The Brightest Night (Origin #3) - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,26

hand a brand against the bare skin of my stomach.

“You’re in my head again.” I barely recognized my own voice.

“I am.” No shame. “And it’s not the only thing I want to be inside of.”

My entire body flushed at the boldness of his words. “Shocker,” I managed to whisper as his hand skated up my ribs, over the thin cups of my bra. The material did nothing to shield my skin from the heat of his hand.

His mouth returned to mine. “You want the same thing.”

It wasn’t a question. It didn’t need to be. I did. I wanted the same so badly it was almost painful, but this …

This was Luc, but it also wasn’t.

He kissed me then like he was staking a claim, like he never had the luxury of doing so before, and I was thoroughly claimed.

Things spun a little out of control as the intense glow that consumed Luc pulsed and flared, creating flickering shadows along the bed and the wall. His shirt came off, and his hair felt like strands of flames between my fingers as he kissed his way down my body, over clothing and then against skin.

How my pants and shirt came off had to be due to some nifty ability of Luc’s, because I was completely unaware of it happening until I felt inches of heated, bare skin tangling with mine. The bra I was completely present for, because his fingers and then his lips chased the straps down my arms, and when it fell to the bed and clothing no longer provided a barrier between me and his hands, his mouth, I felt like I couldn’t breathe past the way my pulse pounded all over my body. Our hands were everywhere, and I knew where this was heading. The intent was heavy in the air, a tangible third entity, and when I pushed at the last clothing Luc wore, I did so without really thinking. I just wanted to feel—to feel him, to relish in these precious, stolen moments while everything beyond us felt like it was on the brink of falling apart. We had no idea what was going to happen from hour to hour, and I just wanted the beauty of this, of him, of us together, and there wasn’t a single thing wrong with that.

For one thing.

Our first time together should be ours, and not Luc’s, mine, and whatever it was he’d pulled out of me.

Luc drew his mouth from mine in a slow, savoring kiss. “Evie?”

Opening my eyes, I saw that the radiance of power around Luc had faded just enough that I could make out the diamond brightness of his pupils. He was staring down at me, unblinking, his gaze familiar and yet not.

I placed one trembling finger against his shining cheek. “I want you. I want this,” I whispered, and Luc shook. The Source flared brightly. “But not like this.”

He was still for only a moment. “Not like this,” he agreed, touching my chin. The Source crackled softly, spreading across my cheek. “You know what, though?”

“What?”

He dropped his hand to my hip. “There’s a whole lot of stuff we can do instead.”

My stomach dipped in the most exquisite way. We’d done other things, and I really liked those things. So did Luc. “Yes.” The corners of my lips started to tip up. “There is.”

Luc kissed me, and then, with one unbelievably quick move, I was half on my belly, half on my side, and the long, almost burning length of Luc was pressed to my back a heartbeat later.

Surprised by the sudden move, I let out a stunned laugh. “That was impressive.”

“I know.” The wet warmth of his mouth touched my shoulder.

I bit back a moan. “And here I thought you couldn’t get any more arrogant.”

“Is it arrogance if it’s the truth?”

“Yes.”

“Disagree.” Stretching over me, his hand splayed over mine where it rested on the bed, the glow of the Source turning my own flesh iridescent, and as his fingers slid up my arm, sparks drenched my skin. “And you already know.”

“Know what?” I tipped my head back against his chest, biting down on my lip as his hand roamed more freely.

“I’m always right.”

My laugh ended in a sound that scorched my cheeks, but I got payback when I tipped my hips back, and he let out a ragged groan that sounded part curse. All laughter died within the next couple of seconds, because I simply didn’t have the air in my lungs to do so.

His