Aeromancist The Beginning (Second Edition) - Charmaine Pauls Page 0,27
and placed them on his shoulders.
“Katherine.”
When she didn’t look at him, he repeated her name. She raised her head, battling to focus on him, on anything other than the release building inside her.
“I want to hear you say my name,” he said.
“Ah.” He was pushing her toward the edge, but too slowly. Why was he backing down? Why had he stopped moving?
“Katherine, can you do that for me?”
She blinked.
“Say my name, krasavitsa.”
Taking a shuddering breath, she said, “Lann.”
It came out as a whisper, but it pleased him, because he started moving again, not slowly, but hard, taking her with a force that had her, this time, screaming his name. He slammed up and at the same time forced her body down. She broke, came for him, and spent her passion as her inner muscles clenched and spasmed while he clung to her in turn, emptying himself deep inside her body.
It took a while to find her breath, and while she did, he held her in his arms with her cheek pressed against his neck. His hair fell around her face. She burrowed herself in his warmth and his scent, basking in the afterglow of her orgasm.
When both their bodies were relaxed, he kissed the top of her head, and lifted her to her feet. Picking up the shreds of her panties, he dropped them in the trashcan.
“There’s a bathroom in there if you need to freshen up.” He pointed at a door off to the side.
She looked down at her crumpled dress. Under it, his release trickled down her thighs. It felt personal. Intimate. She liked it.
“How are you doing?” he asked with a frown while zipping himself up. “Did I take you too hard?”
“No.” She bit her lip. “That was perfect.”
His frown didn’t fade when she went to the bathroom and closed the door.
When she returned after freshening up, Lann stood in front of the window, his gaze pensive.
He offered her a smile, but his demeanor was back to being formal. “I’ve asked Alfonso to set you up in the library. I’ll be working there for most of the day, and I want you close.”
His words warmed her heart, but his eyes seemed cold and far away.
“I need another shower,” she said, aiming for humor with a smile. “I’ll see you downstairs, I guess.”
She was already by the door when he said, “Don’t shower, and leave off the underwear.”
She turned in the frame. “What?”
“I prefer you just as you are.” His gaze darted down to her thighs. “With my mark on you.” When his eyes met hers again, they held a challenge. “Can you do that, krasavitsa?”
“Of course.” A little baffled by the request, she shrugged. “If that’s what turns you on.”
“Good.”
She could’ve sworn there was a purr in his words. She slipped out of his office and went downstairs.
Alfonso waited for her at the bottom of the staircase. He showed her a desk installed at the back of the library, facing Lann’s, that was set with a pot of Juan Valdez coffee and a croissant.
“Thank you,” Kat said, looking at the pastry, “but I don’t really eat breakfast.”
“Sir’s command, Miss. If you prefer something different, you just have to say.”
She said nothing at that, and the butler left. If Martina and the others wondered why she was there, they didn’t ask. They greeted each other briefly, and then Kat started to work in earnest.
The assistants gathered a pile of books Martina had set aside and left for the workshop. When there were only the two of them in the room, Martina said, “Are you working for Lann, Kat?”
“Um, no. I’m working on my thesis.”
“Oh.” Martina didn’t seem content with Kat’s evasive answer, but she didn’t press the issue.
For the next two hours, Kat worked in silence. She made good progress and was happy with her effort. She was just about to take a break when the door opened and Lann entered. She rubbed the sore muscles of her neck, stiff from typing on her laptop, and flashed him a smile. His face was expressionless, so when he walked over and massaged her shoulders, the thoughtful act caught her off guard. Groaning, she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Martina was regarding them curiously.
“Working hard?” he asked with a smile in his voice.
“I need to. I’m behind my deadline. I have to hand in the next few pages of this chapter by the end of the week.”
His hair tickled her shoulder as he leaned over her and