Page 145 of To Scale the Emerald Mountain

“The day you were born was one of the most joyous days of my life. Allow me to celebrate it with you in a manner worthy of the occasion.”

A thick lock of black hair falls over Alec’s brow, and I reach my hand up to flick it, a silly smile spread across my face. He captures my hand and pins it by my head, lacing his fingers through mine. Now bracing himself on one arm, his weight falls heavier. His length thickens against me, and I arch my back, trying to feel more of him.

Alec growls his approval, grinding his hips into mine. “My control is steadily slipping, my clove.”

A breathy moan passes my lips at the wave of pleasure coursing through my body. Alec rolls his hips forward again and puts hisnose to mine. My hands reach behind him, grabbing his lower back, trying to pull him closer.

“I told you I will not fuck you until you are ready to take all of me,” Alec grabs my bottom lip between his teeth and pulls, eliciting another moan from me. “But perhaps just a taste.”

Alec’s tongue darts into my mouth as a hand moves down to pull the flaps at the bottom of my robe open, exposing me to him. I wait for him to look, to touch, but he only runs his large hand back up the length of my body in a slow, scraping pass.

“I have been imagining you bare under this while thinking about you wielding unheard of power.” Alec reaches the silk sash of the robe and hooks a finger in it, pulling it hard to make the fabric dig and my back bend. “You will be a goddess in your own right.”

He pulls harder. The fabric begins to strain, soft cracks that ripple through the air, through my body. Alec’s lips skim against mine, soft and sure. I lean into him for more, a request he denies, pulling his head back with a smirk.

He releases me; I breathe heavily when my back hits the pillows behind me again.

I’m already a hot mess of need with him barely doing anything at all, warmth spreading across my chest. My knees attempt to clench together, instinctively searching for friction, squeezing his hips between my thighs tighter.

Alec’s hand travels to the knot of the sash, the one thing keeping me from being completely uncovered. He pauses. “May I?”

I nod frantically, expecting him to move quickly with my permission.

He doesn’t.

Alec pulls away from me enough that I lose the warmth of his erection against my core, and I whimper with the emptiness.

His long fingers slowly pull one end of the sash, the fabric hissing quietly—such a simple sound becoming painfully sensual. Rolling my hips into his, I try to find that friction again, but he laughs and pulls his waist further from mine.

Alec’s tongue enters my mouth with slow and languid strokes. I desperately try to increase the pace, but with every frantic dart, he backs away.

It doesn’t deter me.

Alec clicks his tongue in mock disapproval. “Do you want me to stop?” he asks amused, pausing all movement.

“If you stop, I’ll fucking smoke you.”

Alec laughs and nips at my lips. “I will just come back to you, and we can start this process again, from the very beginning.”

I glower at him and grab his face, pulling it back to mine. He resumes undressing me—torturously slow—hot anticipation coiling deep. The bow of the sash finally gives, and Alec spreads his palm across my belly, my robe denying me the skin-to-skin contact I crave. I writhe and pant, but he doesn’t move between the folds of fabric to give me what I want.

“Please,” I beg breathlessly.

Alec laughs again, igniting my boiling blood further with the luscious sound.

“I knew you would be a greedy girl,” he murmurs against my neck before finally,finally, throwing the robe open and exposing my front fully. I gasp at the cool air suddenly skating over my naked flesh, and my nipples tighten into hard peaks. Alec keeps his head buried, breathing deep as he peppers soft kisses across my neck.

“I bet you are drenched for me,” he whispers darkly.

The hot desire between my thighs pools further at his words. I’m unable to find any of my own through my frantic breaths.

Alec lifts slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. He pulls me up with him, an arm wrapped around my shoulders, until I’m sitting up enough to remove the robe completely. He gently slides it down my arms, skimming the heels of his palms over my bare skin. I’m ready to combust by the time he collects the fabric and tosses it over his shoulder unceremoniously.

He stays erect while he pushes me back down, the tips of his fingers pushing against my sternum. When I’m flat on my back, Alec’s eyes stay pinned on my face, drawing out this glorious anticipation just a little longer. Finally, his piercing stare shifts down to rove over my body, soaking in every inch of my blushed skin as he pulls in an audible breath through his nose, expanding his wide chest.

Alec brings one of my hands to his mouth. His eyes shutter closed as he pulls the tips of two fingers between his lips, sucking softly, as if trying to absorb my unique prints into himself.

My chest heaves. Soft, involuntary noises crawl up my throat. Tingling heat builds between my legs while I clench around disappointing nothing,needing him to touch me.