legs lost function all over again.
He spoke hoarsely into her ear. “I’m going to mark you again and again, do you hear me? I’m going to fill you up so that no male, human or realm, will dare to touch you. Does that answer your question?”
He kissed her hard, so that her entire body just about melted into the stone behind her. What Jude could do to her with just a few words, the wonderful mass of his muscular frame, and his warm, moist lips.
She had that eternal sensation again of wanting to stay with Jude just like this, never moving, just being with him and feeling him, and having desire move like fire through her veins, forever.
Finally, he drew back, breathing hard. He held her gaze. “Part of me wants to apologize, but to hell with that. We’re in this, and you need to know everything, especially what it’s like for me.”
She grabbed his shirt again. “Jude, let’s make a pact right now not to apologize for anything that relates to this blood rose madness, okay? I know I’ll want to as well, but I think it’ll just make things more difficult.”
He nodded. “Agreed.” Slowly, he shifted his hips away from her, but stayed close. “And I need to calm down.”
At that, she smiled again. “What? You don’t want to face your men like this?”
She reached low and ran her hand the entire length of his arousal.
He arched and hissed. “Oh, Sweet Goddess, Hannah.”
She planted her hands on his face and kissed him with more affection than passion. “Do you know how many times I imagined kissing you just like that?” She couldn’t help but smile.
“No. How many?”
“About a thousand.”
“Is that all?” His turn to smile.
“Okay, I’m going inside. I need to freshen up a little, but I’ll join you for the meeting.”
“Good. I want you there.”
She didn’t try to prolong the moment. Instead, she located the downstairs bathroom and splashed water on her face. She stayed put, giving herself a little alone time to collect herself.
Ten minutes later, she heard Jude’s deep voice coming from the front living room and headed in his direction. She caught the décor along the way, as well as the style of the architecture and knew instinctively that a woman’s hand had been involved.
Probably his wife’s, the woman he’d lost all those decades ago.
As she entered the living room, she stayed near the entrance to the dining room. Seeing a dozen heavily muscled Guardsmen in one room was an overwhelming experience. Each ranged in height from six-three to six-six and wore what she considered to be their supremely sexy black leather-based uniform.
If the ceiling hadn’t been as high as it was, the room would have felt claustrophobic.
Jude relayed all that he knew about the mist, the sickly-sweet scent, the effects on him and also on Nathan, and his belief that Margetta had used the mist to kill the troll families in the north.
What he didn’t know was whether her wraith-pairs were immune or not. And if they were, the entire realm faced a crisis of enormous proportions.
“But how can we find any of this out?” Paul asked.
“I hate to say this, but only experience will give us the information we need. There’s just no other way. We don’t know where Margetta lives to try to spy on her.”
Hannah added her thoughts. “I get the sense that Margetta is just trying out what might be a new ability for her. If Jude and I make ourselves visible throughout the rest of the night, and the Guardsmen were spread out hunting for mist-sign, we could be anywhere at a moment’s notice.”
All eyes turned toward her, and she felt a warmth spread over her cheeks. For a moment, she wished she’d kept her mouth shut.
But Paul said, “That’s actually a very good idea. Better to have some control by hunting, rather than to wait for another slaughter.”
Jude met her gaze and she felt him press against her mind telepathically. Hannah, I don’t want you in the line of fire.
But Jude, I already
He spoke hoarsely into her ear. “I’m going to mark you again and again, do you hear me? I’m going to fill you up so that no male, human or realm, will dare to touch you. Does that answer your question?”
He kissed her hard, so that her entire body just about melted into the stone behind her. What Jude could do to her with just a few words, the wonderful mass of his muscular frame, and his warm, moist lips.
She had that eternal sensation again of wanting to stay with Jude just like this, never moving, just being with him and feeling him, and having desire move like fire through her veins, forever.
Finally, he drew back, breathing hard. He held her gaze. “Part of me wants to apologize, but to hell with that. We’re in this, and you need to know everything, especially what it’s like for me.”
She grabbed his shirt again. “Jude, let’s make a pact right now not to apologize for anything that relates to this blood rose madness, okay? I know I’ll want to as well, but I think it’ll just make things more difficult.”
He nodded. “Agreed.” Slowly, he shifted his hips away from her, but stayed close. “And I need to calm down.”
At that, she smiled again. “What? You don’t want to face your men like this?”
She reached low and ran her hand the entire length of his arousal.
He arched and hissed. “Oh, Sweet Goddess, Hannah.”
She planted her hands on his face and kissed him with more affection than passion. “Do you know how many times I imagined kissing you just like that?” She couldn’t help but smile.
“No. How many?”
“About a thousand.”
“Is that all?” His turn to smile.
“Okay, I’m going inside. I need to freshen up a little, but I’ll join you for the meeting.”
“Good. I want you there.”
She didn’t try to prolong the moment. Instead, she located the downstairs bathroom and splashed water on her face. She stayed put, giving herself a little alone time to collect herself.
Ten minutes later, she heard Jude’s deep voice coming from the front living room and headed in his direction. She caught the décor along the way, as well as the style of the architecture and knew instinctively that a woman’s hand had been involved.
Probably his wife’s, the woman he’d lost all those decades ago.
As she entered the living room, she stayed near the entrance to the dining room. Seeing a dozen heavily muscled Guardsmen in one room was an overwhelming experience. Each ranged in height from six-three to six-six and wore what she considered to be their supremely sexy black leather-based uniform.
If the ceiling hadn’t been as high as it was, the room would have felt claustrophobic.
Jude relayed all that he knew about the mist, the sickly-sweet scent, the effects on him and also on Nathan, and his belief that Margetta had used the mist to kill the troll families in the north.
What he didn’t know was whether her wraith-pairs were immune or not. And if they were, the entire realm faced a crisis of enormous proportions.
“But how can we find any of this out?” Paul asked.
“I hate to say this, but only experience will give us the information we need. There’s just no other way. We don’t know where Margetta lives to try to spy on her.”
Hannah added her thoughts. “I get the sense that Margetta is just trying out what might be a new ability for her. If Jude and I make ourselves visible throughout the rest of the night, and the Guardsmen were spread out hunting for mist-sign, we could be anywhere at a moment’s notice.”
All eyes turned toward her, and she felt a warmth spread over her cheeks. For a moment, she wished she’d kept her mouth shut.
But Paul said, “That’s actually a very good idea. Better to have some control by hunting, rather than to wait for another slaughter.”
Jude met her gaze and she felt him press against her mind telepathically. Hannah, I don’t want you in the line of fire.
But Jude, I already
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