Alternate Chapter 8

Ezzyn's POV

“I WON’T HURT YOU,” Ezzyn promised, thumb gliding across Anadae’s chin.

She took his finger between her teeth, lipped at his skin with her beautiful mouth. It took every scrap of restraint he possessed to hold his hand steady when instinct screamed for him to press in. Sweep his finger across her tongue. Watch her lips plump as she sucked.

He didn’t. Somehow managed to wait, the embodiment of patience.

“I didn’t think you would.” Anadae lifted her chin. “Go ahead.” There was a throatiness to the words, all sexy provocation.

Fire leapt to the tip of his index finger, blazing a careful, contained line beneath her mask. Ezzyn caught the strings of beads as they fell, remembering to put them on her desk instead of tossing the damned things over his shoulder and taking her right there.

Anadae’s surprised gasp, the awe on her face at his display of magic, well, he was already hard. Her reaction had his cock straining against his laces even more. She made everything about him swell, knowing how he impressed her. That she wasn’t responding to him, but a rather a masked stranger, Ezzyn brushed past the thought.

A sliver of his control remained. He offered her the contraceptive potion. Forced his arms to stop, left space for her to decide. To change her mind. He felt an absurd amount of pride that his hand didn’t shake.

Relief coursed through him when she took it. Had him weak at the knees. He hid it with a scant step forward, devoured her as she lifted her mouth to him once again.

She tasted of sweetness. There was a trace of inexperience in the way she kissed him back, a hesitation that blurred with enthusiasm. Her nose bumped against his, a soft giggle misting across his face. Something primal flared to life within him to know it. The stuffy values he’d presumed of her, those which he’d scorned when she refused his suggested dalliance, were nowhere to be found. Perhaps they had been overblown in his mind, built up to soothe his stung pride. Ezzyn was all too happy to indulge now. Show her a time that would be a damn sight better than the measly attentions of Avenor.

Her breasts were made for his hands. Ezzyn was convinced of it as he cupped them. Felt their softness in stark contrast to her stiffened nipples. He lowered his mouth to flick one of the rosy points with his tongue. Closed his lips around her and sucked, reveling as she squirmed beneath him, breath quickening. Ezzyn had to remind himself not to grip her too hard, to not let passion overwhelm even as he gave attention to her other breast. Savored the way she moaned and writhed at his touch.

He pressed her into the mattress. Murmured, “Are you going to be a good girl for me?” into her ear as he let his hand slide between her legs. Found Anadae already slick with desire. For him. She was so eager and tight, her heat beckoning. When she clamped down on his exploring finger, Ezzyn bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from adding two more on the next thrust. Contented himself with her breasts again as he let her warm up on his hand. It wasn’t exactly a hardship.

She was so beautiful in her reactions, abdomen tensing, chest rising and falling in bursts with every stroke and press of his fingers. Made him feel like a musician with the way he drew such pretty little sounds from her mouth.

Proper, dutiful, all-about-appearances Anadae. The sight of her as she came undone by his hand lit a smug, possessive flame in him. That he could give her so much pleasure, have her quiver, whimper, with just the right crook of his finger. He doubted that her oaf of an ex had ever gotten her so wet that her desire clung to his skin.

Ezzyn groaned as he licked the sweetness from his hand. There was no way, no godscursed way that Avenor had ever pleasured her so. No way that he had ever tasted this. If he had, then he’d never have been so foolish as to leave Anadae on the side.

She did this for Ezzyn. Wanted and enjoyed his touch.

A mutual feeling, as his cock was quick to point out. Another attention she welcomed as his tip opened her up. Her reactions stoked the possessive fire already burning for her, made them flare all the more as she softly admitted to the neglect she’d experienced. Fuck Avenor for treating her that way, but perhaps it was also a blessing if it led to this. Anadae, her breathless moans, the way she arched around Ezzyn’s cock. Called him big.

Her pussy fit him like a glove. Squeezed his cock with the most spine-tingling pressure. Kept tensing as he plowed her into the bed, her cries urging him on. Each thrust made her lovely tits bounce, had her fingers grasping his forearms, nails leaving crescents in his flesh as he wound her toward her peak.

He hardly worked her clit at all before she shuddered, tightening around him. Squeezed the length of him, jerking his cock until he emptied into her. She was so warm, satisfying as flame.

Her inner walls clenched, made him twitch. Saucy little thing. Far too pleased with herself. A puff of a laugh sounded from her mouth, dark eyes dancing behind her mask.

Yes, Anadae was much too pleased with her ability to get a reaction from him.

Ezzyn moved. Had her turned onto her stomach in an instant, cock surging back to life. Went hilt deep in one thrust. Made her shriek.

Another night, he’d have enjoyed her games. Would’ve spent hours exploring her body and letting her learn the shape of him. Another night, they could have taught each other the finer points of each other’s pleasures.

They didn’t have more, only this one. She didn’t even know it was Ezzyn pounding into her. That her cries were for him. That he was the one doing his fucking best to imprint this night onto her brain. His seed staining her thighs, his scent that would permeate her bed for days to come.

That it was Ezzyn she cuddled against afterward. His arm holding her in place.

Not really a stranger but him whom she asked to stay. Made the offer of intimacy to Ezzyn, behind the mask. A moment of vulnerability, a tenderness so different from the offering of her body.

He had already been a selfish bastard on so many levels tonight. He should say no. Gently decline if he wanted to maintain any chance of pulling off this deception. His luck was pushed to the brink. If he stayed, Anadae would find out the truth.

If he stayed the whole night. He could leave once she fell asleep. No harm in that, right? Ezzyn could slip away, nice and quiet. Let Anadae at least fall asleep now without worry or regrets or disappointment.

It was a plan. Not his most solid one, but actionable. Or at least, it would’ve been, if her arm hadn’t settled next to his. If her fingers hadn’t sought his out.

Ezzyn chuckled softly. He hadn’t expected Anadae to be so sentimental. But her only answer was the rhythm of her deep breathing. The kind that indicated—

Ezzyn peered over at her. She didn’t move, face serene beneath the blue silk covering half of her face. Asleep. Yet she held onto him when he tried to disengage. Murmured something incoherent, gripping his hand as she rolled toward him. Nestled her face against his arm.

The possessive instinct in him was back. Hammered against his chest at the sight of Anadae curled toward him. How she held his hand in her sleep.

It’s just…been a while, she had said. Almost shamefully, as if it was a reflection on her.

How Avenor had neglected her so, Ezzyn couldn’t understand. The man was a preening asshole, supped on attention. How could he turn away from this? Ezzyn was glad for it, yet flummoxed. Unless she didn’t offer these parts of herself to Avenor. Wasn’t comfortable enough with him. Not as she was with Ezzyn.

Masked Ezzyn, anyway. Glamoured. Might as well not be him at all.

The silken edges of her mask had started to lift, its adhesion charm failing. Ezzyn knew his couldn’t have much life left to it either. The window of opportunity to escape with his identity intact narrowed by the minute.

Gently, Ezzyn lifted the mask from Anadae’s face, careful not to wake her. Let his hand ghost across her dark hair, rest featherlight against her cheek. Looked his fill of Anadae at peace in his company.

It would be the last time come the morning.