Rosemary Johns - Rebel Academy - Curse

She traced her fingers through the trail of tears, and I flinched. “There’s no shame in emotions. It takes bravery to strip yourself bare to another. Right now, you’re beautiful.”

I sniffed, wishing that I could wipe away the tears, but not wanting to let go of Magenta. “Lay off, I bet that I have red-rimmed eyes and a swollen nose. I’d guess… 3/10 overall pettability.”

Magenta’s gaze was serious, as she licked down the path of my tears from my eyes to my chin. “You’re pettable when you cry, laugh, dance…” Could she mean it? Let it be true. “…and sleep.” She pinked. “I may be possessive enough now to enjoy watching all of my lovers sleep. I know that you’re safe, relaxed, and mine . And tonight, you need to know that you’re safe with me. So, it’s about your desires. You’re in control.”

When did an incubus have control?

My breathing slowed, and my shoulders sagged. Wow, I’d been tense.

Perhaps, she’d give me a massage. After all, she thought that I was pettable, right? Well, I was an incubus of the Night Lineage, and we were sizzling.

My desires curled through me. How did I choose from a very, very, very long list? I was a greedy incubus.

I gently pushed Magenta onto her back, and my ruby gaze hardened to the predatory. “You have a habit of wearing too many clothes.”

She raised her eyebrow. “How terrible of me.”

Her clothes melted away, apart from her silk corset.

She stretched out, clutching her hands above her head, as her hair spread out in a blond waterfall across the pillows.

Tease.

My breath caught. My gaze was also caught by the way that she tipped to the side, revealing the bow that held her corset on like an invitation.

My hands were shaky with desire, as I knelt beside her, pulling open the bow and unlacing her in an act of worship. As I freed her from the corset that trapped her tits, I kissed between her shoulder blades and pulled her hair aside to suck along her neck. She moaned.

“Touch yourself,” I murmured.

Magenta glanced over her shoulder at me, and I pressed a kiss to her lips. I only wanted to bring her pleasure, and as the commands fed bubbling pleasure through me, so I’d spiral her higher to her own release…or her clever fingers would.

We were a brilliant team.

She slipped her hands between her legs, and her head dropped onto the pillows. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she bit her lip.

Was Finger Envy a thing because I craved to take the place of her fingers, as they circled her clit, with my own tongue?

I unlaced her corset and freed her tits. I slid my hand up her stomach, as her muscles quivered, and between her tits. Then I circled her nub in time to her fingers on her clit, while the bond connected us. Her magic flared in the stars above us, pulsing with our pleasure. My dick pulsed as well, hard and heavy between my legs. But although I was in control, this was for Magenta.

What I’d craved from the moment that I’d been bonded was to love and please. Being loved back was a bonus.

I desired to worship Magenta.

Magenta twisted her head to meet my lips again; she was desperate and coming apart, as I had for her. I hooked my leg over her, holding her in place, as I flicked across both her nubs, before catching them between my fingers and twisting.

“Come,” I breathed.

She screamed against my mouth, as she stiffened, spasming. Her fingers worked harder, before stilling. I pulled her onto her back and smoothed the hair out of her face, before settling next to her.

Wow, I’d killed her.

“ Ehm , was that…?” Mindblowing, brilliant, okay but can I have a cup of tea now?

Magenta’s gaze was glazed, as she patted me on the cheek, sleepily. “Perfect.” I puffed out my chest ( of course, an incubus had skills ). “But was it all you wished?”

I started to nod, before stopping myself.

Ma had told me that on her First Night, she’d allowed da to go skin-to-skin with her. She said that it’d connected them deeper than most succubi ever did with their incubi. She’d explained that it was why she understood my differences and trained me about the scheming of the female Court. She’d even read me an ancient book, which showed that once succubi had allowed all incubi to go skin-to-skin.

The Duchess never had.

“I wish,” I swallowed, and the desire to just once go skin-to-skin with my bonded burned through me, “that I could take off these gloves and also be free.”

Oh, she so didn’t hesitate.

I stilled.

She was going to say no and teach me my place.

My gloves were my friends: they taught me not to use my powers on my betters.

Why didn’t I believe that anymore?

Then Magenta struggled around to sit cross-legged next to me and took each of my hands in hers. She treated them like they were as precious as I’d worshiped her in her corset. Then she flashed me a deliciously wicked grin, as she drew off my left glove.

My skin prickled. I shook with my desire, yet I’d be in more danger after this than with the bond.

It was as intimate as dying… as resurrection.

My breath became shallow.

Magenta freed the fingers of my right hand from the prison of their glove. My sensitive skin tingled, as her magic threaded across it, tangling with my own.

Then our gazes caught and held, as for the first time ever, my palm met my bonded’s.

And it was everything that ma had promised and more.

Magenta and I arched, and the stars fell from the sky, dancing around us in a fiery embrace. I cried out, as all at once my power surged: images of Magenta’s deepest desires and needs flooded me. Yet stronger than any wicked longing was the love that bound us. It was Willoughby’s diary opened, in all its secret yearnings. She’d opened her pages to me: mind, body, and Soul.

She was mine, the same as I was hers.

“This is our First Night.” Magenta quivered; her palm was cool against mine. How could something as simple as a hand be so special? “The First Night of the only bond that’ll ever touch you again.”

I caught her lip between my teeth, and when she opened her mouth with a yip, I soothed across it with my tongue, before pressing inside. Her tongue twined with mine, and I lost myself in her.

At last, I forced myself to pull back. I dropped my gaze, pulling my gloves back on. It was agonizing.

It was lucky that I looked so delicious in the gloves.

“Here’s the thing of it,” I wiggled my fingers more firmly into my gloves, “other members of the harem are allowed at the First Night. All my lovers are connected, and I miss my foxy.”

I glanced underneath my eyelashes at Magenta. Had I insulted her?

She merely batted away a falling star that’d landed on her nose and gave a smug grin. “Your wish is my command.” Then she hollered, “It’s time for you to delight us with your presence. Don’t pretend that you weren’t listening. Did you enjoy the show?”

I flushed. Oh, who was I kidding, I put on sexy shows.

When Fox’s curly hair appeared in the low gap into the Dreaming Space, I couldn’t stop a grin that made my face ache. He crawled into the chamber, wiping cobwebs away from his cheeks with the backs of his hands.

His face was all scrunched up. Cute. Although right now, he could’ve been pissing himself, and I’d have found him cute.

Because he was alive.

I scrambled out of my nest (careful not to knock my lovely pillows, of course), grabbing Fox by the shoulders and dragging him further into the room. Fox eeped .