Page 65 of Unraveled (A Kingdom of Beasts and Ruins #1)

Ash’s breath is hot against my skin, a stark contrast to the unyielding cold stone at my back.

His hands roam from my waist, grazing my ribs, before he cups one of my breasts.

A shiver runs down my spine, and I scrunch the collar of his white shirt with one hand, lifting to my tiptoes so I can get more of him.

“Better,” he growls softly, his lips trailing a path from the hollow of my throat to the sensitive flesh in the crook of my neck. “You’re driving me crazy.” His voice shakes with the intensity of his desire, and my core flutters in response.

With his front pressed to mine, the hard edge of his cock digs into my stomach. He nips at my collarbone before slipping a hand lower, lifting the layers of my dress to expose my legs to the night’s air.

His taunting goes unheeded, as if the very notion of being caught only adds to the thrill of tonight. He meets my gaze, and mischief flickers in those golden eyes, right before he kneels in front of me. He pulls my skirt up and leans in to plant a kiss on the sensitive skin of my thigh.

“Ash—?” My voice is a plea, half warning, half wanting more. “We’re still... in the hallway.”

His low chuckle vibrates against my skin, and when he lifts his head, his lids are heavy with desire.

The words I don’t care , come through my mind even though he doesn’t say them out loud. “Then you better be quiet.”

My blood boils, and he trails his tongue closer to my throbbing heat.

I’m shivering with need as he gets closer and closer to where I want him, and I gasp as his mouth finds the bundle of nerves at the apex of my thighs.

He pulls the lace of my undergarment aside and traces his tongue over my sensitive flesh.

Pleasure travels through me. Grasping his hair, I try to stifle a moan, but I don’t think I succeed.

I hold him in place as his tongue slides inside me, and I tremble where I stand, trying to not move for fear he’ll stop or I’ll call attention to what we’re doing.

His fingers glide to my entrance, and he pushes one into me, his lazy movements feeding the flame building inside me but not quite pushing me over the edge. I arch my back as he pushes a second finger into me and pumps faster, curling them to find the spot inside me that drives me insane.

“Please,” I say, and he sucks my clit into his mouth. I buck against it, a moan leaving my lips as an orgasm takes me by surprise.

I writhe against his face, chasing the last waves of pleasure taking my body. Even my fingers can’t keep holding my dress up like I’ve been doing thus far.

He stands and leans in close to whisper in my ear, “You riding my face is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

He scoops me into his arms, and we leave our hiding spot in search of a more private place where we can finish what we just started.

His study is cloaked in darkness, save for the red moonlight that slips through the window.

The door closes behind us with a loud crash, and I barely notice the traces of golden magic on the door and walls. A spell to keep everyone out.

My insides quiver with anticipation for what’s coming. Ash sets me on his new wooden desk, and something falls to the ground, shattering on the marble floor.

My cotton dress felt breathable in the humid heat of midsummer, but as he unties the bows over my shoulders and pushes the fabric down to reveal my breast, he has to peel it from my skin.

His face turns dark with hunger for me, for us, and when he speaks there’s a touch of reverence in his words. “You are so beautiful, Mia.”

He sheds his shirt before closing the distance between us with a hungry kiss.

I close my eyes, drinking in every stroke of his tongue and how he feels pressed against my bare skin.

Reaching for the top of his trousers, I undo the ties at his narrow waist and wrap my legs around him, bringing him closer until I feel him at my entrance. I need so much more of him.

I slide my hands over the smooth surface of his chest and up to the beginnings of feathers by his neck. Gods, I love him in all his forms. I love his beastly form and his breathtaking fae beauty. I love him when he’s mischievous and when he’s vulnerable and sweet. “I love you, Ash.”

He pulls back slightly to meet my gaze, and there is a softness in his sharp features only I get to see. My heart swells with happiness when he drops a gentle kiss to my lips. “And I love you, Monster.”

He grins, and my breath catches in my throat. Emotions overwhelm me as he presses slowly inside, stretching and filling me whole. I groan, holding tight to his wide shoulders as he thrusts in a maddening rhythm that sets my blood on fire and makes my insides tingle.

His lips travel away from my own to skim over my jaw and neck, his breath leaving a trail of goose bumps across my skin. “Touch yourself, Mia. I want to feel you come around my cock.”

Those wicked words make my core tighten around him, and I obey without a question in my mind, immediately finding the sensitive spot between my legs, right above where he enters me.

The pleasure intensifies as I circle my clit with my fingers, matching his pace and closing my eyes so I can feel everything .

My second orgasm barrels into me, hard, stealing a moan from my mouth. I didn’t allow myself to be loud back in the hall, but right now, alone in this place, I let myself be free. Ash groans, quickening his pace as he moves inside me, dragging out the waves of pleasure taking over my body.

He stares into my eyes when he pushes deeper, his pace becoming erratic as he chases his release.

I cradle his face with both hands and bring his lips to mine, kissing him right before he sucks in a deep breath and comes inside me.

His movements slow, and we’re left breathing heavily while I wait for my heart to stop trying to escape my body.

“Become my queen, Mia.”

It’s not the first time he’s whispered those words to me, but this time they don’t send fear coursing through my veins.

But I still enjoy teasing him too much when I can. “Maybe one day I will, but not yet.”

He pulls back enough to drink in my messy, sweaty state. His side smile spikes my heart rate so it’s once again beating too fast. “You’re a wicked little human.”

“Only for you.”

Living with the fae these last few months has settled my nerves.

I know there’s a lot to rebuild in his kingdom—my kingdom as well?

—and that the strix are still out there, plotting their revenge.

But my being a hybrid who may—will—become the queen of the unseelie will send a message that change can be possible through love, not war. That we can live together in peace.

That humans don’t need veils to keep those they love safe, and that the Wild Hunt can happen without the fae taking tributes for sport. Things can change, and Ash and I represent that.

Because, against all odds, I fell for the fae king—and he fell for me.

The End