Death and Desire (Love in Cairo #1)

Chapter Nineteen

T he familiar black cloud of smoke surrounded them. Slowly, it encircled her limbs and twined their bodies together, as if melding them into a single form.

Violet shivered as he transformed beneath her touch, his large frame shifting to the broad strength of a man. The smoke dissipated, revealing the dark eyes and handsome face she’d encountered at the gala.

Khalid held her. She brushed his dark hair back, reveling in the silken strands sliding beneath her fingertips, much like the fur in his true form.

“Why did you change?” Violet asked, her voice husky with need. “Do you think I only desire you as a human?”

“I sense your desire for me in both forms.” Khalid’s full lips twitched. “As much as I wish to lay claim to you, there are restrictions in this realm.”

“Restrictions?” Violet’s curiosity grew. “What—?”

“Would you like answers, or would you rather I sate your lust, little flower?” He arched a brow, amusement slowly transforming his face from stoic to sinful.

Heat flared to life in the pit of her stomach. She tightened her hold on him, aware of the solid press of his cock at her center, barred only by the thin fabric they both wore. It had been too long since she’d embraced her desires, but never had she encountered such desperate hunger. She threaded her fingers through his thick hair, cradling the back of his head, and pulled him closer.

Her lips touched his. A spark ignited an inferno within her. Soft, warm, pliant, his mouth parted with a gasp, teasing, inviting her to explore. He tasted of exotic spices and rich honeyed treats. Somewhere beneath it lay forbidden desires and darkness. Violet moaned when his tongue caressed hers.

Khalid tightened his grip on her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh. He backed up, carrying her to the bed. Sinking slowly to the mattress, he settled her on his lap. Knees pressed to the soft bedding, Violet straddled his thighs, cursing the linen and silk keeping her from feeling the heat of his skin on hers.

She swore, tugging at the buttons of his linen shirt. His hands slid up her thighs and over her hips. After he reached her waist, his thumbs brushed up to the curve of her breasts.

So eager, he whispered in her mind, and the familiar caress she’d come to associate with his presence soothed her.

He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her throat. Her hands stilled on his chest, where the fabric gaped, the quest to undress him abandoned at the sensation he created with the simple press of his mouth to her skin.

“Please...” The plea echoed from between her panting breaths.

Khalid grasped the lapels of her silk robe and peeled them over her shoulders, allowing his fingertips to ghost across her skin. The gentle caress sent a bolt of need through her, landing heavily in the pit of her gut, feeding the raging fire inside her.

Cool air did nothing to soothe her heated ache. Her nipples puckered, brushing the linen of his shirt.

“So beautiful,” he murmured, leaning down to take one of the hard peaks in his mouth.

A deep moan ripped from her throat. He teased the nipple with his tongue while his hand covered the other, rolling the bud between his fingertips.

Violet rocked against him, gripping his shoulders for balance, fisting her hands in the fabric of his shirt, anything to remain grounded.

Khalid pulled back, sucking hard before releasing her nipple with a soft pop. “I want to taste all of you.”

Hearing his strained voice, molten with need, unleashed a torrent inside her. She shivered as he pulled the silk away and dropped it to the floor before grasping her waist and lifting her from his lap.

The change in position left her momentarily disappointed.

But when he laid her on the bed and stood, her breath hitched at the sight of his cock tenting the front of his trousers. Her cheeks heated, and she lifted her gaze to his face.

Khalid pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. Violet moved to kneel on the bed before him as he reached for his waist.

“Let me.” She nudged his hand aside and slowly unfastened the button. Her fingertips grazed the length of his cock over fabric, and he sucked in a breath.

He hooked his thumbs in the band and pushed the fabric down, stepping out of it. Khalid stood bare before her, his cock heavy between his thighs. He growled deep in his throat as she took him in her hands. The silken length of him was hard in her palm as she stroked it. Once, twice.

She marveled at the perfection of his human form, but deep in the recesses of her mind, she wondered what his true form offered.

“Such a curious mind.” Khalid tipped her chin. “One day, I will show you.”

“But—”

Khalid stepped out of reach and shook his head. “Would you rather wait?”

“No,” Violet nearly shouted. Her heart fluttered at the thought of being left in this state of uninhibited, unabashed lust. “I want this now. I want you.”

Khalid’s soft growl made her shiver. He prowled forward, and she scrambled away, her back landing softly on the blankets. His hands caressed her calves, spreading her legs as he joined her.

She inhaled sharply as his appreciative gaze slid from her face, over her breasts and stomach, to settle on the downy hair between her thighs. Memories of their stolen moment in the garden rushed back to her in a wave. His deliberate touch as he brought her to climax in the dark alcove, hidden from view of passing hotel guests.

Khalid inclined his head as he settled between her thighs. He drew a finger over her sex. “Your body weeps for me, my Violet.”

Her body trembled at his soft caress. She moaned as he placed the glistening finger on his tongue.

Khalid lowered himself, bracing his hands on her thighs, spreading her wide, inhaling before covering her cunt with his mouth.

Violet bucked against his hold as his tongue slid deep, tasting her. Her muttered curses filled the room as he devoured her, his tongue seeking her heat, exploring with an eagerness she hadn’t expected. He laved every part of her, collecting her arousal on his tongue as though it were fine honeyed wine.

She writhed beneath his touch, her gasping pants and whispered pleas filling the silence.

“Please...I...need...”

Violet gasped between harried breaths. Her heart raced, even as her body hummed.

“Tell me what you need,” Khalid murmured into her aching cunt. His wicked tongue darted out, sliding along her clit.

“I need to come,” she whimpered.

“Take your release, Violet.” His breath caressed her between calculated strokes of his tongue. “Let me taste it when you cry out my name.”

His grip on her thighs pinned her in place as he redoubled his efforts.

Her body pulsed, a shimmering haze of climax pulling her deeper.

“Anubis!” she cried out as it took hold, wrapping her in its firm embrace. Her fingers threaded through his hair, stroking his head as the pressure of his mouth slowly eased.

With a final lick, he leaned back, dark eyes glittering with something she couldn’t quite place. A smile curved his wet lips, and he licked them.

Pride. She recognized it just before he released his hold and covered her body with his.

The slide of his warm skin along hers as he settled over her made her sigh with contentment. His cock brushed against her still pulsing cunt. He captured her mouth in a desperate kiss, and she opened for him, her moan lost on his tongue.

Violet clutched his shoulders, rocking her hips. The heat of his cock stoked her fire as it slid across the spot where she craved him.

He hooked his hand behind her knee, drawing her open as he lifted her leg to the side. He fitted himself to her, placing his cock at her entrance and driving deep.

A groaning gasp ripped from her chest as he filled her. He reached into her mind, the gentle caress soothing her discomfort. Violet pushed his chest.

“Don’t do that.” She gasped as he stilled.

His brow furrowed. “I hurt you.”

Violet shook her head. “I want to feel everything.” She thrust upward, and he swelled inside her, his grip bruising her thigh. “Pleasure and pain. I want them both.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She kissed him, drawing his lip between her teeth and biting gently. “Please.”

Her plea unleashed the beast within him.

Khalid pinned her wrists to the bed on either side of her. He growled as he drove his hips against her, pushing deep. Every thrust unraveled another spiral of pleasure, punctuated by the sweet sting of discomfort.

Violet bit her lip to keep from crying out. Her muffled groans and whimpers fueled him, driving him harder. This was what she wanted, what she craved. Not the soft touch of a timid lover, but the possessive heat of a forbidden union with a man...a god who craved her with equal intensity. She wanted to be consumed by it, by him , to be lost to the sands of time and the confines of reality.

He kissed her hard, swallowing her cries. She met his thrusts, lifting her hips to him. A beautiful rhythm, their hearts pounding in tandem. He released his hold to cradle her face in one hand.

Khalid broke the kiss. “My Violet.” He placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Mine.”

His words unleashed the building momentum inside her and tipped her into the sweet void of release. As her climax seized hold, she clung to him, her breaths coming in sharp, stuttered gasps.

Khalid whispered above her in another language, one that was unfamiliar to her, yet the lilt of his voice and the depth of his tone made her shiver with delight.

A spark radiated through her. She tightened around him wanting to pull him into the bliss.

His eyes closed as he reached his climax, thick muscles tensing beneath her hands as she ran them over his broad chest.

He growled softly at her touch and opened his eyes, fixing them on her.

“Mine.” Violet rested her hand on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart, and smiled when he growled again. She basked in the power the innocent touch held over him.

She purred in contentment as he rolled to the side and gathered her against his strong body. Together, they lay in the dark with soft light drifting in through the window, casting them in an ethereal glow. She nestled close to him, feeling safe and happy, more so than ever before.

This man made her burn with longing. But this was no ordinary man. This was Anubis. Protector of the dead. A god.

And he belonged to her .