Fires of War (War and Deceit #4) - Erin O'Kane Page 0,128

throat before surging down and melding our lips together in a fierce kiss. Gripping him tighter, I return his kisses with vigour, tracing the crease of his lips with my tongue until he grants me entry.

He pulls back for air and presses his forehead against mine, our eyes meeting. “I could never deny you anything, my heart is yours.”

His words send a bolt of desire straight to my core, and I press my thighs together to relieve some of the pressure building between them, my head falling back with a moan. With a throaty chuckle, Eldrin nuzzles my neck, kissing my pulse point, his hands holding me still as I try to writhe.

“Stay still,” he warns, lifting his head and narrowing his golden eyes at me before getting back to work kissing and nipping my neck. Ignoring his warning, I moan again and press against him, sliding my arms down his neck to his shoulders. He pulls away with a frown, except the corners of his mouth are turned up and mirth shines in his eyes.

Uh-oh.

“What did I say?” Before I have a chance to answer or even realise what’s happening, we’re moving. Blinking, I glance up at Eldrin and see he’s spun us around. My back is now pressed against a tree, and Eldrin has both of my arms pinned above my head with a single hand. He leans over me, smirking. “That’s better,” he drawls, his eyes taking me in like I’m his next meal.

I should feel offended, rip my arms from his grip, and push him away. I don’t follow orders from him. A mate deserves to be wooed romantically, not pinned and fucked against a tree. Then why am I so turned on?

Leaning in with that infuriating smirk, he presses his lips to mine once more, placing his free hand on the base of my jaw so he can angle my face as he deepens the kiss. His hand is so large, his fingers span the length of my jaw and across my neck. My pulse pounds furiously under his fingers, and I don’t know what it is about being in this position, but it has moisture pooling between my legs. Having someone’s hand on my neck, letting them be in control of me and order me around would usually be enough to trigger me, but this is Eldrin. With a low purr, he undoes the clasp of my cloak and rubs his face against mine like I’ve seen cats do, his eyes sparkling as he pulls back to look at my expression. Whatever he sees there has him grinning.

Dragging his hand down my throat to the valley of my breasts, he deftly unlaces the bodice of my dress. I want to ask how he’s able to do that so well one handed, but I find myself breathless, so I give up. Now that the bodice is suitably loosened, he opens the front of my dress and pulls away the modesty panel to free my breasts. The beauty of having a front opening dress like this is he doesn’t have to release my hands from where they’re fixed above my head. His eyes drop to my chest, roving over my quickly hardening nipples, but his expression changes when he sees my waist. My scar. I stiffen, pulling at his hand, instinctively moving to cover up. I may be okay with having another scar on my body, but having someone see it is another issue.

“Stop.” His voice is softer than I would have expected, and it breaks through my discomfort enough for me to do as he says and meet his gaze. I’m anticipating to see sympathy, but what I actually see is anger. Not at me, but at the person who did this to me. “I’m going to let go of your hands, but I want them to stay where they are,” he orders in a low voice, his eyes daring me to challenge him. “If you lower them, I might be forced to bind them during our joining. Then I can have my way with you,” he continues in a whisper when I raise my eyebrow at him. I won’t admit that his dirty words fill my mind with images that make my knees weak, but from the twitch of his lips, I’m sure he can smell my arousal. He waits for my response, and I bite down on my lip, his gaze zeroing in on the action, watching me closely until I nod my