Total pages in book: 179
Estimated words: 169943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 850(@200wpm)___ 680(@250wpm)___ 566(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 850(@200wpm)___ 680(@250wpm)___ 566(@300wpm)
“It’s incredible timing you got the name when you did. I imagine there’s always a ‘Hawk’ in the guild.”
“There is, and timing has nothing to do with it.” One side of his mouth draws up in a smile. “The old Hawk was getting ready to retire. I made sure I did him a few favors and hinted that I wanted the name when he was heading out. He decided to retire the same day I graduated to full artificer.”
Clever. Clever and sneaky.
He tells me that someday he’d like to be a guild master, training his own recruits. “No Taurian’s ever been a guild master before, though,” he says with a shake of his head. “We’re too valuable in our retrieval roles, I guess.”
It makes me sad, because he’d be an excellent—if stern—teacher. I should know. He’s done more to prepare us for the tunnels than Magpie has, but she gets all the credit.
Well, so to speak. I’m not sure she’s bragging about us at the moment. So far all we’ve found is a dead body.
Okay, and a ring.
That we stole.
And I plan to steal a second one.
My thoughts turn in circles as I finish off the bread and I worry that the others aren’t managing without me. Which is silly, but I still want to know what’s going on. I feign a small yawn, smiling at Hawk, and then lick a droplet of honey from my thumb. “I must be tired after all of those weapons drills earlier.”
“You need your sleep. When the Conquest Moon’s upon me, I’m not going to let you have a moment’s rest.” His gaze is locked on my thumb, and he pushes his bowl aside. “Shall we head home?”
Even though he’s not looking me in the eye, I feel scorched by the intensity of his gaze. I know he’s thinking about sex. I know I certainly am. I flick my tongue over my thumb again and his tail slaps against the nearest chair so hard it sounds like a whip cracking.
Something inside me clenches with arousal, and I suspect if I dropped under the table right now, he’d let me. The thought fills me with heat, and while I’m a little appalled, I’m also titillated at the idea. “Are we…cutting through an alley?”
Is that me suggesting something lascivious? Absolutely.
This time, I absolutely see a hint of red gleaming in his eyes. “Aye.”
I should be alarmed, but instead, I’m excited. “Then let’s go.”
He plunks down a coin with a meaningful slap onto the table and then rises to his feet. As he does, I get an absolutely obscene eyeful of the bulge in his pants, so thick and heavy that it’s obvious to all what’s going on. I glance around the near-empty tavern but luckily the barkeep is busy polishing a glass and the slitherskins aren’t looking in our direction. There are a couple of humans near the hearth who smirk at us, and when Hawk growls low and terrifying, they quickly pay attention to their mugs again.
Hawk takes me by the hand and all but hauls me out after him. I’m breathless with excitement, and not entirely surprised when we stop by a familiar alley across from the brothel. There’s no one outside of it except for a couple of sex workers looking for customers, but it doesn’t matter. He pushes me up against the nearest shadowy wall and tugs on the front of my bodice, freeing one of my breasts from its corseted cage and holding it to his mouth, an offering. He sucks on the tip so fiercely it’s a mixture of pleasure and pain, and I whimper, digging my hands into his clothing.
“Fuck. I’ve been staring at these pretty tits all night, watching them heave with every breath you take. How am I supposed to concentrate?” He flicks his thumb over my nipple and then lowers his head again, nipping and sucking on the sensitive tip. “Want to fuck you, Aspeth. Are you ready?”
That makes me pause. “You—do you mean here? In the alley? Or in general? Because I’d rather my first time not be in the streets—”
“Not here,” he growls, and when he looks up at me, his eyes are gleaming red in the moonlight. “Home. Tonight. But I’m gonna make you come first.”
And he mouths my nipple with such obscene dedication that all I can do is moan and cling to him. His tongue is big and broad, and it feels as if he’s going to swallow my entire breast, but he only teases it, toying with my nipple until it’s flushed and sensitive and every brush of his lips over my skin is making everything tingle.
He pulls up my skirts and fits me against his hips. “Wrap your legs around me.”
I do, panting, and when he bucks his hips against mine, I realize he’s freed his cock from his pants and the hard length of him is rubbing against my pussy underneath my layers of clothing.