Queen of Death

Chapter 24

Solana

Eli's possessive hands claim my waist, spinning me around to face away from him as his front conforms to my back.

His right hand smooths over the front of my lower belly, pressing my ass firmly against the prominent bulge in his pants. He has the forethought to turn our backs to the lounge where half my family is gathered but the burn of his lips and the sensual ministrations of his hands on my skin is almost enough to make me throw caution to the wind.

This is what Eli gets off on. The thrill of being caught, the thrill of being watched. Which is why I was surprised, and admittedly a little disappointed, when he rejected my request to take me to The Den. To the club where he once made me feel good, and beautiful, and desired.

My eyes fall closed with my head resting against his chest, my body his to move and explore as he wishes, giving him ultimate control. Giving him all of my trust. All in. No half measures.

Soon, however, even in the dark of the club, even with my eyes closed, I sense someone standing in front of me and Eli. Not just any someone, though.

"Princess," Ace's voice drips over me like hot wax. "Time to go home."

"Where's everyone else? Where's Hunter?" I murmur, still glued to Eli's body.

"They're still upstairs. Besides your parents and Xander, they're the only ones left." His smirk tells me he's reading my face like a book and finding amusement in the heat of my mortification of being seen like this by my parents of all people.

Eli's grip on me slackens, his confidence waning in the full presence of his Alpha and my mate.

"Do you need to say goodbye to anyone or are you ready to go?" His thumb gently massages the back of my hand.

Eli's grip finds its strength again. He likes the sound of going home and I know by the way Ace's eyes darken that he likes the idea of it too.

"You can bring us back first. I'll watch over her in the five seconds it'll take you to come back for the others." Eli suggests.

"Is that right, Princess? Should I trust him with you?" Ace taunts me and all I can do is nod. He steals a kiss, breaching my lips so I can taste the bourbon still on his tongue. When I feel him release me, I open my eyes to discover that I'm alone with Eli in the master bedroom. My lips tingle with the remnants of Ace's kiss.

I find myself suddenly shy. Uncharacteristically so. It's easy to be bold and brave in the dark. Baring yourself, all of yourself, is much more intimidating in the soft light of a silent bedroom.

Eli feels my tension and insecurity, the way my arms wrap around themselves to cover up the flesh my dress exposes.

"Come with me," he leads me by the hand over to the edge of the bed where he takes a seat and beckons me to stand between his knees. His brown eyes regard me intently and if I look into them long enough I can see the swirls of caramel color that give his eyes a warmth that rivals the ice he can wield.

"I want to show you off," he purrs appreciatively.

My head tips to the side in curiosity. "Then why aren't we at The Den?" I press forward into his lap allowing my thigh to stroke his hardness through his pants.

Pleasured groans rumble from his chest. His hands move in unison up my back and over my shoulder blades. He hooks his fingers into the thin straps of my dress and pulls them off my shoulders, letting them dangle over my arms.

My hand twitches up on instinct to hold my dress to my chest. "Don't," he says firmly before repeating himself more gently, "don't hide yourself."

My breasts threaten to spill out of my dress. His hands return to my lower back before he drops a kiss over my heart. My heart rate accelerates with every new kiss he plants on my skin. So tender and so deliberate.