Shadow and Bone

“This is the only thing I want to be doing,” he growled, and
I could hear the bitterness and desire all tangled up in his
voice.
“And you hate that,” I said with a sudden flash of
comprehension.
He sighed and leaned against me, brushing my hair back
from my neck. “Maybe I do,” he murmured, his lips grazing
my ear, my throat, my collarbone.
I shivered, letting my head fall back, but I had to ask.
“Why?”
“Why?” he repeated, his lips still brushing over my skin, his
fingers sliding over the ribbons at my neckline. “Alina, do you
know what Ivan told me before we took the stage? Tonight, we
received word that my men have spotted Morozova’s herd.
The key to the Shadow Fold is finally within our grasp, and
right now, I should be in the war room, hearing their report. I
should be planning our trip north. But I’m not, am I?”
My mind had shut down, given itself over to the pleasure
coursing through me and the anticipation of where his next
kiss would land.
“Am I?” he repeated and he nipped at my neck. I gasped
and shook my head, unable to think. He had me pushed up
against the door now, his hips hard against mine. “The
problem with wanting,” he whispered, his mouth trailing along
my jaw until it hovered over my lips, “is that it makes us
weak.” And then, at last, when I thought I couldn’t bear it any
longer, he brought his mouth down on mine.
His kiss was harder this time, laced with the anger I could
feel lingering inside him. I didn’t care. I didn’t care that he’d
ignored me or that he confused me or about any of Genya’s
vague warnings. He’d found the stag. He’d been right about
me. He’d been right about everything.
His hand slid down to my hip. I felt a little trill of panic as
my skirt slid higher and his fingers closed on my bare thigh,
but instead of pulling away, I pushed closer to him.