He tore his mouth from hers. “If you keep doing that, I’ll—”
Nesta did it again, dragging the heel of her palm upward, toward the tip she knew pressed against his lower abdomen. His hips arced toward her, and he tilted back his head, exposing the strong column of his throat. She learned the shape of him through his pants, and pressed her hand harder, working him. He gritted his teeth, chest heaving like a bellows, and the sight of him coming undone had her leaning forward. Had her clamping her teeth onto his neck. Just as she rubbed him again, harder and rougher.
He hissed. With her name on his lips, his hips thrust into her hand with a strength that made her core throb to the point of pain, imagining that force, that size and heat, buried deep in her. Another punishing rub of her palm, a scrape of teeth at his neck, and Cassian erupted.
His wings tucked in tight as he came, and each spurt of his cock shuddered through his pants, echoing along her hand as she stroked and stroked him.
When Cassian had stilled, when he was shaking—only then did Nesta remove her face from his neck. His hazel eyes were wide enough that the whites shone around them. A blush stained his golden cheeks, so enticing that she nearly leaned forward to lick that, too.
But he remained gaping. Like he’d realized what he’d done and regretted it.
Every bit of desire, of blessed distraction within her winked out.
Nesta shoved at his chest, and he immediately let go, almost dropping her to the floor as their bodies pulled apart.
She didn’t wait to hear his words of regret, that this had been a mistake. She wouldn’t let him hold that power over her. So Nesta curled her lips in a cold, cruel smile and said as she left, “Someone’s quick off the mark.”
Cassian couldn’t look Azriel in the face at breakfast the next morning.
His brother had returned late last night, refused to say anything about what he’d found regarding Briallyn, and only insisted that today they’d all meet at the river house and learn of it together. Cassian hadn’t cared. He’d barely listened to Azriel asking about training.
He’d come in his pants after a few touches from Nesta, soaking himself like he was no better than he’d been in his youth.
But the moment she had kissed him in the hall, he’d lost all semblance of sanity. He’d turned into something just short of an animal, licking and biting at her neck, unable to think clearly beyond the base instinct to claim.
The taste of her had been like fire and steel and a winter sunrise. That had just been her mouth, her neck. If he got his tongue between her legs … He shifted in his seat.
“Did something happen that I, as your chaperone, should know about?” Azriel’s dry question dragged Cassian from his rising arousal. From the amusement on his brother’s face, he knew Az could not only scent that arousal but see it on his face.
“No,” Cassian grumbled. He’d never hear the end of it if he admitted what he’d done.
He’d found his pleasure, and Nesta had not. He’d never allowed such a thing to happen.
But he’d come hard enough to see stars, and only then realized she had not. That he’d embarrassed himself, that he’d left her unsatisfied, and if it was the only taste of her he’d ever get, he’d monumentally fucked it all to hell.
And then there’d been her parting shot, blasting what was left of his pride into shards.
Quick off the mark, she’d purred, like what they’d done hadn’t meant anything.
He knew it was bullshit. He’d felt her frantic need, heard her moans and wanted to devour them whole. But that kernel of doubt took root.
He had to make it even, somehow. Had to get the upper hand again.
Azriel cleared his throat, and Cassian blinked. “What?”
“I said, are you two ready to head down to the river house?”
“Two?” He blinked through the cloud of arousal.
Azriel chuckled, shadows skittering. “Did you listen at all last night?”
“No.”
“At least you’re honest.” Azriel smirked. “You and Nesta are wanted down there.”
“Because of the shit with Elain?”
Azriel stilled. “What happened to Elain?”
Cassian waved a hand. “A fight with Nesta. Don’t bring it up,” he warned when Azriel’s eyes darkened. Cassian blew out a breath. “I take that as a no regarding the meeting topic, then.”
“It’s about what I discovered. Rhys said he requires you both there.”
“It’s bad, then.” Cassian surveyed the shadows gathered around Az. “You all right?”