A soft curse escaped his lips. Strained muscles twitched as he waited. Teasing me. Feeling me. And so I reciprocated. Gliding my fingers down the chiseled contours of his chest, I explored every line and dip. The trim cut of his waist, the hard expanse of his back. The man was cut from diamonds, and I wanted him to be mine.
Noc growled, thrusting once, hard, inside me and moving his free hand to my breast. Delicious fire erupted between my thighs, and I gasped, releasing his neck and pressing my head against the sheets.
A purely devilish grin claimed his lips. He thrust again. “Enjoying yourself?”
I tried to move beneath him, to stoke the growing ache in my belly. “Not if you don’t keep going.”
“If you insist.” He punctuated his words with another deep thrust, and stars danced in the space between us. But he was still so slow. So controlled. So torturous. Dipping his head to my chest, he snared my nipple between his teeth. Sucking and pulling, he worried the pink flesh, and the brewing need inside wrecked me entirely.
I whimpered. “Gods, Noc.”
The last bit of restraint in his muscles seemed to dissipate with his name, and he traded my breast for my mouth. Matching his frenzied thrusts, I rocked against him. A fever crawled through my veins, and I locked his lips with mine.
Something inside me fractured, and my climax struck with the force of a Laharock blow. Body curling around him, I clung to his back and pulled him deep. His name was a breathless moan of ecstasy, and Noc cursed as his own climax joined mine. We shattered together, lost in a sweat-slicked embrace and heady moans. With the truth out, there was something almost surreal about the sudden intensity between us. The raw emotions flaring beneath our embrace. We were connected. And as dangerous as that might have been, I couldn’t ignore the small voice begging me for something more tangible. Concrete. Lasting.
Our foreheads bent together, I ran my hand along his chest until I felt the erratic beat of his heart against my fingers. It was a cadence I never wanted to forget. Gently, he rolled off me, but one hand remained on my stomach, fingers dragging in a soft circle.
For a while, neither of us spoke. His embrace was warm. Soothing. I didn’t want to risk breaking our silence. I was too afraid I’d accidentally slip up and say something that could trigger his curse. Instead, I turned on my side and tucked my head against his shoulder. Shivered when his fingers moved to my back, kneading tiny circles against tense muscles.
A small cough eked from my throat. Noc’s hand froze. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just need some water.” Slipping out of his arms, I made my way to the bathroom. I turned the faucet and cupped my hands beneath the water. Refilled them twice.
Noc filed in behind me, shoulders stiff and gaze stricken. “Was there blood?”
I frowned. “What? Blood? No. I just had something in my throat.”
Leaning forward, he pinned my chin between his fingers and angled my face toward the light. Brushed a cautious thumb along the underside of my eye. Powder smeared, revealing the dark bruises I’d been trying to hide, and he hissed.
“How long?”
The look in his eyes rattled my foundation. “How long, what? You’re not making any sense—”
“Have your lips cracked, too? Or did you find a way to hide that as well?”
I strode past him into the bedroom. “So what? Kost packed nemla salve with my makeup. It works wonders on chapped lips. My skin just isn’t used to this weather—it’s not a big deal.”
“Gods dammit, Leena. You’re dying.” Panic filled his eyes before his expression flipped into a hard-set grimace. “I’ve seen this before. I can stop it. But you need to get out. Now.” Turning his back to me, he slipped on his drawers.
I barked out a shallow laugh. “You’re joking, right?”
Silence bred unease, and then Noc spoke. “Leave. Now.”
Anger flared deep in my bones. “Now I know you’re joking. I’m not leaving, not until you tell me what the hell is going on.” I grabbed my dress, slipped it on. He never met my gaze.
“It’s for your own good. Please, get out of my room.”
I took a step toward him and reached for his hand. The cool bite of his ring sent shivers across my heated skin. “You’re serious. You really want me to leave.”