Chapter 51 I asked you nicely
BRYNNE
Soma’s pulse pounds beneath my mouth, and her chest heaves against mine in a frantic rhythm. I can feel the heat of her through her clothes, the way her muscles tighten as my hands roam, gripping, groping, and finding every place that makes her gasp. Even if I want to, I can’t stop.
Soma pushes weakly, but her every tremble convinces me she’s fire hidden in flesh, the key to my flame.
“Your Highness,” she breathes against my lips.
Her whisper stokes the flame. It flares in my veins, and I push harder, dragging my hand over her chest to caress those eager nipples. She gasps and arches, her body betraying her in ways her lips never will.
That betrayal is gasoline, and I burn.
My mouth trails from her lips to her jaw, then her throat, teeth scraping skin I know will mark. When she tries to push again, I take her wrists, pinning them high above her head against the mirror. Her thighs part, her breath coming fast and shallow. The rich scent of her arousal reaches me, driving me into a maddening frenzy.
The little control I have dissipates. My hand slips lower, and my fingers slide where they shouldn’t be. She’s wearing panties today. Too bad they can’t stop me. I bulldoze past the last barrier, propelling them into her heat, and she whimpers, thighs pressing shut. It’s too late because I’m already there. I push again, feeling the wetness that betrays her no matter how fiercely she says no. It’s a slick proof that her body and soul do not obey the same master.
Curling my fingers within me, I stroke softly, just enough to satisfy her. She whimpers, her lip caught between her teeth as I slide in and out of her. Her walls clench around me like they want me there permanently. She’s so wet that my knuckles are soaked within seconds.
When I tug on her swollen clit, massaging it while still moving deep inside her, she lets out a soft cry, catching herself before the sound bursts out fully.
Still so naughty. Still so stubborn.
Her shudder rips through me as she falls over the edge, her orgasm crashing over her. My cock throbs, painfully close to spilling my seed in my pants.
Triumph, fury, and desire collide at once within my chest as I watch her try to stop her release. It’s late. The deed is done. Her lips might deny me, but her body will never. It always succumbs under my touch.
My flame roars higher, desperate to break free.
The fire surges, and the heat builds. It’s almost there. I can feel it searing and trying to break against the barrier that’s kept me chained my entire life.
It’s so close. It’s coming.
Eyes shut, I suck my fingers into her mouth, and James howls. Her taste has him demanding more. His growl and her proximity fuel each other, causing my chest to rumble. I wait for a spark, but the connection snaps, and my eyes fly open.
Emptiness engulfs the spot where the fire once pulsed. The sudden absence cuts deeper than any blade. My grip loosens, and Soma shoves me. I stagger backward, chest heaving, and lips wet from her taste.
We stand there, both of us panting. Her lips are swollen, her hair wild, and her eyes glassy. She looks away, but her scent betrays her. I move, and she flinches like I’ll hit her.
When her eyes finally meet mine, she says, “I hate you.” Tears spill onto her cheeks, and she shakes. “I hate you.”
Fury claws through me for losing control, for letting her undo me, and for chasing a flame that refuses to obey me.
Once again, she’s defeated me without doing so much, yet she acts like it’s my fault. I jab a finger at her, my glare sharp enough to cut. “Fuck the Moon Goddess.”
I storm into the main studio, my skin still tingling with heat, and my hands trembling from the absence of flame.
The space is empty. Ms. Vale and every other student are gone. Did they hear us? I glance back once and turn away.
If that level of intimacy didn’t work, then what will? What’s expected of me? I’ve fucked too many girls to count, but none have elicited a reaction that visceral.
The library annex is my next stop. Maybe this time I’ll find the answer I’ve been clawing toward. Tristan and Kade find me as I search for another book on fire magic.
Kade, with his usual grin, tosses a bottle of water at me. “You look like hell. Drink.”
I snatch it before it hits the rug, slumping onto a nearby couch with the new book. Opening the bottle, I down the contents in one go, and toss the empty container aside.
“Don’t litter,” Tristan says flatly. “Pick it up.”
I snort. “Since when do you care about—”
The bottle slams into my face, cutting me off. No one has moved, but I’m familiar with Tristan’s abilities to know it’s him.
“Fuck.” I press my fingers to my jaw, scowling.
“I asked you nicely,” he says, voice edged with steel.
Kade laughs, and I dump the empty bottle on the table to keep it from sliding off. They should be in the garden or something. Why are they bothering me here?
We’re less than two weeks away from the mate-bond ritual. I need answers. I open the book and flip through the table of contents, scanning with quick, sharp movements.
On getting to the chapter that points at triggers, a groan escapes me. It’s the same thing. Intimacy. Proximity. My jaw grinds as I turn the page, but the words blur when her voice cuts through my subconscious.
I hate you.
A hollow ache blooms in my chest, biting sharper than the impact of that empty bottle. I see Soma’s face again, the tears on her cheeks, and her shaky breath. My eyes drop back to the page, and I shove the memory down as hard as I can.
If she’s the key, how can I stop? I can’t stop now.