Page 60 of For the Ghastly and Beautiful

“To be around. You. Them. It’s changed again, and I find myself wanting more, though I don’t know––”

“What do you want, Ada?”

He hovers behind me, not touching, but so close. I lean into him, suppressing a shiver when my heated skin meets the chill of his chest.

“I only know enough to ask for what I need. My wants are short-sighted in comparison to everything that’s happening.”

“What do you want?”

“This.” I exhale slowly, tipping my head as his breath skims across my neck. “It sounds wrong, but it feels right.”

His lips caress the shell of my ear as he murmurs, “Stop thinking like a human. You’re a Mongrel.”

“I don’t know what it means to be a Mongrel yet.”

“Let me show you.”

“Yes.”

Imryll tugs at the ribbon holding my layered skirt up, tossing the fabric in front of me. I watch it float to the floor in a rainbow of sheer fabric as he presses me down until my chest is flat against the exam table. He slides my arms up, closing my fingers around the edge.

I feel exposed and vulnerable in this position, though a delayed thrill heats me, knowing someone could catch us like this. But I trust Imryll. I feel safe with him.

His hand smoothes across my back before he slowly eases my panties down and pushes my legs apart. A groan of appreciation hums low in his chest as he nips at my ass.

That delicious rumble… It resonates through me, rippling against a freeing part of my mind that I fight to control. She is wanton, and in another world, she was promiscuous. Restraining her is difficult after she’s been uncaged.

And these Mongrel men didn’t just open the lock.

They snapped the bars, ensuring the cage’s destruction.

A shocked moan is wrenched from me as Imryll spreads my cheeks, his satin tongue delving within. His thumb toys at my entrance as he barely grazes my clit with the side of his index finger.

I tighten my grip and seal my lips shut to muffle my sounds as an orgasm rocks through me. Stars white out my vision while I heave for breath. He kisses his way up my back before the blunt tip of his erection presses against my core, easing into me with restrained patience.

There’s something carnal about the way he savors the sensations.

It’s not just sex; it’s possession.

With a steady rhythm, he builds the swell of pleasure, stretching the tidal wave for miles as he edges me. This is the current that won’t let me go. He’ll show me the shore before he drags me into the abyss. And I’ll never want to leave the cold comfort, too addicted to the chills racing through me.

The orgasm sweeps me away, leisurely rolling through my body as I cry out his name. He bites at the top of my shoulder with bruising force, his strained groan prolonging my bliss. I hiss when he pulls away, not ready to release him. Hot ribbons lace across my lower back, and I roll my eyes despite my dopey grin.

I’m fucking tired.

The tingles in my legs finally abate as the chill seeps from my skin, my returning heat causing my muscles to burn. And the door to the clinic swings open, banging against the wall as someone looses a string of muffled curses.

“Imryll?” Selmar calls out. “I need a hand unloading the supplies.”

Imy backs away, adjusting his clothes as footsteps grow closer. Five seconds, and he looks like this entire encounter never happened.

“We are not doing this here again,” I whisper-shout, combing my hair with my fingers.

“Imryll?” the seasoned doctor calls. “Do you have a patient?”

“Yes, we are,” Imy replies to me before answering Selmar, “I’ll be out in a moment.”

“Repeat after me: no more sex in the clinic.”

He gives me a roguish grin like this is the most fun he’s ever had. Then he opens the door and walks out of the exam room, leaving me frantically trying to tie the ribbon on my skirt as I search for my panties.

“Thanks for coming in early,” Selmar says, his voice carrying down the hall from the waiting area.

“It was my pleasure,” Imryll cheerfully tells him.

I roll my eyes.

What a cheeky fucking Mongrel.