Aeromancist - The Beginning (Seven Forbidden Arts 2)

The cool breeze hardened her nipples. The fact that they were exposed, outside, in clear view of any of the staff who might happen to wake up both mortified and excited her. It was a strange mixture of emotions, teaching her something new about herself. There was so much she was learning under Lann’s skillful hands.

Stopping against her, Lann wrapped his broad hand around her neck. His fingers easily encircled the slender column. He didn’t apply pressure. Heat from his palm seeped into her skin. The caress was dominant, possessive, and protective. He made her feel all these things as he dragged his palm down between her breasts, flattened it over her stomach, and finally cupped her sex. He inhaled sharply. Studying her face, he slipped a finger inside. She cried out at the pleasure, not thinking about where they were any longer. As he caressed her with his hand, slow and easy, her ecstasy reflected in his eyes, the gold color deepening as her moans increased.

He moved his other behind her, fiddling with the lock. When the door gave way, he steadied her with a palm on her lower back. He moved her forward with his body, walking her inside before he kicked the door shut. They were in the library.

There was no gradual build-up in his kiss as his mouth claimed hers. It was wild and hot, his tongue seeking immediate entrance. He was still backing her up, all the way to the end of the dark hall. The shadows were long in the faint hallway light that fell through the windows. She could smell the familiar scent of ink, paper, leather, and him. She gripped his hair, holding his head to her as he kissed reason and will from her consciousness. They stopped at the far end, next to the staircase.

He pulled away from her then, bracing his hands against the wall on either side of her face. “If I take you upstairs, I’m going to push you, Katherine. Do you trust me?”

She stared at him in the faint light, noting the way his eyes seemed to glow, the moistness of his lips, and the lust etched in the stark lines of his face.

“I’d risk my life with you in a plane anytime,” she whispered, “so why wouldn’t I in your bed?”

He remained serious. “I won’t harm you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She took a deep breath. “I know.”

The curve of his lips was more a grimace than a smile. He had a hard time controlling himself. Why drag this out? They both wanted it.

Holding his eyes, she placed her hand in his. He acknowledged the non-verbal token of trust by giving her hand a soft squeeze. He brushed his knuckles over her cheek before picking her up and carrying her upstairs to the den.

He lowered her to her feet in the center of the room. “Turn around.”

She turned, facing the bed. She listened to the noises he made, trying to figure out what he was doing. It sounded as if a drawer opened. A few seconds later, his body pressed against her back. Something soft brushed over her shoulder. She looked down. A red silk scarf. He folded it double and tied it over her eyes. It was tight, but not uncomfortable. She couldn’t lift her eyelids, and the sudden loss of sight frightened her, but he swept his hands over her shoulders in comforting strokes until her body relaxed once more.

For a long time, he stroked her back and arms. When her body went slack, completely relaxed, he pulled back her arms, keeping her wrists together in one hand. Something cold encircled her wrists. A click sounded. Handcuffs. Her breathing increased. The feeling of helplessness was liberating. There was nothing she could do but submit to him and accept the pleasure he wanted to give her. His lips were warm on her spine as he kissed his way down to her lower back. While he pressed his thumbs into the muscles just above her ass, stimulating nerve endings that had her go on tiptoes, he drew small circular patterns over her skin with his tongue. Her body succumbed to the erotic massage like chocolate melting in the sun.

He straightened and rubbed his cheek against hers. “I won’t do anything you won’t like.”

He gave the cuffs a gentle pull, and tested the tightness, ensuring he could slip a finger between the cuff and her wrist. Then he was gone. A second later, he inserted something into her ears. Earphones. Classical music. Beethoven, Symphony 5. She couldn’t see or hear him any longer. It seemed to heighten her other senses.

He moved her forward until her thighs collided with something. The bed. His hands cupped her waist. She knew what he wanted. She got onto the bed, kneeling. The mattress dipped next to her. A warm hand pressed on the back of her neck, pushing her down. Something soft under her stomach lifted her body. Pillows. She turned her head sideways to be able to breathe. For a while, there was nothing, no Lann, only the music and the darkness. Was he undressing?