The Fae King's Dream (Between Dawn and Dusk #2) - Jamie Schlosser Page 0,53

up his bare chest, and I like the way it makes him quiver.

“Of course.” His breath hitches when I graze one of his nipples. “What do you need from me?”

“First? Payment.”

“How many kisses will it cost me?”

“Twenty.”

“That’s all? You need to raise your prices.”

When he starts to close the distance, I think he’s going to go for my chin or my lips like he always does. Instead, he begins with my collarbone, slowly traveling to the hollow of my throat. I gasp when he licks me there.

Needing something to hold onto, my fingers tangle in his hair as he works his way up to my ear. I’m keeping track of every kiss. Counting them. Savoring them.

Eleven, twelve, thirteen.

His teeth scrape against my jaw, and he peppers it with sensual pecks as he gets closer to where I need him.

Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen.

I’m glad he saves the last three for my mouth. Our lips fuse together, and we don’t break contact as one kiss rolls into the next. Deep and slow. Warm and wet.

We’re both panting when he breaks away. My craving for him has reached a tipping point. Every cell in my body wants him. Instincts I didn’t even know I had are shouting at me to keep going. To undo his pants. To slide my underwear to the side and feel him press into me.

“You’re right.” I laugh, feeling drunk from him. “I should’ve asked for more.”

“There’s always more.” Poking my chin, he smirks. “But right now, you owe me.”

“All right. What’s your birthday? I’ll tell you about your astrological sign.”

“I don’t know the exact date.” His lips twist to the side. “Sometime in June.”

“You don’t know your own birthday?”

He shakes his head. “Most fae don’t. It doesn’t have the same significance here. It would be ridiculous for everyone to celebrate a day for themselves thousands of times. I’m not that extra.”

There’s still a lot for me to learn about Damon, but I highly doubt the validity of his last claim. The guy’s got a flair for drama.

“Okay, let me see your palm.” My skin tingles when I cradle his hand in mine, and I study all the callouses and grooves. “This is your love line.” As I trace the crease, I lean forward until my mouth is right by his ear. In the most serious voice I can muster, I whisper, “It says you’re going to get laid very, very soon.”

He barks out a laugh and a sexy growl rumbles in his throat as he grabs my hips. “How soon?”

I slide a glance at the guards in the nearest tower. It’s at least a football field away, but we’re in plain view. There’s no way I’m getting down and dirty out here in the open, even if they are trying their best to ignore us. It’s bad enough that my dress is hiked up around my thighs and we’re practically humping each other.

I’m about to suggest we go to our room for the night, but a yawn comes out of my mouth instead.

All of a sudden, a wave of fatigue hits me. Not just regular tiredness—it’s extreme exhaustion. The kind you feel in your bones.

My eyes droop, my limbs get heavy, and I sway to the side.

“Whoa, there.” Anchoring me with his strong grip, Damon keeps me from toppling to the floor. Heavy-lidded, he yawns, too.

“Are you using your sleepy powers on me?” I ask, wondering if he ever does it by accident. I could seriously doze off right now. In fact, I’m having trouble keeping my eyes open. “Or do you think I’m still recovering from the accident?”

“No. I’m tired, too.” Damon looks a little concerned as he tucks some of my hair behind my ear. “It’s weird, because I’m usually able to stay up for days at a time if I have to.”

“Traveling must’ve taken it out of us.” Fighting off another yawn, I lay my head on his shoulder. “Sorry about our date. Rain check?”

Grunting out an agreement, Damon stands and makes sure my dress and cloak are back in place. Sliding his arms under my shoulders and knees, he picks me up.

As if I wasn’t already tired enough, the rocking motion of being carried lulls me to sleep, and I’m zonked out before we even reach our room.

Whitley

Persistent dinging makes its way into my sleep, disturbing the dreamless peace I’ve found. It sounds like the dinner bell, but louder.

Frantic, almost.

An alarm.

My eyes fly open, and I glance around the plain room. It takes me a