Chapter 24

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Lyric

An hour soaking in the tub gave me plenty of time to think. It had also given my body time to heal the aches and pains from Draven’s idea of “helping” after we ghosted.

The nasty bruise on my shoulder was already fading. As I’d done so many times before, I thanked the gods for inheriting this particular supernatural ability. If I’d had the constitution of a human, my life would have been a painful one.

It also meant I’d never have survived the crossing. Would never have met Draven. Would likely never have experienced this aching desire for anyone.

Somewhere between climbing in and climbing out of the tub, I’d come to a couple of conclusions. One, I was going to give in to this incessant hunger. Sitting in limbo would ultimately drive me crazy—I was crazy enough as it was.

Gregor had suggested I go have an adventure, so that was what I was going to do. I was going to climb the near-seven-foot tall mountain of a male and accept the consequences of doing so.

Second, I wasn’t going to worry about the fallout or the future. I knew I wouldn’t be able to separate my feelings from the physical aspects of being intimate. At this point, it was irrelevant. The lines were already blurred.

What I could do was learn from it. If Draven broke my heart, if I viewed it as a mistake, I could learn from it and never make the same mistake again.

In theory, it would work. It was exactly how I’d been able to achieve so much during my training with Gregor. I never made the same mistake twice. In practice, we’d have to see.

My fallback, my only saving grace, was my faith that the Shadows might view me as a skilled resource. I’d bested two fighters without breaking a sweat. Three, if I counted what happened with Draven.

The materialization of healing magic when the dental-saur was injured only added to the list of Reasons Why Lyric Deserves a Job in the Army. Eventually, I’d learn to control it. I’d be an even bigger asset than I already believed myself to be. I only needed Draven to see me in the same light.

By all accounts, the Shadow Lord was an intelligent leader. No matter what happened between us, he would put me to good use if it was advantageous for his rule.

Decision made, I exited the bathroom and took a load off to rest my body while it finished healing. Draven would come to me. I knew it as sure as I knew I had two eyes and one mouth. All I had to do was wait.

‡ ‡ ‡

I was seated in the plush chair under the window, staring out at the stars, when Draven arrived. Still in my fluffy robe, I hadn’t bothered dressing.

Without knocking, of course, the male opened the door and entered from the sitting room. He came to me shirtless, donning only a pair of faded jeans.

His body was a work of art, all curved angles accentuated by sinewy muscle, covered with bronzed skin. I could finally see the details of his dark tattoo. It coated part of his right arm, shoulder, and neck, winding around to his back.

I could see hints of scales and claws, the tip of what had to be part of a wing. A dragon. Of course it was a dragon. I wanted to trace the ink with my fingers then kiss it to life.

I released my focus on the beast and examined the rest of Draven. Pecs I wanted to nestle. Abs I wanted to lick. I zeroed in on the defined V of his hips, which was tragically cut off by the waistband of his jeans.

My inspection wandered down his long legs to his bare feet. Large and tan, even his feet were sexy. In the end, it was the bare feet that got to me.

Hello, weird fetish.

Draven stalked forward and I forgot how to breathe. I didn’t need to ghost with him in order to be firing on all cylinders. I only needed to be in his presence.

Wordlessly, he stood over me. I didn’t speak. There was nothing to say. He said it all in the way his muscles were flexing, his jaw tightening. Draven was coiled and ready to strike. He just needed the green light.

I dropped my shield and his chest expanded with a deep inhale. One large hand slowly drifted to my face, lightly skimming my cheek. I closed my eyes, listening to the sound of my thundering heart.

His hands went to the armrests, supporting his weight as he lowered himself to his knees. Our energies touched. This time, his soul reached for mine first. Electric heat ripped through my chest. Goosebumps broke out across my flesh.

“Open your eyes, Angel.”

I willingly complied, fixedly watching as he gently parted my legs and inched forward. The robe opened with my thighs. The cool air hitting my sex allowed me to feel just how wet I’d gotten in the few seconds it had taken for him to reach the chair.

Draven never looked down. No, his eyes stayed glued right to mine.

Reaching behind me, he slid his hands between my lower back and the chair. Palming my ass, he pulled me forward until my mound rested on his zipper. I was trembling in anticipation and had to flatten my hands to the cushion to hold myself in place.

Draven undid the tie around my waist. With agonizing deliberateness, he peeled back one side of the robe, hooking it behind my shoulder and sliding it down my arm. His knuckles skimmed my collarbone, then down my chest to the valley between my breasts.

Despite being in unchartered waters, my back arched in blatant offering. I longed to be touched. I was close to begging for it when he slid the other half of my robe away. Only then did his eyes drop.

His irises lit up my skin in the dim room, scorching wherever their glow fell. Both our chests were rising and falling in tandem. There was something a little dirty about being naked before him while the bulge in his jeans was pressed to my center.

Both of Draven’s hands were now on me, sliding up my abdomen, settling on the sides of my ribs. His thumbs brushed across my nipples and I shivered. My core flooded with wet heat.

“If you don’t want this, Lyric, tell me now and I swear I’ll go back to my room.”

“I don’t want you to go.”

His chest rumbled. “I’m going to kiss you now. Once I start, I’m not going to stop. Do you understand?”

I nodded.

“Say it.”

“I understand.”

“You’re mine, Lyric.”

His thumbs swiped against my hardened peaks once more before rubbing circles around them. If I arched any further, I’d be doing a backbend.

“Tell me you know you’re mine,” he commanded.

The corners of my mouth turned down and my shield snapped back into place. Abruptly, I felt my face being palmed by his hands.

“Don’t,” he warned.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t disappear inside your head. Don’t hide from me. When I say you’re mine, I mean it.”

I blinked back the burn in my eyes.

“Lyric.”

“Your what?” I whispered. I’d asked him this before. Was it only yesterday? It felt like forever ago. His answer had infuriated me.

“I don’t understand what you want from me,” I openly admitted. He had no idea what it cost me to be so open.

His lips swept across mine. “Oh, sweet girl. I want everything.”

I wasn’t sure I could give him everything knowing this could be temporary.

“Please don’t make this harder for me than it already is,” I begged. I hated the pathetic plea in my voice. Couldn’t he just fuck me without the vague declarations?

“Angel, I can’t get any harder.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it!” I cried, losing the battle with my susceptible emotions.

“What are you so afraid of?”

My throat constricted, unable to respond. I thought I’d made my decision, but I was having trouble getting around my own fears when faced with the reality of my choice.

I was going to lose my heart to someone I’d known for barely two days. It was dumb. It reeked of desperation.

It was already happening.

A lone tear escaped, streaking down my face. What was wrong with me? Shown a few kindnesses—and one helluva dry-hump session—and I became putty in his hands. I wanted to kick my own ass.

Draven wiped the tear away then licked the path it had taken. Pulling back, he searched my face. I could feel his power touching my weakening shield. I didn’t know if he was able to see past it.

He drew in his energies, sitting back on his heels. My spirit cried, wanting his soul back in its clutches, while my mind waited for him to do something.

Draven took a deep breath before he spoke. “I’ve never allowed a female to stay on this floor. No one, aside from me, has ever been in my bed. In fact, I haven’t been with anyone since the day you flipped me off.”

Holy shit, Batman. Draven had been celibate for a year?

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I’ve never thought of any female as mine,” he continued, “not until you. This isn’t a game to me. This isn’t scratching an itch. I intend to claim you in every way a male can claim a female. I’d planned to give you time to adjust. Now that you’re here, I find I’m incapable of it.”

My heart thumped. Hard.

Draven’s hands reached up to cup my head. “I can see you’re struggling to get your pretty little head around it. I don’t know how to be any clearer. You’re mine. Period. I’ll never let you go, Lyric. Not ever.”

“And if I refuse to be with you in that way?”

“Then I’ll just have to try harder to convince you. I’ll start by confessing I’ve never wanted to keep a female to myself. I’ve shared many.”

Uh, yuck. I could have done without that last part.

“The thought of sharing you, of any other male daring to touch what’s mine, makes me feel … murdery.”

I bit my lip, trying not to smile. Whatever I’d needed, he’d just given it to me. Hell, he had me at murdery. A weight lifted off my chest.

Before I knew what I was doing, I wrapped my arms around his neck and crashed my mouth into his. My soul lunged and we both moaned.

Sliding his arms around my back, he lifted me off the chair and stood. It was a short walk to the bed, where he gently lowered me to the mattress, never breaking our kiss.

Draven rocked his hips and I gasped. The friction from the denim burned so sweetly. He bit my lip then pushed himself up, reaching for his fly.

“Naughty girl. Look what you did.”

I looked down. There was a wet spot spreading on the front of his jeans. I licked my lips, enraptured with the way his fingers popped the button then slowly lowered the zipper.

Pushing the jeans down, his cock sprang free. I saw no sign of underwear. The Shadow Lord was a freeballer.

I had lots of questions about zipper safety. They were quickly shelved once the entirety of his nakedness was exposed.

There was no way that thing was going to fit.

“It will fit,” he assured wickedly, prowling over my body.

“Did I say that out loud?”

“You’re projecting. Even if you weren’t, your face says it all. It’s quite a boost to my ego.”

“Like you need one.”

Draven settled between my legs, his thick erection pressed to my center. His hands found mine, entwining our fingers and lifting them above my head. The marks on my left hand pulsed and his grip tightened.

“The first time tonight, I’m going to go slow.”

“First time?” I squeaked.

His nose slid along mine and his hips rolled causing mine to lift. “Once won’t be enough, Angel. After this, I’m going to restrain you then take you from behind. I’ve thought of little else these past two days.”

I choked a little on a cough. No one had ever spoken to me like this. Telling me what he was going to do, and doing it so crudely, was, well, it was hot as hell.

His hands massaged their way down my arms, to my chest. He shifted enough to kneel, continuing his ministrations. His fingers pressed and squeezed. He lowered his head and pulled my taut nipple into his mouth.

Draven licked and sucked at my stiffened flesh while his hands continued massaging. I was panting, feeling every suckle at my breast right in the heart of me. Minutes passed before Draven mercifully continued his journey south.

Open-mouthed kisses dragged down my stomach while his fingers found and stroked my folds. They explored every inch of my outer sex. Fondling. Inciting. He touched everywhere except for the pinnacle, the place the pressure was most needed.

I whined, growing impatient. His hot breath was getting closer and closer to where I wanted. I was tempted to start begging.

“Tell me Angel, has anyone ever made you come like this?”

“No.”

Mateus had offered to try it once. I wasn’t interested and moved us right along to the intercourse part of our planned evening. Unlike that night, I found I was liking everything about what Draven was doing.

His tongue licked up my seam, pausing on my clit. Then he retreated and blew on it. I bucked, chasing his mouth. Wanting. Needing. Pissed he was teasing me.

“Tell me you’re mine and I’ll make you come with my mouth.”

“Draven,” I panted, muscles flexing as he worked a finger inside me.

“Say it, Lyric. Say it and I’ll give you what you need.”

They were just words, right? In this moment, they were true, so it wasn’t like I’d be lying.

“I’m yours! Please let me—ah!” I wailed, cut off by his mouth’s actions.

Draven’s lips closed over my bundle of nerves, sucking while his tongue flicked rapidly. I flew apart, shouting his name, fisting his hair and holding his head to me as I rode out the waves of pleasure.

Before I finished, Draven disentangled my fingers from his scalp. My walls were still flexing when he climbed atop me and positioned the head of his cock at my slickened entrance.

His mouth took mine once more when his body rolled forward. I could taste myself on his tongue. The act felt wanton and so very scandalous.

I loved everything about it. My pelvis rocked up to meet his unhurried, steady pace. Draven inched inside, pushing leisurely into my snug channel.

“You’re so tight,” he murmured into my mouth.

“I should be,” I gasped when he hit my sweet spot.

Draven froze. “You’re a virgin?”

I blinked, frustrated he’d stopped moving. “What? No, but I’ve only done this once before.”

It was Draven’s turn to blink. “You’ve only had sex one time? You’re half demon.”

Duh, I almost exclaimed. No one was more shocked by my lack of sex drive than I was.

“Do we have to talk about this right now?”

His face relaxed some. Instead of answering he thrusted deep. Draven swallowed my moans, kissing me like he couldn’t get enough of my flavor.

My cries grew louder, more earnest. When his hands slid under my ass and tilted the angle, he went deeper. I held on tight as he slid in and out, just slow enough to keep me on edge.

“Please,” I shamelessly pleaded.

“Please what?”

When I didn’t answer, his blunt teeth bit into my neck. It was just this side of painful. His tongue licked away the sting.

“Say it, Lyric. Ask me to make you come.”

Gods, why was his pompous attitude such a turn on? He started grinding into me, his pelvis pressing against my sensitive nub while his engorged flesh expanded.

I mewled, so close, suspended in sweet agony. Only Draven could put me out of my misery.

“Say it,” he gritted. “Say it and I’ll give it to you.”

“Please make me come!”

Draven plunged harder and faster. His fingers dug into my backside. My nails scored the skin on his shoulders as my legs locked tight around him.

When the first spasms of my release hit, I screamed, every part of my being seized in molten bliss. Draven continued driving into me, possessed, chasing his own release.

I’d just started to come down from my high when he grunted, burying his head in the crook of my neck. Two hard pumps and I felt his entire length pulse, flooding me with his seed.

The thought of it, the feel of his essence, sent me into another wave of euphoria. Our combined contractions heightened the experience, prolonging it.

Finally, his weight collapsed and I hugged him tighter, unwilling to let go. I craved the closeness.

We stayed like that, long enough for the sweat on my skin to cool. Draven nuzzled the side of my face and I sighed contentedly.

Sweetly, he kissed my lips. When he grinned, I replied in kind.

“I’ll never give this up,” he vowed.

Like always when he spoke to me in that voice, my skin flushed. My core involuntarily flexed. Draven’s smile turned wicked, his eyes hooded. He flexed in response and I couldn’t believe he was still hard.

“I like it when you blush, Angel. I can’t wait to see you do it from behind.”

“Wha—”

I never got the word out. Draven had me flipped over and on my knees before I could form a coherent thought.

True to his word, the second time I was taken from behind. It was raw. Hard. Exactly what I imagined fucking was supposed to be.

Draven’s magics rose around the bed, transparent shadows twisting and reaching towards us. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to it feeling like another’s hands were on me.

Energies wrapped around my hands, holding them in place. Spreading across my body, their cool touch made my skin prickle. When they reached my breasts, I was already on edge.

“I’m close,” I confessed, breathlessly, sucking air in and out, winded from the pounding I was taking. It was wild and I couldn’t get enough.

Draven grabbed a fistful of hair, using the shadows to help push me up so my back was flush with his front. His teeth nipped my earlobe, then he was sucking and licking down my neck.

I pushed my ass back into him, trying to keep up with his ceaseless assault. Instead of using his magic, Draven’s fingers found their way to that most perfect spot.

He didn’t tease. Didn’t force me to beg. He pinched my nub and I detonated so hard I saw pinpricks of light behind my eyes.

“Draven!” I cried out, my voice hoarse from all the noises I’d been making.

“Fuck,” he grunted, coming with me.

His thrusts kept coming until we were both spent, falling forward onto the bed. Draven slid out and rolled to the side.

With his hand still in my hair, he jerked my head until he had access to my mouth. His kiss was brief, but hard.

“Come on,” he said, getting off the bed and holding out his hand. When I didn’t reach for it, because, hey, my body parts were jelly, he scooped me up and carried me towards the door.

“Where are we going?”

“You sleep in my bed from now on.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

Alrighty then. Evidently, I was now sleeping in the Blue Room. I buried my face in his chest, smiling so wide I thought my face might crack. Feelings I refused to identify rooted themselves deep within.

Draven threw me on his bed and asked to be invited to the party downstairs. I couldn’t help but snicker. I wondered how long he’d been holding onto that question. I kind of also wondered if he thought I was weird.

When his mouth dropped to my core again, I stopped thinking.