." He hesitated again for a few seconds, the muscle in his jaw jumping as though he was rhythmically clenching it.

Finally, he complied, smoothly rolling onto his back next to me.

I got up on my knees over him and leaned in to give him what he had given me.

He let me set the pace, depth, and speed, and I moved the hand I’d wrapped around his cock to flatten it across his stomach and chest, running fingers up and down over his textured skin.

He gasped when I rolled my tongue. He did not give corrections, only affirmation when I took initiative. My tongue began to ache with want. I need to hear more from him. A moan, a whisper, praise, a scream even, like I had given him.

If he won’t give those sounds to me, then I’ll take them.

I began plunging up and down with my entire head in a movement that was steady and quick, at the edge of sharp, building faster and faster.

He made a tortured sound in his throat. He whispered, deep and husky, “Angel…” He started to thread his shaking fingers into my hair but managed to stop himself. An unusual sound, not unlike a choke, escaped him. "I'm...I…need to… please !”

Elation rang through me, headier than the strongest wine.

I felt in complete control for the first time.

This man desperately needed something, and I was the only one who could provide it.

I placed one of his hands in my hair, and Ramiren sucked in a breath through his teeth as his other joined in to grip my hair.

He curled his fingers, tangling them with the silver strands.

My muffled consent for him to finish, without removing him from my mouth, vibrated my tongue.

The rough squeeze of my hair was my only warning.

His hips lifted as he came with a growling yell, and I did not slow until he was done.

With a triumphant smile, my subsequent swallow was loud enough for him to hear.

Following his direction from last time, I collapsed next to him on the bed and wrapped an arm around him, tucking my face into the crook of his shoulder.

He did the same with his own arms, his chin resting on top of my head.

After a thought, I said quietly, "Still felt as though you were in charge. Perhaps that is my fault. I was having difficulty coming up with commands for you." I lifted my head to look at him. He studied my face and frowned .

"Orange," he said matter-of-factly. "I want to make certain you're alright, since that was new, and to get you used to hearing a safe word. If it is only ever used when something bad happens, it is associated with something bad happening, and you might hesitate to use it."

"I'm alright. Truly. It's just… I told you what the hags took from me. Giving commands on a field of battle is not really the same as giving them here. You study strategy and learn tactics. You follow them. If this, then that. Does that make sense?"

He kissed the top of my head, lingering longer than I thought he would with his lips pressed to my hair.

"I understand. That might make this role challenging for you, though you can learn this, too. Giving pleasure is not so different from martial maneuvers.” His smile brightened his face.

“Besides, your creativity will be returned. I have faith.”

He kissed my forehead. “And while I think I know the answer, I shouldn't assume. Do you favor the role of the dominated or the dominatrix?"

I considered his question for a moment. "I'd say I don’t have a preference. Both have their merits. I enjoyed both for different reasons, but I suppose that might just be for you. For someone else, it might be different. Is that right?"

“That's certainly possible. For someone that does not have a strong or even complete aversion to one or the other role, the partner might change the mix of preferences.

I think we're done for the moment with these specific roles, and we'll turn to another topic, maybe something different and playful in a way, next lesson.

We may incorporate parts of these lessons again later. For now, what would you have me do?"

The previous few minutes played back in my mind. I had screamed in my lust-drunk thoughts to break the pact. I’ve been saving myself my whole life, and I almost threw it away on a whim.

"I think, right now, I need space. To be alone. Would you mind doing that now? "

Gods, I feel so bad for asking.

His smile returned, his voice soft. "If that’s what you need, I don't mind in the slightest. I'll get dressed and give you that space now." He dressed himself, then stepped away. "If you need me, you need only call out. I won't be listening in on you, but if you call, I'll hear."

With my nod, he disappeared through some curtains to a side room.

Alone with my thoughts, a growing panic bloomed. I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands, silently cursing myself. I had almost asked him to break the pact. Take my virtue. What was I thinking?

I chewed on my lower lip and shook my head in disappointment.

Your husband is to be your lover, remember? Your only lover. Just be careful. He did not try anything you didn’t ask for. You can trust him.

The thought calmed me. Yes, this recent lesson showed I could trust him. Fully. Actions speak louder than words, and his actions showed that.

Standing from the bed to put my longshirt back on, I poked my head through the curtains, finding him reading next to some lit candles. "Ramiren?”

He smiled at me as he stood from a plush chair, the small table beside him decked with books.

I looked around, never having seen this room before.

Bookshelves containing tomes of all kinds lined the walls.

Two chairs at a table took up the center.

Where he had sat, waiting for me to calm myself.

Patiently. “Are you alright, Lady Nathalia?”

“Yes, thank you.”

He went on, “Good. Once you've had enough time to compose yourself, we can return when you are prepared." To my eyes, he looked more relaxed than he was before we started, but only just.

My chest panged with a deep ache. "I wanted to thank you. For your patience. And gentleness. I feel, with anyone else, this would have been a horrible undertaking. Dangerous, even. But with you, it's something else."

He set the book in his hands down without bothering to mark the page. "You're welcome. I'm glad you're finding it useful and more pleasure than chore. I think that's the only way this works."

Should I tell him? Best to be honest. No one likes these kinds of surprises.

"The secret disclosed for this session. When you were on top of me... I almost asked to dissolve the pact. Or, at least, a specific stipulation," I said it simply, with as little emotion as I could muster, and took an inhale after finishing. Please understand.

Ramiren folded his hands in front of him in a pause, as though weighing my words.

"Be reassured that, if you had, I would have refused and stopped the lessons entirely before returning your necklace with a dissolved pact.

As I said at the beginning, difficulties could arise.

This was one of them. I understand and applaud your restraint.

It is hardest to hold to your boundaries when temptation tells you that you don't want to. "

I stared at him, jaw clenched, for a good minute. He understood. Thank the gods he understood. I turned and walked back to the main bedroom without another word.