Of Flames & Fallacies (The Arterian #1)

by Courtney Whims

He pulls back to look at my nakedness with a slow lick of his lips. The sight of him alone makes me want to crumble, my knees weak at the uncontrollable desire to sit on his face. To have him fuck me and fill me. Touching me, teas...

He doesn’t take his time. It’s rough and exhilarating as he pumps hard and fast. I find myself grinding against his hand feverishly. He has me at the pathetic mercy of each stroke, and I’m dipping my head back into the pillows with each delicious slide of his fingers. He adds a third, and I gasp as he eases into me until I’m on fire for something more—for him. Starving for him to fill the aching need he’s created in me.

I creep closer to an orgasm, my legs shaking. “Darian, please. Slow down, or I’m going to come.”

He doesn’t slow, his eyes wicked as he flicks his tongue across his lips and smiles. “Good girl. You’re going to come for me on my fingers. For the rest of the night, you’re not going to stop ...

I’m not sure if I should be afraid or exhilarated. But I don’t have long to consider which because I burst at the seams and climax around his skilled fingers with a cry. He lurches forward, stealing my scream with a kiss. His fingers slow inside me as I spasm again and a...

His nose brushes the tip of mine, and his thumb snags at my bottom lip. “If I cou...

I reach out and wrap my fingers around his hard cock, hoping it’s enough that I don’t need to admit aloud I need him. His heavy lidded eyes flick down to my hand wra...

“Tell me. Tell me what ...

“I want you to fuck me. Hard. Show me how much of an assho...

His eyes cloud. A darkness seeps over his features, the light winks out of his expression. Slowing the rhythm of his fingers inside of me to a halt, he removes them. But rather than immediately sinking his cock into me, he flips me over to lay flat on my belly. He rips my hips up, my ass perked up for him. Gripping ...

“I’m going to fuck you until you purr, kitten,” he rasps, his voice thic...

The head of his thick cock sinks into me slowly, pushing deeper inside of me. Every inch of him spreads and stretches me in a burning ache, the...

“Fuuuck, you feel good,” he whispers. “Just a little more. You can take one more inch…yes. ...

My insides scream in ecstasy when he finally fills me to the brim. He adopts a delicate roll of his hips into me. Each stroke I surrender more and more, clenching my fists into his sheets. I bite down a muffled cry as he digs his fingers into my hips to steady me while he puts more strength into his thrusts, pounding into me. Hard and quick. To the point I’m clinging to every breath like it may be my last. The wet smack of our naked skin...

The thickness of him fills me in an enigmatic inferno. He drills into me over and over until I find my hips sliding back impatiently to meet him, chasing his rhy...

“Yes. Sing for me,” he begs, his voice sha...

He fucks me faster until we are both moaning in sync. Threading his fingers through my hair, he pulls me up onto my hands and knees. Slamming his hips into me. Harder. And harder. The pressure in me b...

“Come for me. Again,” he whispers against my ear. Reaching his hand down between my legs, he expertly rubs ci...

With his other hand tangled in my hair, he tears my head back so I’m staring up at the ceiling. He bites into my shoulder as he thrusts in time with his fingers rubbing on my clit. I unleash a cry as I erupt, shuddering and quaking on his cock. A swim of stars twinkle in m...

“That’s a good girl,” he growls ...

I’m not sure how much more time passes, as I’m lost in a timeless haze of madness and lust. Only able to focus on the now and how inexplicably feral he makes me. But I do know I climax at least three more times. I’ve fallen into his sheets and pillows, unable to keep myself upright on my trembling arms and legs. I’m lost to his utter control and intoxication while he fucks me into the squeaking mattres...

He spreads my legs wider as he drills into me, his voice tight and choppy. “Gods, your scream...

My heart slows from a race to a sink. The fog of my desire fades and melts away. Overwhelming regret looms as I come down from the earth shattering highs. What have I done?

I remember her telling me before she could feel what I felt. Does she feel the shame eating at me, like a vulture feasting on a corpse? Does the guilt I feel rip into her like talons of a predator, leaving nothing left but a carcass of bone and blood? The thought of such a heavy emotion bleeding into her own self-consciousness plummets me into more guilt.

As I gaze down at Daeja’s muscled neck and brush my hands across her scales—it clicks. She is my gravity. The one constant thing securing me to this earth, despite doing the complete opposite—soaring through the crisp night air. With every heartache and failure, she’s been there all along.

I’m jolted with a burst of warmth and joy, the pure emotion chasing away my darkness. My vision of a baby Daeja perched in my hand, staring up at me with her round eyes morphs. The memory shifts to me looking at...myself. Through Daeja’s eyes.

But I’m flooded with love, warmth, and safety. It shuns out the darkness of my thoughts and feelings.

“Me and you,” Daeja whispers along our bond.

A smile splits through the bitter cold entrapping my heart. In the memory, I scratch Daeja under the chin for the first time. My foreign, dull blue eyes stare back at me. Her purr ignites a spark of life to my eyes. The rest of the night and m...

I slink past him into his room, my breath catching when I stare at the tangled sea of sheets on his bed. The memories of last night flash into my mind— digging my fingers into his sheets, his body pressed into mine, gods how good he felt.

“So, you’ve come back for more?” he chirps. “Admittedly, I got carried away last night. Next time, you won’t be able to walk straight when I’m done with you.”

“No. I’ve come back to tell you that last night didn’t happen.”

“Oh? Really? Hard to say it didn’t happen. I’ll forever remember your gods-pleading moan and delicious skin in great detail.”

“It didn’t happen,” I hiss. “And it’s not going t...

I glare. “I’m serious, you cocky bastard.”

“Cocky, huh? Is that meant to be an insult or a compliment?”

“Need I spell it out for you? It was a mistake,”

“I’d love to agree with you, kitten.” He reaches out and swipes his wet thumb slowly across my cheek. “But then we’d both be wrong.”

“You had a little bit of d...

“You’re deplo...

“I k...

“Is that all you ever know h...

“What’s the point in arguing with you? I’d rather spend my time and energy...

Turning away from him, I scan the map when I notice several letters scattered across his desk. One thing jumps out at me toward the bottom of every one of them. ‘Love, Celeste.’ My eyebrows raise, and my mouth par...

“Nosy little thing, aren’t you?”

“Those all from your lover?”

“No. Why? You j...

“Absolutel...

“Oh my gods, you’re actuall...

“What would I have to be jealous of?” A muscle ticks in my jaw, and I clamp it down. I turn and walk to h...