Garden of Serpents (The Demon Queen Trials #3)(37)

He’d brought me into this wild state of sexual arousal, but he wasn’t finishing the job. Fuck, I’d say whatever he wanted if he just gave me what I needed. If I could remember how to make words…

What I really wanted was to leap on him, straddle him, satiate myself on his body. But I couldn’t move—I was held in place, bound at my wrists and ankles with shimmering bands of energy. Gods damn it, Orion.

His thumb traced circles over my hipbones just under the blanket, and my body shook, my breath catching. That wasn’t where I really needed him.

“Orion,” I managed in a hoarse whisper. Light from candles danced on the walls as I tried to put together the wheres and whys and hows of my predicament. I only vaguely remembered how I’d ended up here.

I wanted to ask him to remove the restraints and the fabric off my body, but my thoughts were still a jumble of confusion.

He leaned over me, elbows on either side, his eyes searching mine. He looked golden in this light, and I thought I read relief in his eyes, and a faint smile. “There you are, Rowan.”

The way he said my name sounded reverent.

Gods, he smelled amazing. Kiss me, you hot bastard.

He stroked his thumb over my cheek. “You drained yourself completely. I guess you had to learn the hard way.” A seductive smile curled his lips. “Lucky for you, I’m prepared to bring you back the hard way.”

He leaned down, brushing kisses over my jaw, then moved lower to my throat. My body arched into him, my hips moving upward. Every touch of his lips against my skin sent heat sliding through my body, pulsing between my thighs. My breasts ached for him, and the light movement of this silky blanket against my nipples was pure torture. I was on fire.

He stopped kissing the tops of my breasts, glancing up at me from under his black eyelashes. His cheeks looked flushed, and the dark look in his eyes said he wanted to devour me. So why wasn’t he doing more? Untying me so I could participate? Holy hell, this was excruciating.

“Orion,” I said again, louder this time, like a desperate prayer for salvation. It seemed the only thing I could remember how to say was his name…though another word was rolling around in my mind, the word fuck, because that was what I needed.

The ache between my thighs was overwhelming. Slick with desire, thighs spread open with these bindings, I desperately needed him to fill me.

“I said I wouldn’t kiss you until you said you trusted me,” he murmured into my neck. “But it doesn’t count if it’s not on your mouth.” Another flick of his beautiful, silver-flecked eyes at me. “And this is, after all, an emergency.”

“More,” I groaned, finally managing a new word.

“Not yet.” He kissed my breasts, and I tried to wrap my thighs around him. I needed satiation. “Too much is dangerous, love. But you’re feeding from me because I’m desperate to fuck you.”

That made me shake again, trying to press my thighs together so I could clench them, but they were pulled too far apart.

Gasping, I tugged on my restraints, struggling against my bindings. I could find nothing to provide me with the pleasure I craved. I let my head fall back into the pillows, aroused beyond all reason. I could think only of how much I needed pressure between my thighs that would give me my release.

I felt nearly as empty as I had when my magic left me, just in a very different way.

If he just gave me what I needed, this could all be over. Instead, he pushed himself up so he was sitting on the bed next to me, then slid the blanket up a little higher on my thighs, his eyes burning with dark heat as he stared at my body. I was sure he could see how turned on I was. His jaw was rigid with tension, and he looked as if he was about to snap.

He traced circles between my thighs—too light, not high enough. Teasing me. Making my hips buck as I shamelessly tried to move against him. Higher now, moving over my sex, but too light—

Writhing in my bonds, I hissed, “Please, Orion.” Lilu magic charged the room, warm threads of our magic entwining, humming over my skin. And as I moved, the blanket slid off my breasts. His gaze shot to my hardened nipples, and he cursed under his breath. His muscles tensed, and he pulled his gaze away from me.

Then the bastard yanked his hand from me, too. I gasped audibly, certain he was doing this to mess with me. This was torture, wasn’t it?

He turned, shoulders tense, fists tightened like he was about to fight. “No more for now, love. Your magic must return slowly, and I’m about to snap.”

I gritted my teeth. “You’re just doing this to torment me.”

His gaze slid back to me, his eyes filled with shadows. “You’ve already regained enough strength to speak in complete sentences. This was the right way to heal you. Your body can heal itself with our lust magic. But if it goes too far, it will drain you, and then we’re back to square one. Trust me,” he murmured. “I’m not enjoying this any more than you are.”

But did I actually trust him? Now there was a question. And I absolutely could not remember the answer.

I pulled at the restraints as he crossed through a doorway into another room, feeling vulnerable and exposed—and thoroughly unsatisfied.

From where I lay, I heard the sound of a bath filling. Slowly, with Orion out of the room, my heart slowed, and I sucked in deep breaths. I hadn’t fully recovered, but my strength was returning.

I hoped my sanity would follow soon after. Begging for sex wasn’t my style, especially from a rival I’d been intent on hating.