Chapter 552: Power Play
The night air in the Vale of Mists carried a crisp autumn chill, whispering through the shutters with promises of frost by morning. But within Ashlynn’s chambers, the roaring fire crackled and popped, sending dancing shadows across the stone walls as the occasional -POP- from the fire sent a flurry of sparks dancing on the air, glowing like tiny stars before they faded into the shadows.
The heated gazes exchanged between the two women as they moved from the terrace to the bedchamber and the soft, wet sounds of quick, stolen kisses created a warmth that radiated between them, feeling hotter than the depths of summer in the Briar. Faint cedar smoke from the burning logs mingled with Nyrielle’s subtle perfume of lavender and honeysuckle, creating an intoxicating blend that made Ashlynn’s head swim.
Nyrielle moved with slow, deliberate tenderness as she pressed Ashlynn up against one of the ornately carved corner posts of her bed. The rough wood caught at the delicate lace trim of Ashlynn’s dress, gently tugging at her in a way that made her feel ever so lightly restrained, sending shivers down her body as she felt ’trapped’ by her own dress.
Gazing at her lover with midnight blue eyes that burned with passion, Nyrielle savored the feeling of her lover’s supple body, yielding yet firm against her own. The silk of Ashlynn’s delicate dress slid whisper-soft against the heavier brocade of Nyrielle’s gown as she pressed herself close enough to bring her lips from Ashlynn’s delicate mouth, along her gently curving jawline and down to her sweet neck.
The vampire’s tongue traced a delicate path along Ashlynn’s neck, tasting salt and sweetness mingled with the faintest trace of the rosewater Ashlynn had dabbed there earlier. The pulse beneath that tender skin jumped wildly against Nyrielle’s lips, like a drumbeat of desire that echoed in both their chests.
"No," Ashlynn said softly as she drew a ragged, shuddering breath. Her heart pounded in her chest, racing with anticipation that she could feel echoed within Nyrielle’s heart, but she forced herself to cool things down before she fully roused Nyrielle’s hunger.
"No biting," Ashlynn whispered, placing a finger under Nyrielle’s chin and drawing her lover’s lips away from her neck, enveloping the other woman’s lips with her own and drawing her into a deep kiss.
Ashlynn’s fingers laced their way through Nyrielle’s raven-dark hair, feeling each silken strand slide between her fingers like cool water. She tightened her grip, firmly anchoring her lover in place, relishing the slight catch of breath she pulled from the powerful vampire’s lips.
As she extended one leg, the rustling of her skirts against her thighs whispered like an anticipatory lover, urging Ashlynn to press even further. Her stockinged calf wrapped around Nyrielle’s long, slender legs, the friction of silk against silk adding to the ever building aura of desire between them as she pulled their bodies even closer together.
The heat building between them intensified where their hips met, and Ashlynn’s fingertips tingled with the magical energy that always rose within her when they touched like this, filling the air with an intense, evergreen scent that briefly called to mind the first time Nyrielle had pinned her against something as firm and unyielding as the bedpost behind her.