Read Online Nightbloom by Juliette Cross - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Juliette Cross
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right.”
Breathing hard, I clung to him. “What do you mean?”
A rumble of laughter vibrated from his chest to mine, which did nothing to regain my own sense of control.
“Just that I’m doing my best to be a good boy .”
“What if I don’t want you to be a good boy?”
What had gotten into me?
“Ella.” A definite warning. He nipped at my lower lip before sliding his tongue inside, giving me a slow, languorous taste. “Your mouth is so beautiful. Please watch what you say with it.”
“Why?” I whispered as he continued to nibble and tease.
“Because I have only so much self-control.”
I slid one of my hands down his chest and abdomen, wishing his nice shirt wasn’t barring me from his skin.
“The things I want…” He seized my hand, stopping its wandering path, twining his fingers with mine.
“The things you want?” I tilted my mouth higher for him, but he’d stopping kissing me.
Dark eyes glinted again with an unnatural luster. I thought it a reflection of the moon-drenched snow. His voice hardened. “I need to get you home.”
He wrapped one arm under my knees, and we shot into the air.
“Eeek!” I squeezed my arms around his neck. “Jeez, Paxon. Give me some warning, please .”
A tight rumble of laughter. “Point the way. Where do you live?”
“Well, I’ve never traveled home by air. Head to the south side near the country estates.”
After a rather difficult air navigation where I realized I couldn’t just tell him turn left on such-and-such street, I finally pointed out our family property.
“There, on the second floor. You can take me to my bedroom balcony. I never lock it.”
There was no way I’d be walking in the front door in case my parents were up and about. For all they knew, I was with Clayton, so they wouldn’t be up waiting and worrying about me. The irony was laughable. Clayton was the one they should’ve been worried about all along.
Paxon landed and set me on my feet. “What’s wrong with the front door?”
“Hmm? Oh, nothing. I just don’t want to wake up my parents and explain the whole thing with Clayton.”
That was partially true.
“About that.” He cupped my face with one hand, his thumb stroking over my cheek. “What you did in that bar took guts.”
I lifted my chin a little higher. “Well, um, thanks. He deserved it. I’m just sorry it took me so long to realize the truth about him.”
“Actually, I wasn’t talking about him. I was talking about the kiss you laid on me in front of quite a large audience. By tomorrow, the story will be all over Gladium.”
The blood drained from my face. Why hadn’t I considered the consequences of my little charade before I acted? If everyone was talking about it, it could easily get back to my parents, to my mom.
Paxon’s brow creased together. “Do you regret it?”
“No! Of course not. I just, I just don’t like people talking about me.”
He laughed, giving me a soft kiss. “That’s the price of lifting the veil, angel. Everyone will take notice of the beauty beneath.”
I gulped.
“By the way, I was serious about needing a good curator for our gallery. Are you still interested?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. That would be really great.”
“Good. Can you meet me at the gallery tomorrow morning around eight a.m.?”
“Sure, it’s a date. I mean, well, not a date. Just a meeting.”
He laughed, pressing his lips to mine, opening them just a little to lick inside. Heat flared once more. Such a new sensation, it struck me dumb every time.
“Mmm,” he hummed against my lips. “Don’t think I’ll ever get enough of that.” He stepped back, beat his wings once and landed on the stone railing. “Tomorrow morning is a business meeting, Ella. Our first date is tomorrow night.”
He lifted off into the night. The rush of wind from his beating wings washed over me, caressing me with his masculine scent.
“Our first date.” I smiled up at the Morgon man fading away against the
Breathing hard, I clung to him. “What do you mean?”
A rumble of laughter vibrated from his chest to mine, which did nothing to regain my own sense of control.
“Just that I’m doing my best to be a good boy .”
“What if I don’t want you to be a good boy?”
What had gotten into me?
“Ella.” A definite warning. He nipped at my lower lip before sliding his tongue inside, giving me a slow, languorous taste. “Your mouth is so beautiful. Please watch what you say with it.”
“Why?” I whispered as he continued to nibble and tease.
“Because I have only so much self-control.”
I slid one of my hands down his chest and abdomen, wishing his nice shirt wasn’t barring me from his skin.
“The things I want…” He seized my hand, stopping its wandering path, twining his fingers with mine.
“The things you want?” I tilted my mouth higher for him, but he’d stopping kissing me.
Dark eyes glinted again with an unnatural luster. I thought it a reflection of the moon-drenched snow. His voice hardened. “I need to get you home.”
He wrapped one arm under my knees, and we shot into the air.
“Eeek!” I squeezed my arms around his neck. “Jeez, Paxon. Give me some warning, please .”
A tight rumble of laughter. “Point the way. Where do you live?”
“Well, I’ve never traveled home by air. Head to the south side near the country estates.”
After a rather difficult air navigation where I realized I couldn’t just tell him turn left on such-and-such street, I finally pointed out our family property.
“There, on the second floor. You can take me to my bedroom balcony. I never lock it.”
There was no way I’d be walking in the front door in case my parents were up and about. For all they knew, I was with Clayton, so they wouldn’t be up waiting and worrying about me. The irony was laughable. Clayton was the one they should’ve been worried about all along.
Paxon landed and set me on my feet. “What’s wrong with the front door?”
“Hmm? Oh, nothing. I just don’t want to wake up my parents and explain the whole thing with Clayton.”
That was partially true.
“About that.” He cupped my face with one hand, his thumb stroking over my cheek. “What you did in that bar took guts.”
I lifted my chin a little higher. “Well, um, thanks. He deserved it. I’m just sorry it took me so long to realize the truth about him.”
“Actually, I wasn’t talking about him. I was talking about the kiss you laid on me in front of quite a large audience. By tomorrow, the story will be all over Gladium.”
The blood drained from my face. Why hadn’t I considered the consequences of my little charade before I acted? If everyone was talking about it, it could easily get back to my parents, to my mom.
Paxon’s brow creased together. “Do you regret it?”
“No! Of course not. I just, I just don’t like people talking about me.”
He laughed, giving me a soft kiss. “That’s the price of lifting the veil, angel. Everyone will take notice of the beauty beneath.”
I gulped.
“By the way, I was serious about needing a good curator for our gallery. Are you still interested?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. That would be really great.”
“Good. Can you meet me at the gallery tomorrow morning around eight a.m.?”
“Sure, it’s a date. I mean, well, not a date. Just a meeting.”
He laughed, pressing his lips to mine, opening them just a little to lick inside. Heat flared once more. Such a new sensation, it struck me dumb every time.
“Mmm,” he hummed against my lips. “Don’t think I’ll ever get enough of that.” He stepped back, beat his wings once and landed on the stone railing. “Tomorrow morning is a business meeting, Ella. Our first date is tomorrow night.”
He lifted off into the night. The rush of wind from his beating wings washed over me, caressing me with his masculine scent.
“Our first date.” I smiled up at the Morgon man fading away against the