A Ride of Peril (A Shade of Vampire #46)(24)

Despite his solemn reassurance, I couldn’t help but worry.

I caught movement at the corner of my eye and turned to see Bijarki get up from his chair and walk out, his eyebrows drawn into a frown.

Vita got up and left the banquet hall as well.

I smiled, mostly to myself, able to guess where she was going.





Vita





I’d seen the expression on Bijarki’s face as soon as Lamias were included in the conversation. His mood changed, shadows settling beneath his eyebrows. He was concerned about something, so I decided to find out what was troubling him.

I found him in the greenhouse, cutting yellow leaves off a small potted tree and stuffing them in a leather pouch.

He looked up at the sound of the glass door closing behind me.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, my voice barely audible.

I kept my hands behind my back. My fingers fidgeted nervously. My heart was already racing at the thought of us alone in the same room. It spelled the most wonderful kind of trouble.

He nodded and resumed his collection of leaves and herbs from a group of strange-looking plants with vibrant yellow and violet foliage.

“Yes,” he replied. “Just collecting some poisons for our trip. The River Pyros, and its lush banks, is home to some dangerous creatures.”

“Does that include the Lamias?”

“Especially the Lamias,” he said.

“What’s the plan once you get there?” I asked, unable to stop the avalanche of concerns from tumbling around in my head.

“The Lamias are vicious and cunning. They love a good trade. We’ll offer some rare gifts, including some of these poisons I’m collecting. You can’t find these along the river. They’re endemic to other regions and nearly extinct. The Druid’s greenhouse is a treasure trove of such rarities.”

“So,” I replied, stepping toward him as my eyes scanned the flowers around me. “You’re planning to offer them deadly poisons as gifts. And?”

He stood up straight, watching me intently.

“We’ll propose a trade. They have plenty of reasons to want Azazel dead. We just need to motivate them to actually do something about it,” he said, his voice low.

“And what will you offer in trade?”

“That will be up to them to tell us. They already hate Azazel, and that alone is the start of a fruitful negotiation.”

I nodded and took a deep breath, my eyes locked on his.

“Promise me you’ll be safe, Bijarki. Come back in one piece.”

He smiled, and my heart melted. It was always a beautiful sight with his perfect white teeth framed by his firm lips. He scratched the back of his head, his gaze wandering up and down my figure.

“I must apologize, Vita. I’ve not been myself since yesterday,” he sighed. “I’m still…recovering from your kiss.”

“Oh?” I stilled and felt my cheeks catch fire.

“I never expected you to do that.”

“Oh.” My brows gathered into a frown, and I felt an inkling of concern clouding my judgment. Had I done something wrong? Had I been too forward?

“It’s just that…” He sighed again, struggling to express himself. “How do I say this? You surprised me. I wanted you to come forward. I wanted you to come to me. I still want you to come to me, but I didn’t expect you’d be so brave. You stunned me, Vita, and that is not an easy feat to accomplish.”

Bijarki noticed my pause and moved toward me.

My breath hitched.

“Don’t do that,” he said.

“Do what?”

“Don’t close yourself off, Vita. I find you incredibly attractive as you are, but when you take the lead the way you did yesterday, you blow me away completely.”

He closed the distance between us, and I felt my temperature spike, heatwaves rippling through me as he stood in front of me. I looked up, taking in all his features, my gaze lingering on his lips.

“Take control again, Vita,” he urged me.

I blinked several times before I decided to do just that. I pulled him down by the collar of his shirt and caught his lips in mine.

A familiar lightheadedness instantly took over, along with electric tingling in my extremities. He unleashed his incubus nature, drawing me in and setting me on fire. Everything I felt was amplified to infinity, and I feared I would die from all the bliss he poured into me. My knees weakened, and my legs nearly gave out, as I lost myself in his kiss.

He sensed my physical weakness and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me tight against his hard body and deeper into the kiss. I moaned softly, welcoming the feel of his muscles engulfing me. He tightened his grip, and I felt his fingers stroking my sides.

Bijarki pulled his head back long enough to look at me. Lust swirled in his eyes, and he whispered in my ear. “The only reason why I’m not holding myself back anymore is because I want you to feel everything that I feel, everything that I am.” He caressed my earlobe with his lips. “If you can handle me without my restraints, Vita, I can give you pure, unadulterated happiness.”

I felt his heart thundering against mine. His hands found the hem of my linen shirt. As he kissed me again, sparks ignited my entire body. My skin rippled as he traced imaginary lines up my back. He pressed his fingertips into my skin and gently kneaded his way down.