Lord of the Abyss - By Nalini Singh Page 0,53

hall in the Black Castle. He was naked, and that told him what had happened before he ever saw the fractured table, the splintered chairs. However, that wasn't the most interesting thing about this waking.

He wasn't alone.

Always before, he'd been alone. The day servants scattered at the first sign of the curse, while Bard and Jissa had strict instructions to bar their doors and keep their distance until he was a man once more. But today, he woke curled around a female body that had the most intriguing curves. Especially down where her bottom snuggled so prettily against the hardness of him.

He rubbed against her because it felt good. When she murmured but didn't move away, he smiled and spread his fingers on her abdomen, holding her to him as he slid his thigh up between the silky skin of her own legs, pushing up the dress as he went. It would be better, he thought, if she was naked, too, but the stone floor was cold. Liliana wouldn't enjoy that.

Her name was dawnlight in his mind, a signal that he was no longer lost. "Lily," he said, rubbing against her again. "Wake up, Lily."

"Mmm." A husky sound that delighted him, pleased him. "Micah?" She tried to turn onto her back, was stopped by his embrace. "Micah." Shock colored her tone this time, her thighs squeezing down on the one he'd insinuated in between.

Kissing her neck, he moved his free hand up to cup her breast. "You're so soft, Lily. I wonder what it'd feel like if I lay on top of you."

Her skin grew hot under his lips, her hand rising to grip the wrist of the hand on her breast. "We have to get up. The others could come in."

Ignoring the husky order, he ran his thumb over her nipple through the material of the green dress he'd brought her. She tried to pull away. He growled low in his throat, held her to him. "Mine."

"You're no longer the beast, Micah." Her hand tightened on his wrist. "Don't try to trick me."

Laughing, he played his thumb over her nipple again. "You like this, Lily. I can feel your dampness against my thigh." He pressed that thigh harder against her. "My mouth waters - I think I want to taste you there."
Chapter 17
A squeak escaped Liliana's mouth. Biting down on it, she tugged away that teasing hand and scrambled up into a sitting position, surprised at her success. Then she turned...and felt every bit of air leave her body.

Micah was naked.

And he was the most sensual creature she had ever seen - all tumbled hair of golden light, eyes of slumberous winter-green and a jutting arousal he fisted without shame. Her own hand flexed and she almost whimpered when he released himself to stand.

Snap out of it, Liliana.

Rising after him on the strength of the command issued by some small sensible part of herself, she tried to find the rest of her rational mind as he closed the distance between them to circle her like the beast he'd been not long ago.

She shivered when he stopped behind her, put his hands on her hips and squeezed. "Mmm." A deep, rumbling sound as he -

"What are you doing?"

Ignoring her attempt at pushing away his hands, he continued to raise the skirts of her dress. The air was cool against her calves, the backs of her knees, moving ever higher. "Micah, we must stop," she said, but it came out holding not the least bit of certainty.

"Why?" Kisses on her neck, wet and open and involving licks that made her melt from the inside out.

"It's not d-decent." The air had reached her thighs now. "We're in the great hall."

Continuing with his sinful game, Micah made no response, not until he said, "You aren't wearing underthings."

Red filling her cheeks, she went to tug away but he braceleted her waist with one muscular arm. "They're drying," she admitted.

"I'll find them and throw them away," he told her, biting her ear. "I like this." Then he pressed his hotly aroused body against her bare curves.

She shuddered at the shock of feeling that hard ridge of flesh nestled so intimately against her, but Micah snarled in frustration. "You're too short for this."

Not sure what to say to that, she'd barely opened her mouth when he swung her up in his arms and made his way to a chair lying on its side, beside the table. Putting her down, he set it upright. Liliana's befuddled brain