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nELIA

nOne arm under her knees, the other behind her shoulders, he swept her off her feet and into his chest, his breath heaving.

"There,

" he said, nodding at a sideboard in an alcove as they walked past.

"And there,

" he huffed towards the bench seat in front of the fire.

"Also, there, and maybe on the counter, too,

" he said as they passed the dining table.

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"What are you doing?

" she giggled as he buried his nose in her neck and inhaled deeply, like she was some kind of perfume.

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"I told you, we have to make a list of all the places I'm going to mate you,

" he growled.

nElia laughed, but her stomach trilled and she pulled him closer, her breath speeding up as he kissed and sucked at her neck.

nShe felt like she now understood why he'd seemed so obsessed with her neck—and she was glad. It gave her goosebumps every time.

nHe carried her through the long cave and back to the bedroom, not bothering with the door this time since he'd locked the only entrance. But instead of immediately jumping on her, as she'd assumed he would, he set her on her feet, then walked around the room, blowing out lanterns.

nThere were only two left when she said,

"Don't blow out all of them,

" and he stopped, turning to her with a wicked smile.

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"You want some light, Elia?

"

nShe blushed, but nodded.

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"What the lady wants, the lady gets,

" he purred and started stalking towards her across the room. The roll of his shoulders and hips, so like the predator that ran through his blood, made her breath harder as she waited for him to reach her.

nAlready stark naked, he was completely unashamed, and she enjoyed the sight of him in the dim light, where the shadows were deeper and rippled between his muscles. She licked her lips in nervous anticipation as he approached, but he stopped just out of reach, his eyes dark. She tore her gaze off his chest and met them.

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"What's wrong?

"

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"It's my turn,

" he purred.

nElia blushed, but smiled.

"Your turn for what?

" she asked and made herself stop gripping her skirts, made herself raise her chin and put her shoulders back, and not shrink from what she knew he would ask.

nHe took the last two steps to get close to her, and trailed a finger up her arm, to her shoulder, then along to the neck of the dress.

nThe embroidering around the neck and shoulders was beautiful, but made even more dramatic by a drawstring in the neckline that gathered it up.

nReth's finger trailed along the edge of it, to the front, just above and between her breasts, where it tied, leaving a small peephole at her cleavage.

"Untie it,

" he said hoarsely, his eyes never leaving her skin there.

nElia raised slightly trembling fingers up to the tie and pulled the ends until it fell away, leaving a V that dipped between her breasts. But the linen held, and a shadow passed over Reth's eyes when the dress didn't shift.

nShe reached for the neckline, intending to pull it further down for him, but he stopped her, his hands gently circling her wrists.

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"No,

" he croaked.

"Let me.

"

nElia dropped her hands and watched his face as he gazed on her, his breathing shallow and quick, as he trailed his fingers from the shoulders, along the neckline of the dress, then pulled slowly, slowly apart, until the dress pulled along the tie and fell open under his hands. Then gently, barely touching her skin, he pushed it back until it rested off both shoulders, barely clinging to the tops of her breasts, the heavy embroidery weighing it down until it threatened to slide off completely.

nReth swallowed and Elia had to stifle a breathless laugh at the pleading hunger on his face.

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"So beautiful,

" he whispered.

"Your skin is so white and so soft.

" He leaned down to kiss her collarbone, open mouthed, humming his approval on her skin. Elia's eyes slid closed. But when she reached for him, he straightened again with a wicked gleam in his eye.

nWithout a word, he tilted his head and with two fingers, caught the dress where it had fallen off her shoulder and tugged it slowly down on that side, until one breast slid free and he made a noise in his throat. Their eyes caught and Elia held her breath, waiting to see what he would do.

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"Do you want—

" he started, but she interrupted him.

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"I want whatever you want,

" she said on a breath.

nEyes dark, Reth knelt in front of her, his massive shoulders rolled forward as his hands took her ribs and he dropped his mouth to the peak of her breast, sucking hard enough to send electric jolts to the apex of her thighs.

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"Reth!

" she gasped, grabbing his shoulders to steady herself, but unable to resist leaning back to give him better access.

nHe pulled her close and held her with one hand splayed between her shoulder blades, but stayed on one knee, his mouth worshipping at her breast, while his other hand began to bunch the skirt up around her knee, then her thigh, then his hand was on her skin underneath the dress and he dragged his fingers slowly up her inner thigh, leaving trails of sensation like fireworks on her skin. When his fingers dipped into her softest places, Elia shifted on her feet to help him find that delicious slide, whimpering when he did as the jolts from his mouth crackled through her to meet the jolts from his talented fingers.

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"Elia,

" he breathed against her skin.

nShe was grasping his shoulders because her knees felt weak. Too self-conscious to find the words, but too heated to deny the desire, she tugged the other side of the dress down her own arm, until both breasts were free, then gasped when he took the invitation, laving her other nipple with his tongue, and growling in his throat when she dropped her head back and leaned into his him.

nHer entire body hummed like a tuning fork as his mouth sucked and his teeth grazed in perfect time with the slide and plunge of his fingers.

nShe could feel that glittering wave beginning to build, and it was wonderful. But she was hollow. She needed him—needed him inside her. Needed to move together with him.

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"Reth,

" she gasped.

nHe came off her breast with a faint pop.

"Yes, my love?

" he huffed.

nElia groaned in her throat because despite lifting his head to look at her, he didn't stop touching with those bold, strong fingers. A shiver ran through her and her skin pebbled from her neck to her knees.

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"I want you,

" she said, her voice a higher keen than she'd intended.

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"You'll have me, love,

" he whispered, kissing her breast, open mouthed again.

"You'll always have me.

"

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