Once Upon a Fiery Christmas (Return to Avalore Book 3) (9 page)

His smile widened and he exhaled what sounded like a relieved sigh. “I’d love to, but I want everything that happens from this moment on to be exactly how you want it. Even if it means keeping my hands to myself.”

She giggled and squirmed against him as his teeth grazed the spot again. “I’m all for the hands… and other parts. It’s those teeth that we need to keep under control.”

Sebastian brought his hands up her back to the nape of her neck, holding her before pressing his lips to hers, devouring her.
“We really do need to go inside. Otherwise your neighbors will see more of us than they ever bargained for.”

Chapter 11

Chantelle wasn’t even sure how it happened. One moment they were kissing on her front porch, the next, with no effort on her part, she was inside and pressed against the door. With his hands on either side of her face, Sebastian held her in place as he continued his onslaught. She pressed her palms to his chest and moaned into his kiss.

“Your heart,” she managed between gasping breaths.

“It can handle it. You’ve set it racing for months and I’ve come to no harm.” He sucked her bottom lip between his as he brought his hand down the column of her neck. “I have dreamt of kissing you like this since the day you opened the door to Rhia’s suite and kissed me. I wanted so much more.”

“No, I mean—” She moaned again as he made his way down her chin and neck with his tongue. “The crystal. Outside. Your heart. I want it. I want you… I love you.”

Sebastian drew her body tight against his and brought them further inside. He aimed his palm and manipulated the surrounding energy to open the door and bring her gift safely.

“I love you, Chantelle. I have for a long time. I just never dreamed I’d be so lucky to have someone like you fated to be mine.” He hugged her close, nuzzling her neck and making her squirm. Sebastian grinned before scooping her up into his arms. “Now we can really put my heart to the test.” He didn’t bother asking for directions, he just went straight for her bedroom. “I can’t stop thinking about you every moment of every day, and Goddess help me, I don’t want to.”

Sebastian set her down beside her bed, only stepping away long enough to light the small bedside lamp. “I want to see every part of you, Chantelle, burn you into my memory so that when I’m not with you, I can recall every single detail.” He reached for the top button of her blouse, slipping it through before moving on to release the next. When half the buttons lay undone, he slid his forefingers along the edges, pushing them farther apart.

Heat stole up her cheeks. Her chest heaved beneath his gaze. Even the slight graze of his fingers on her skin had moisture pooling low and a slow throb pulsing in her core.

“You are so beautiful.” Sebastian traced her collarbone on either side with a feather-light touch before finding the swell of her breasts again. Her nipples budded beneath her blouse. He brought his head down to nuzzle her neck, and it was all she could do to keep breathing. His mark throbbed, begging to be touched, caressed, bitten.

“Sebastian.” Chantelle reached for him again, tugged on his shirt and pulled it up his back. She reached his shoulders and he yanked it off and pitched it to the floor. She caressed his chest, marveling at the smooth feel of his skin. His muscles bunched under her touch, and she smiled. She’d seen him shirtless before, but any touching except for their one time in the gardens had been nothing more than casual.

She swiped her tongue over his nipple, letting it tighten for a moment before grazing her teeth over it.

“Chantelle, you’re killing me,” he whispered.

“I’m not stopping you.”
Too busy teasing his nipple, she whispered the words in his mind.

He unfastened the remaining buttons on her blouse, shucked it off and unclasped her bra.

His moan turned into a growl as she licked her way back up to his neck, nuzzling the spot she wanted to sink her teeth into.

“No, Chantelle. No marking today.” His soft words held all the conviction she now lacked.

She pulled back and opened her mouth to protest, before remembering it had been her idea. Sebastian swooped in, kissing her until she could hardly think, much less speak.

“Just think of how much better it will be once we’re joined.”

After all they had been through, she could hold off for a few days until they were joined. She nipped his neck, just to hear him that sexy rumble in his chest again.
“Okay, no marking, but we can still play, right?”

“Oh, we’re playing. Only the Goddess above could stop us.”
He pulled her to him and circled his arms around her bottom, lifting her off the floor. He followed her down on the bed, kissing her as his weight settled over her.

She stroked his back, sending little bursts of energy coursing over his skin, over hers. She had thought to tease him but when he did the same, her whole body came alive, aching for more. He kissed her chin before moving lower. He nuzzled the valley between her breasts, the stubble on his jaw grazing the tender skin. When he looked up at her, fire shone from the depths of his eyes, and she knew he was fighting his dragon just as much as she fought her phoenix.

With his gaze trained to hers, Sebastian cupped her breasts in his hands, his thumb and forefinger pinching and rolling each peak enough to make her gasp and want more. “Sebastian, please.”

His lips set her skin on fire as he kissed his way to her nipple. When he finally pulled it into his mouth, she whimpered and brought her hands up to hold him there. Nothing had ever felt so good. Each pull of his lips, each tweak of his fingers on the other nipple had her clit throbbing harder until she could hardly breathe. She didn’t realize she had a hold of his hair until he tried moving lower.

“You have to let me go, sweetheart.”

His gravelly tone sent a jolt of pleasure coursing through her again. Releasing his hair, Chantelle shuddered when he took his mouth from her aching nipple and blew. With one last flick of his tongue, he kissed the tender skin just beneath her breast, then down to her navel before looking up at her again.

“I can’t wait to taste all of you, Chantelle. I’ve dreamt of burying my face between your beautiful thighs for so long.”

She whimpered again.
“Goddess, yes. Please, Sebastian. I can’t stand it anymore.”
And she couldn’t. She was going up in flames. Every part of her ached and pulsed.

With a wicked glint in his eyes, he nipped her lower belly before unfastening her pants and pulling them just an inch lower. He nuzzled the newly exposed skin, scraping his jaw against it, grinning when she shuddered against him again. Every time he pulled her pants lower, he did the same, until she thought she would go crazy. Once they were finally mid-thigh, he pulled them the rest of the way down before resettling between her legs.

“Open up for me, sweetheart.”

She did as he asked; bending her knees, she let them fall open.

“Your scent is driving me crazy. It’s driving my dragon crazy.” He lowered his head until his hot breath blew against her through the lace of her underwear.

Her heart pounded, and she fisted her hands in the sheets to keep from squirming. With one long, slow stroke, he licked her, and she couldn’t keep from crying out as her hips lifted off the bed.

He nuzzled her inner thigh, then licked again. “So damned delicious.” He pushed the fabric covering her aside, then using his thumbs, held her open. His half-lidded gaze seared her already burning flesh. “So damned beautiful.”

“Sebastian, please,” she panted.

Looking up into her eyes, he brought his mouth down again, licking her all the way to her clit, before circling it, then sucking it into his mouth. Searing heat rushed through her, pulsing deep and long, expanding with each pull of his mouth on her clit. “I can’t, Sebastian, it’s too much.” She shook her head from side to side, trying desperately to keep from flying apart—to keep her phoenix leashed. Pale yellow flames sizzled across her skin, and Sebastian growled, warning her against it. The vibration on her clit was more than she could handle. With a long cry, her entire body tensed, then shattered.

Sebastian moaned against her, lapping at her still quivering flesh, stoking the fire again even before it had snuffed out.
“Goddess above, Chantelle, that was the most glorious thing I have ever seen.”

Chantelle fought to come back to him, her mind and body lost in an intense wave of pleasure.
“Now I want to taste you.”

Sebastian raised himself to his knees, and lowered his jeans.
“There will be plenty of time for that, sweetheart. Right now, I have to be with you. Inside you.”

When he climbed over her again, his hard cock poised at her entrance, she could only nod. His weight on his elbows, he gazed into her eyes, as he gave her a long, slow kiss. Her taste was still on his lips as she licked them. He pressed into her, one inch at a time, the fire burning in his eyes leaping each time he pushed his cock deeper. Once he was fully seated, he moaned. Instinct took over and she turned her head, exposing her neck.

“You can’t tempt me like that. I’m barely hanging on.”
Sebastian rocked his hips, stroking her clit with his pelvis.

Her eyes flew open.
“I can’t help it. She wants you, too.”

He pulled back, then thrust deep again, making them both shudder
“She’ll wait.”

Sebastian nipped at the pink spot at the base of her neck, sending small spasms coursing through her. He set a slow pace, filling her with every stroke until she couldn’t catch her breath and her fingers dug into his skin. The weight of his body on her grounded her. She was fast spiraling out of control, but she wanted him with her when she climaxed this time. She wrapped her legs around him, and when he thrust into her again, she met him halfway.

He pressed his mouth to her neck, nipping a little harder as they did it again. Thrusts came faster and harder, until she couldn’t stop the whimpers slipping past her lips. She dug her nails into his back as he pounded into her. Waves of pulsing heat flooded her and she couldn’t hold on. She cried out his name as she climaxed, squeezing and releasing around his cock until he cried out and finally came with her.

Chapter 12

Chantelle smiled at Rhia while Katie blotted at the dampness of her eyes again. “You’re going to have red eyes for my joining ceremony if you don’t stop. No amount of healing is going to take that puffiness away. Now stop crying and help me get ready.” Even as she chastised her friend, she was gathering her in her arms, sending warmth and love into her.

“I can’t help it, I’m just so happy for the two of you. It’s not every day that one of your best friends joins her mate.” Katie sniffed. “Just promise me you’ll pry yourself away from that man every once in a while to see me, okay?”

“Is that what this is about?” Chantelle hugged her close. “You know I could never stay away from you.”

“I know. I’m irresistible. Don’t mind me. I’m just an emotional fool today.”

“Okay, you two. The hug-fest is going to wrinkle your dresses,” Rhia piped in, smoothing the soft fabric over her belly with a tender smile on her face.

“I’m just going to go freshen up one last time before the ceremony begins.” Katie sniffled again and headed out the door.

“Are you kidding me?” Chantelle blinked fast, staring at Rhia.

“What?” Rhia dropped her hand and nibbled her lip.

“Seriously. I’ve noticed the amount of times you’ve stroked your belly. Are you expecting?”

When Rhia gave her a wobbly smile and nodded, Chantelle couldn’t help but squeal. “Does Katie know?”

“No, no one knows. Not even Drake. I just found out this morning. I noticed a little light inside where there never had been one before. Aiken confirmed just before I came over, and I swore him to secrecy.”

Chantelle hugged her tight. “Why? This is wonderful news.”

“Chantelle, this is
your
special day. I don’t want the attention drawn to me, not today. And if I told Drake, he’d get even more protective and overbearing, and everyone would figure it out before you were joined.”

Katie rejoined them, shutting their conversation down in an instant. “Are you guys okay? You both look a little funny.”

Laughing, Chantelle hugged them both again.
“Don’t worry, Rhia. Your secret is safe with me.”

Why hadn’t anyone come for them yet? Chantelle glanced at the clock, shocked to see that the time had barely moved since she had last checked.

Rhia had told her of some of the practices of the humans in their joining ceremonies and Chantelle wanted to incorporate some of them into her own. Both women had agreed to stand with her on the dais. She had left Sebastian in charge of asking for two of his friends to stand as groomsmen. The matching bright red dresses Katie and Rhia wore fit them like gloves, and were exactly what Chantelle had imagined.

Had it not been for the added preparation of getting two identical dresses made, along with her own and some floral bouquets, she would have been joined a few weeks ago. She couldn’t complain because the seamstress had done a wonderful job on such short notice. It wasn’t the woman’s fault that Chantelle’s phoenix was becoming harder and harder to control. Her phoenix wanted her mate, and she wasn’t shy about trying to lure Sebastian’s dragon out either. The only reason Chantelle managed to keep from giving in to her baser instincts was because Sebastian was strong enough to pull away when she would have given in. In fact, she had tried convincing him she’d changed her mind on more than one occasion, but he wouldn’t budge.