The Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood #13) - J. R. Ward Page 0,123

thighs, he dropped his head to one of her nipples, sucking her in, nursing at her, his dark head contrasting with her paler skin. Letting her head fall back, she gave him the access he wanted, spreading her knees even further.

The sound he made was all male animal, and the hold he sank into her hips was rough as he jerked her forward.

“Gimme,” he demanded. There was a quick zip! as he released himself, and then that growl was back. “All night. Thought about this all night.”

He pushed into her with a thrust of his hips, and she grabbed onto his wrists, arching up again. With hard drives, he let himself go and she took everything he gave her, a powerful release gathering momentum immediately. So hot, so wild … the culmination of the thoughtful dinner, the crazy ride home, the constant anticipation she’d had when she was around him.

Dragging him back down to her mouth, she clung to the power of him, seeking his lips and sucking his tongue inside of her until the rhythm of penetrations below made that impossible. Faster, harder, and then the orgasm hit her.

And it was just like careening through those panes of glass, a gathering speed and then a spectacular shattering.

Except it was her body coming apart.

In a wonderful way.

Just as she was beginning to float down, she found his wrist at her lips. “Take from me,” he grunted. “I want to feel your teeth in my flesh.”

Instantly, the heat rose again and she pushed his arm out of the way. As her fangs descended in a rush, she hissed and struck the side of his throat, right at the thick vein that ran up from his heart.

Trez cried out her name and clasped her to him, tilting his head and encouraging her to take more, take everything she needed—as his hips locked against her, his erection jerking as he came deep inside her body.

His release called another out of her, taking her to the edge again.

And all the while, she’d never felt safer or more loved.

THIRTY-NINE

As the cell door shut tightly behind him and maichen, iAm yanked the headdress off and tossed it. “Let her go.”

s’Ex shifted his powerful legs off the bedding platform and got to his feet. “Do you know what my biggest failing is? I don’t take orders well.”

“She’s not part of this. It’s between you and me.”

“Yeah, see, you’re still getting it wrong. You and I are actually just bit players in the real drama, but that’s beside the point.”

The executioner walked forward, and iAm put his hands out, shielding maichen. “Stop.”

“Or what.”

“I’m going to kill you.”

s’Ex halted right in front of him and stared down his nose. “Really.”

“Yes.” iAm curled his hands into fists and felt his fangs drop down. “If it’s a question of you or her walking out of here alive, I will guarantee that she will be the one still on her feet when the door opens. And I don’t care if I die in the process.”

s’Ex frowned and glanced at the maid. Addressing her, he said, “Wrong brother. You know that, right?”

iAm leaned to the side and blocked the eye contact. “So are we doing this?”

“You’d be a fool to fight me. Considering I came to get you out of here.”

iAm refused to be distracted. “Are you throwing the first punch or am I.”

“Did you hear what I said? I came here to take you to the fucking library—but I’m assuming that’s where you two are coming back from? Or are we swinging by there on the way to the exit.”

In the silence that followed, iAm ran the executioner’s words back and forth, checking the syllables for meaning. Then he frowned. “I don’t get it.”

“If you don’t mind, we need to do this now, because I have to be back at court in about twenty minutes.”

What the fuck was this, iAm wondered.

s’Ex rolled his eyes. “I told you I’d get you in and out, didn’t I?”

“You put me in here! You had me hit on the head—”

“No, asshole. One of my guards did that. I’ve been working behind the scenes to try and get you free—you’re not supposed to be in this goddamn cell. That wasn’t our agreement.”

Blink.

“We have been to the library,” maichen interjected. “We were unsuccessful. And I’m coming as well. I want to be sure he makes it out alive.”

s’Ex and iAm both looked at her and barked, “No.”

“See?” the executioner said as he walked around them to the door.