He twisted around and swept his sword in an arch, blade aimed for my ribs. I grabbed his arm before he could land a blow and guided his movements into a spin. He cursed as he missed before stumbling onto his knees.
“That’s three times you’ve died,” I taunted, looking down my nose at him. “If you can take me down, I’ll buy you a drink tonight,mikros.”
The term seemed to rile him, his irritation smoldering the air in my nose like a forest catching fire, and my lips curved into a grin. He bared his fangs as he pushed himself up from the dirt and growled before charging.
“Do not let your pride cloud your instinct.” I ducked to the side as he swung downward, his sword plowing into the dirt. I slammed my boot atop the tip of his blade and anchored him in place before I swung my other leg out, my boot connecting with his jaw.
He hit the ground, and dust kicked up around him. The recruits all gasped, and some of them brought their hands to their mouths. I glanced at Lucas’ friend, whose eyes were locked on the downed recruit.
I stepped over to him, and I couldn’t deny the bit of satisfaction at the sight of his heaving chest, his furious glare.
“You have potential.” I held my hand out to him. He ground his teeth together but took it, and I pulled him up. I leaned in to whisper in his ear, to instill one bit of advice before I allowed him to return to the lineup.
“Next time you decide to run that tongue, be careful you don’t accidentally bite it off.”
“I almost ended your class early,” Micah whispered from behind me, barely loud enough to register over the sound of the crickets and cicadas chirping in the late-night air. A smile curved my lips as I ran a damp towel across my face. There was an edge to his tone that bordered on possessive.
“Oh?” I said, my heart fluttering at his proximity, at the way he had snuck up on me without my knowing—and the knowledge that we were the only souls remaining in the armory now that training had ended for the day. All other recruits and warriors had returned to their rooms in the barracks or were paying a visit to Semele’s pub to unwind and relax.
“Watching you lay that arrogant prick on his ass...” Micah’s fingers traced down my shoulders, along the length of my biceps, farther down until they slipped from my arms to land on my hips. “It never ceases to turn me on when you do that.”
My breath hitched in my throat as his fingers slid up my shirt, the delicate touch sending ripples of ecstasy over my skin. His erection pressed against my ass as he settled against me, and Gods, I wished there weren’t clothes separating us.
“What if it wasyouI was laying out?” I said with a grin, as one of his hands gripped my hip and ground me against him while his other traveled higher. I braced myself on the nearby wall as I shuddered. He lowered to graze the top of my shoulder with his lips. My head fell back, and I melted into him as he pulled me closer. Our skin was slick with sweat from the summer heat, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t get enough of him touching me.
He hummed against my skin. “I’d be honored to have a female such as you kick my ass. I’d love even more when I sank my cock between those pretty thighs after I’d taken the beating.”
Heat pooled in my core, and a soft laugh bubbled in my throat. I bit my lip as his thumb brushed the underside of my breast and he dragged his fangs along the side of my throat. His hand slid into my trousers, the other cupping my breast, and I gasped as his fingers found my center. A growl of satisfaction rippled from his throat as he slid his fingers through the wetness pooling between my thighs.
“Mmm... So responsive to my touch,” he breathed into my ear.
“Are the—” I moaned as he dipped two fingers inside me—“guards still stationed outside?”
“They are,” he said, his sinful smile lacing his voice. “What of it?”
They could walk in on us, could catch me pressed between him and the wall, yet...
I was impatient enough to not care.
I’d been craving him all day, had craved him since we’d gone our separate ways for training that morning. It didn’t matter that we had been tangled up in each other most of the night before. I didn’t think I could ever get enough of him.
My knees trembled, and I panted as he ran his thumb over my clit with each thrust of his fingers. His other hand massaged my breast as his tongue worked along my throat.
“They know not to enter,” he growled. “I bet they could scent my need the moment I approached the door. They would be fools to come in.”
He bit down on my throat, and I gasped, my back arching as he continued to pump his fingers in and out of me. The feel of his fangs surged through me, sending an electric sensation skittering across my skin, my senses out of control beneath the heady waves of pleasure. I moaned his name as my release neared.
Micah pulled his fangs free long enough to breathe, “Come for me, Thalia. Let me taste your release,”
He bit down again, and it was all I needed to tip over the edge, my orgasm shattering me. His groan spilled over my neck as he drank it down. By the time he pulled his fangs free, I was panting, body a mess of shakes, and his weight sagged at my back as we melted against the wall together in a sweaty mess.
His hand slid free of my trousers, and he lowered his face over my shoulder as he lifted his fingers to his lips. A low growl rumbled from his throat as he drew them into his mouth, tasting me.
I shuddered as I turned enough to meet his gaze, to see the heat in those soft, sky-blue eyes.
“It’s late. We should get home.” He brushed a kiss to my shoulder, leaving my skin burning. “I can’t wait to tie you down and pick up where we left off this morning.”
I hummed a laugh as I turned toward him, settling against the cool stone wall as our bodies pressed flush against one another. He hesitated a moment, lifting his hand to run it along my cheek.
