Page 97 of Vows of Silence

I had never felt my lips on another person before. I’d always taken my women from behind, never focusing on their faces. They had always been a means to an end, a relief to an itch that was as primal as it was unwanted.

I didn’t want to be a slave to my desires.

But I wanted to feel Isabelle. I wanted her close to me. I wanted every part of her pressed against me.

A thought came to me then that I would happily endure another acid attack if it meant I could fuse us together permanently, her skin against mine forever.

Because I was never going to let this woman go.

And then I felt her lips lightly brush against mine.

Chapter 32

The Flame

I knew it was a mistake placing my lips to his.

As much as I had enjoyed—and regretted—last night, one thing I hadn’t been able to stop focusing on was how I missed the feeling of having someone’s mouth on mine.

All I had been able to think about in the aftermath was what Silas’s lips would feel like. And now that I knew, I couldn’t stop.

I pressed my lips firmer to his, and though he wasn’t kissing me back, he also wasn’t pulling away. That gave me encouragement.

I pulled his lower lip between mine, moaning quietly at how soft it felt between my teeth, and then ran my tongue along his mouth, exploring him, mapping out the shape of him beneath my tongue.

I wanted him to know that I was doing this because I wanted to. I was taking the lead, pushing past my own fears and embarrassment, because I wanted him to know I wasn’t doing this out of pity. I wanted him with the mask on, and I wantedhim just as much without it. I didn’t fear him, I wasn’t repulsed by him, and I wanted to share this with him—because of who he was. Not because of what he looked like.

Cupping his face with both hands, I deepened the kiss, tipping his head to the side ever so slightly, my tongue pushing past his lips to stroke along his own.

A thrill shot through me, and that same delicious throbbing I experienced last night came back with renewed intensity.

“Silas,” I whispered against his lips. “Kiss me back.”

He stiffened, his head pulling back so he could look at my face. I stared into his eyes—his stunning, bright,greeneyes—and smiled softly.

And with an anguished moan, he snapped.

His mouth was on mine, kissing me with so much force my lips pushed against my teeth. He gripped my jaw with one hand, holding me firmly in place, his tongue exploring my mouth, his teeth nibbling on my lips.

His other hand lowered to grab my ass, squeezing it in his large palm, and then he was walking us backwards, guiding me where he wanted us until the back of my knees hit the mattress.

Still, we didn’t stop. I fell down onto the bed, gripping his shirt to take him with me. He didn’t break the kiss for even a second as he manipulated our bodies until he was on top of me, his weight pressing me down into the mattress.

He supported himself on his elbows, brushing the hair from my forehead and out of my face, and only then did he stop kissing my lips just so he could bury his lips into my neck.

I gasped, feeling him suck on my skin, feeling his tongue glide up and down. My gasps turned into a moan when he took my ear between his teeth, biting down gently before swirling around my lobe.

I ran my hands over his back, exploring the muscles I found there—the way they bunched under my fingertips whenever hemoved. The way they flexed and grew whenever a growl left him. Every inch of him was delicious, and he was mine to explore.

At least for the moment.

Silas took his time with me, his lips moving from my neck and over my collarbone. His hands lowered to my stomach, pushing up my top. We broke apart just long enough for me to sit up and for Silas to pull my shirt over my head before we sank back down, his mouth back on my skin.

His lips trailed over the curve of my breasts, nibbling at my ribcage, dragging along my abdomen. My stomach caved in, my skin breaking out into goosebumps wherever his lips went.

This was not the frenzied, out-of-control sex from last night. This was an exploration. This was two people sharing a connection, not simply scratching a primal itch.

He moved lower still, dragging my leggings down as he did so, his lips kissing every inch of my legs that he’d exposed. He threw my trousers off the bed, and I sucked in a sharp intake of breath as he brought his head between my legs. I brought myself up to my elbows and watched as he sucked on my pussy through my underwear, his animalistic growl when he realised how wet I was, making my breathing pick up several notches.