Dark Princess: Shadows (The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance #89)

42. Marina

42

MARINA

" I t was amazing." Marina leaned against Peter's arm as they stood in the hotel lobby, waiting for the second elevator that would take them down to the parking level where they had left their car.

She wasn't looking forward to another bullet ride in the insanely fast elevator, but she was definitely looking forward to getting home and undressing Peter while kissing every inch of skin she exposed.

The pink dress shirt he had on might have looked feminine on another man, but he looked as masculine as ever, his biceps straining the fabric even though he wasn't an iron pumper.

He was just an excellent male specimen.

When they entered the elevator, Peter tapped on the glass screen but not to take them to the parking area. Instead, she saw him selecting the seventieth floor.

Maybe there was an observation deck he wanted to show her?

However, why would it be two floors below the restaurant?

"Where are we going?" she asked.

Peter's eyes sparkled with mischief. "It's a surprise."

Had he arranged for them to spend the night? If so, she needed to call Wonder and let her know she wouldn't be coming to the café in the morning. But maybe he'd planned on using the room just for a few hours?

The thought sent a delicious shiver down her spine.

The problem with that scenario was that she would pass out from his venom bite, and he would have to dress her and carry her to the car afterward.

Not that it was a problem for her mate.

She cast another admiring look at the pink shirt that was stretched across his broad shoulders in a most enticing way and the gray slacks that lovingly hugged his thighs.

Marina still couldn't believe that this gorgeous immortal was all hers, and that in just a little over a week they'd be married.

"You got us a room, didn't you?" she asked as the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

His only response was that signature smirk that never failed to make her weak at the knees. They walked down the corridor until the very end, where Peter pulled out his phone and waved it in front of a double door—the only one of its kind she had seen on this floor.

When one of the panels swung open smoothly, a pleasant, computerized voice announced, "Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. MacBain."

She turned to look at him. "So, that's how it's going to be from now on?"

He shrugged, and before she knew what he was planning, he swung her into his arms and carried her inside. "This is the honeymoon suite, my love."

He was traditional, but that was just one more thing she loved about him.

Not that celebrating a honeymoon before the wedding was a traditional move, but it was a very Peter thing to do.

Winding her arms around his neck, she pressed a kiss to his jaw. "Aren't we supposed to be married first and then go on our honeymoon?"

"There are fittings and rehearsals for everything else before the wedding, so why not for the honeymoon suite as well? I thought we could have some fun away from the village and the stress of the upcoming party."

He carried her through the opulent living-room portion of the suite to the bedroom area, setting her gently on the plush king-sized bed with the enormous heart-shaped pillow. That's when she spotted the duffle bag on the floor beside the closet door.

"Did you pack things for us?" she asked.

He nodded. "I asked the bellhop to bring it up while we were having dinner." His fingers started moving to the buttons of his dress shirt. "I also packed a few accessories for playtime."

Excitement coursed through her as she tried to imagine what toys he had brought and what he had planned for her, but then the buttons started to pop, taut skin was revealed, and all coherent thought fled Marina's mind.

It didn't matter how many times she'd seen Peter naked. Her body still responded to him like it was the first time, her heart racing and her skin flushing with desire.

"You like?" he teased, shrugging the pink fabric off his shoulders.

"Mmm." She wet her lips. "You are magnificent."

He chuckled, the sound low and rich. "Not as magnificent as you." His eyes traveled over her body with obvious appreciation. "That dress has been driving me crazy all evening."

Marina glanced down at her simple knee-length dress, aware of how the fabric clung to her curves. "You were very well-behaved during dinner. I expected you to be much naughtier."

He'd played with her a little when they had first sat down, but after that, he hadn't done anything more daring than put his hand on her exposed knee or kiss the back of her hand.

"It wasn't easy." He stalked toward the bed with predatory grace. "Especially when you kept shifting in your chair, making that skirt ride up."

"I wasn't doing it on purpose."

Well, not all the time. Sometimes, the clingy fabric just rode up.

"No?" He braced his hands on either side of her, caging her with his body. "What about when you were playing footsie under the table?"

"That was definitely on purpose." She grinned.

Marina hadn't done anything overly daring with her foot, just brushing over his calves, but it had been enough to get him hard, probably as he was imagining what she would have done if they were sitting in a more secluded place, like the booth in By Invitation Only .

His lips brushed against her ear. "Minx."

Marina shivered at the endearment, tilting her head to give him better access to her neck. "Are you going to punish me?"

"Hmm." His teeth grazed her skin, not quite hard enough to break it. "I might have packed something special for just that purpose."

Her breath hitched. "Peter..."

He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, his expression growing serious. "Limits?"

The familiar question grounded her, reminding her that even in their most intense moments, her comfort and consent were his priority. "None," she whispered. "I want to play tonight."

His answering smile was both tender and wicked. "Good girl." He straightened up and walked over to the duffle bag. "Close your eyes."

Marina complied, listening to the sounds of him unzipping the bag and rustling through its contents. The mattress dipped as he sat beside her.

"Keep them closed," he instructed. Something cool and silky brushed against her arm. "Can you guess what this is?"

She concentrated on the sensation. "One of your ties?"

"Very good." The fabric trailed up to her shoulder. "Do you remember the first time we used these?"

How could she forget? It had been in his cabin. She'd been so nervous but excited, too. "The cruise. You blindfolded me and tied my wrists to the headboard," she recalled, heat pooling in her belly at the memory. "Made me beg..."

His fingers traced along her collarbone. "You are so beautiful." There was a pause, then he commanded, "Open your eyes."

Marina's lashes fluttered open.

Peter had removed his shirt completely, and the sight of his bare chest took her breath away. But what really caught her attention was the bunch of ties in his hand, all in various shades of blue.

"I bought those to replace all of my other ties. From now on, I will wear blue ties until you decide to change your hair color and then I'll replace them again to match it. I think that speaks of commitment even louder than rings."

Her heart melted. She couldn't wait to be his wife.

"I love you so much."

"I love you, my Marina." Peter looked at her with as much hunger in his eyes as he'd had the first time they had been together.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured as he removed her dress, kissing her skin as he exposed more of it until she was lying naked in front of him.

He leaned away and gazed at her as if she were a work of art. "Absolutely perfect."

When they had first met, she might have thought that he was flattering her, but now she not only believed that he meant it, but also believed it to be true. In Peter's eyes, she was the most beautiful of them all, and since his eyes were the only ones that mattered, it was true.

"So are you." She reached for him.

He was still partially dressed, but with his speed, it would take a split second for his trousers to disappear. Sometimes he did it so fast that it almost looked like magic.

He chuckled. "You look at me with so much desire that I'm not sure I want to blindfold you."

"Then don't."

She liked it when he took her vision and freedom of movement away, it heightened her pleasure, but if her coveting gaze pleased him, she would gladly sacrifice the game for him.

Peter smiled. "You know me, love. When I have a plan, I stick to it." He wrapped one of the blue silk ties around her head and tied it on the side so the knot wouldn't bother her.

Closing her eyes, Marina let out a breath and centered herself, ready to fully relinquish control to her mate.

He made quick work of looping a tie around each of her wrists, checking if she was comfortable, and only then tying them to the headboard.

Next, she heard his slacks hitting the floor, and a moment later, he was covering her body with his, his lips taking hers in a passionate kiss that didn't last long.

Peter was a man with a plan, and as he slid down her body, she knew what that plan was.

He attacked with no preamble, his tongue lashing at her clit as he penetrated her with two fingers, sliding them in with ease and slowly pumping in and out of her.

It was nothing like his usual slow buildup, and she wondered whether he was so hungry for her that he was impatient or if it was part of his game plan.

Most likely, it was the latter. Peter did not compromise his plans.

As the pressure built, coherent thoughts became nearly impossible, and Marina was turned into a creature of need, moaning and rocking her hips to get more of those talented fingers inside of her.

When Peter's lips captured her clit, his fingers kept pumping, and her arousal gathered momentum. His other hand traced up to her breast, tugging and pinching her nipple.

Mother above, she was so close.

Then when something cold and metallic rubbed against the turgid peak, she sucked in a breath, and when the clamp closed, it stung. Hissing, she sucked in another breath, waiting for the other clamp to even out the torment.

When it finally happened, she screamed her climax at the top of her lungs.