Page 77 of Secrets of the Six

Wickedness twinkles in her eyes as she spreads her legs wide, a silent challenge for me to back up my words. "Or you could just take them off yourself."

Her idea is far less dramatic than mine, so I toss my knife on the floor and tug off her leather pants.

I drop them on the floor and take a moment to catch my breath.

She's lying naked before me and all I can do is thank whatever Saints might be listening for this woman I'm about to feast on. She's perfect.

I splay my wings, and she gasps, eyes filled with wonder.

If I'm to claim her, I will do so as a Venturan.

With reverence, she reaches a slender hand upward and trails a finger down my black feathers.

Her touch is gentle, but still sends a shiver down my spine, forcing me to kneel before the edge of the mattress to compose myself.

"Who knew one touch could bring you to your knees," she teases, propped up on her elbows.

"I knew." I crawl over her, tugging at the waistband of my pants. "You sure, Ines?"

She rests her palm against my cheek. "I'm sure, Remus."

I ditch my trousers, baring myself to her, before I press against her core. I slide my hand behind her neck. "Eyes on me."

She flicks her gaze to meet mine and smiles. "Eyes on you."

When I stir the next morning, I find my wings are out and I'm lying naked in my bed. But I'm not alone. I glance to my right and tucked against my chest is a slumbering Ines.

She's still here.

In my bed.

With me.

I figured she'd try to sneak out of my room before first light to avoid facing me and acknowledging all the unholy things we did to one another.

I gently raise my wing and discover why I was cloaking her. She's naked too. It's then the memories of last night flood me, consuming me and reigniting my need to have her again.

She snores lightly and the realization that she's completely at peace beside me causes my heart to thunder against my ribcage. I thought before I laid a finger on her I was falling for her, but after tasting her, being buried deep inside of her, I've come to understand I'm skirting dangerously close to being obsessed with this woman.

I take this quiet moment to run my fingers through her loose hair. She always has it tied up or back, fashioned in high-societal acceptable styles, but seeing her bare, with her hair wild and free has me falling deeper under her spell.

She said she needed to feel me at least once. But if she would let go of her pride, she'd see our encounter doesn't need to be a one and done.

Flashes of her grinding on top of me, tugging her hand across my wings, kissing down my chest until she reached my hardened length –

Saints, this woman. If she'd allow it, I'd make her my queen.

I tentatively slip my free arm around her, resting my hand over her breasts. She eases her ass against my front and if I wasn't a gentleman resolved to let her sleep, I'd roll her over and have my way with her again, not stopping until I heard her screaming my name.

Her eyes flutter open at my contact and instead of recoiling from my touch, she tugs my arm tighter around her torso. I plant soft kisses to her temple and the curvature of her jawline before she slowly turns over to face me.

"Good morning," she says, a sexy rasp in her tone.

"Good morning." I stroke my fingers through her hair, sliding wayward wisps of her dark brown locks from her face. "How did you sleep?"

She smirks, squinting her eyes and stretching her legs down the expanse of my own. "For the time allotted for sleeping, I slept well."

"And the time allotted for other activities?"