Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 121854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Smoke yawned just then, displaying sharp feline teeth, then jumped out of Aodhan’s arms to pad into the bedroom. “She’s probably on the bed again.” Illium bit down on his lower lip. “I did promise.”
Grabbing the side of his neck, Aodhan drew him close enough to kiss. “We’re both too tired to read that book tonight, but I’ll give you a shoulder massage.”
Illium stole another kiss on the way to the bedroom. This time to the line of that stubborn jaw. Their wings tangled, biceps pressed together. “Have I mentioned that you’re hot when you’re angry?”
“I’ll have to remember that.” Aodhan smiled.
It was a punch right to Illium’s heart, his entire being melting in ways that should’ve probably concerned him. But he was too drunk on Adi to care.
Smoke had indeed curled up in the center of the bed like the queen of the castle. Leaving her there, Illium took off the top of his leathers but tugged on a simple white tee straight after.
“It’ll be uncomfortable for you,” Aodhan murmured, nodding at Illium’s leather pants.
Illium was about to say it didn’t matter when he realized it did to Aodhan. “Wait a minute. I think I have…” Digging through his clothes, he held up a pair of pajama pants in pale green with chirping bluebirds on them. “Janvier’s gag gift finally has its day.”
Grooves around Aodhan’s mouth, that deep smile one Illium had missed for an eon. “You’re adorable.”
Illium felt his own cheeks heat up. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to handle compliments, but that this was Aodhan saying those words, looking at him in a way that did dangerous things to his self-control. No shields, no distance, just unadulterated want and a love that was a thing of warrior possessiveness.
His heart kicked.
Breathing shallow, he ducked into the attached bathroom to change even though they’d been naked around each other more than once in the way of warriors stripping off after a battle to bathe. Things had changed. They looked at each other with lovers eyes now, and tonight, this, was about comfort—not only of the body, but of the soul.
When he returned, it was to a room bathed in the soft glow of a small bedside lamp. Aodhan had activated the blinds, cocooning them in warm privacy.
Illium’s Adi, his skin and hair ashine but not harsh in their glitter in this light, had taken off his shoes, but kept on the linen pants he’d worn to the party.
He already sat on the bed, his back to the headboard, one knee raised, the other stretched straight out, and his hand on a dozing Smoke. Illium, skin hot and body wanting to react in ways that weren’t right for this moment, held his breath as he settled himself with his back to Aodhan’s chest.
Smoke’s head poked up.
Chuckling past the desire that choked his throat, he picked her up to cradle her against his chest. “Is this all right?” he asked Aodhan. “How I’m sitting against you?”
Aodhan’s answer was a firm stroke of the arch of Illium’s left wing. Having not expected the intimate touch, a touch that went straight to his cock, Illium jerked up, disturbing Smoke—who flounced off to curl up in her well-lined and plush basket with her back to them. “Adi.” It came out a croak. “That wasn’t the plan.”
“You know what I just figured out?” Aodhan murmured against his ear, his hand gripping Illium’s other wing arch. “I have no problem when I’m the one doing the touching.” Another firm stroke on that part of a wing that was only ever to be touched by healers—or lovers.
Illium’s body grew rigid, his pulse a drum as his back arched into the muscled heat of Aodhan, warrior artist and blood-friend who’d refused to let Illium walk into battle alone.
That was when he felt it.
A thick, dark heat against his lower back, the two of them separated only by linen and soft cotton.
The realization that Aodhan wanted him as badly made his toes curl, his abdomen clench.
But Aodhan didn’t continue the caresses, instead nuzzling Illium. “Blue-mine, this won’t be about you giving to me. I forbid it.”
“First of all, you can’t forbid me to do anything. Even if you just called me ‘mine’ in that deep voice and scrambled my brain. And secondly,” Illium rasped through a dry throat, “why is it so sexy that you’re forbidding me to do something in bed?”
Aodhan ran a finger down Illium’s throat. “Because you’re a contrarian.” His voice was a low hum against Illium’s body. “I want this to be give-and-take. That means I give of my body as you give of yours.”
Illium groaned. Whatever fears he had, they had nothing to do with his physical attraction to Aodhan. “You’re going to be responsible for my sad and very aroused demise.”
A chuckle…followed by a suckling kiss of his throat that made Illium’s body harden to near pain. “Adi.”