Page 57 of Midnight Hunt
Swallowing hard, I forced my fist to unclench and placed my trembling hand in his. “I do,” I whispered.
His eyes flared brightly, and he gripped my hand tightly, murmuring a single word in Latin:“Conecto.”
An electrical charge immediately zapped my palm, making me jump. Griff held fast to my hand, using his free one to push up the sleeve of my robe. I glanced down just as the snake tattoo that he, Kolton, and Jagger had all gotten several years ago started to move. Fascinated by the magic that allowed a tattoo to come alive, I watched the snake slither off Griff’s skin and onto mine. It wrapped around my forearm once, twice, three times, the black head coming to rest near my elbow.
“Cool,” I said, admiring the snake’s detailed skin. Griff let go of my hand, only to trace a finger down the snake’s body like he was petting it. Except that he was petting myarm, and the skin pebbled pleasantly at his touch. To cover up my body’s reaction, I glanced up at him and teased, “Miss your snake already?”
He cracked a small smile, continuing to stroke my arm. “It looks good on you.”
As he slowly met my gaze, I tried to swallow and failed. His irises were still bright, and there was no mistaking the message in them. It was time to hold up my end of the deal.
“What now?” I quietly asked, knowing all too well what was next.
Still, he humored me by answering, “We kiss.”
As my heart started to race, his finger on my arm stilled.
Watching me closely, he added, “But only if you want to as badly as I do.”
Oh, God. Why? Why did he have to say stuff likethat?
Barely able to breathe, I managed to whisper, “Griff?”
“Hmm?”
“Shut up and kiss me already.”
His nostrils flared, and his eyes glowed even brighter. I knew from experience that Whiskey was riding him hard right now, encouraging him to kiss me. But I suddenly didn’t care. Even if Griff only wanted to kiss me because his wolf familiar wanted him to, the need to feel his lips on mine one last time was all I could think about.
So when he leaned forward, lifting his hand to grip my nape, I held perfectly still. And when he brought our heads slowly together, watching me the entire time, I didn’t look away. I didn’t flinch. Didn’t protest. Didn’t do anything but allow it to happen.
He obviously wanted to take his time, though. Each movement was calculated, as if his intention was to milk the experience for all it was worth.
One kiss? Fine. He was going to make it a kiss worth remembering. A kiss that left a mark similar to the one now on my arm. A brand. Aclaim, so to speak. Not a claim between mates, but a claim nonetheless.
He wanted to kiss me so I would never forget. Forgetwhat, I didn’t know. Forget him? Impossible. He’d crawled inside me and imprinted on my soul a long time ago. This kiss wasn’t going to change anything.
Or so I thought.
The first sweep of his lips over mine, I knew I was done for. The charge that had been building between us burst, and I sucked in a sharp gasp. He paused to soak up my reaction, his mouth scant centimeters from mine. The tension started to build again, the electrical charge crackling in the breath of space between us. I fisted the robe in my lap, forcing myself to draw air. Air that was laced with his spicy clove and cinnamon scent. Air that we weresharing. Every breath that left him entered me, and every breath I expelled entered him.
Holy hell, what was this? We’d never done this before. Never shared breath as if feeding each other oxygen. It was intimate.Erotic. And every breath I accepted from him warmed my insides and left me trembling for more.
“Griff,” I softly whimpered, needing more so badly that I felt sick.
He inhaled my whimper, watching me tremble for another moment before brushing another kiss over my mouth. The electrical charge burst again. Only this time, it zipped through my insides, heading straight for my clit. When it struck, I stiffened all over with another strangled gasp, shocked when my core fluttered with a small orgasm.
A kiss. Akissdid that.
Griff released a low growl, and I knew he’d just scented my arousal. “Open your legs for me, Violet,” he said in a guttural tone, then wedged his body between them when I complied. “Now open your mouth,” he continued, with such authority that my core fluttered again.
The second I obeyed him, he grabbed one of my hips and plunged his tongue into my mouth. As it firmly stroked mine, the world exploded around me. His scent and taste ensnared my senses, and I arched against him with a low moan, letting my eyes roll shut. His hold on me tightened, drawing our mouths and bodies closer together. My hands raised to grip his neck and hair, and my legs lifted to securely lock behind his waist. The move pried open my robe, and I remembered too late that I was naked underneath. Thathewas naked.
His hot arousal pressed against my throbbing core, and I breathlessly cried out into his mouth. He went feral at the sound, feverishly thrusting his tongue against mine. His hand on my hip pulled me closer still, making the deep dorsal vein in his shaft rub my clit. When the friction grew wet with my arousal, it was his turn to moan into my mouth.
I full-body shuddered, completely turned on by the sound. We kissed and rocked against each other for several long moments, long enough that I was about to lie back on the couch. About to encourage him on top of me. About tobeghim to slide that glorious dick inside me. I was ravenous for him.Obsessed. Had it always been this good between us?
Yes.Hell,yes.
