Touch of Flame

Chapter 316  Inked in desire (Part 1)

Delicately, he hoisted her skirt upward to her hip. "Hold it for me," he instructed, baring one leg.

Dutifully, Ravina clung onto the fabric of her skirt, ensuring she didn't disrupt his ongoing artwork. This was an intense game of tease — he was exposing her, yet his touch was limited to the stroke of the brush.

Malachi could keenly perceive every subtle change in her. The rhythm of her breathing grew heavier, and the tempo of her heart's beat quickened. Her warmth, accompanied by the faint scent of arousal, wafted up to his nostrils, but he maintained his concentration on the canvas that was her skin. The contrast of the ink on her fair complexion was breathtaking — it ignited a peculiar flame within him.

The thought of her naked, adorned solely with his drawings, stirred a fervent desire in him.

He extended the design down her hip and further onto her thigh. He signaled her to bend her knee, enabling him to trace the curve more effectively. To stabilize her leg, he placed his hand on her inner thigh.

Now he was just plain cruel, Ravina thought. He knew what he was doing and the affect it had on her.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" She inquired, hinting at knowing what he was doing.

He responded with a smirk, "Immensely. And you?"

"Not so much, anymore," she retorted, without attempting to hide her aroused frustration.

He released a deep chuckle, his fingers lightly brushing against her thigh. The unexpected touch made her flinch. "Malachi."

Another chuckle echoed through the room. "Just testing what you might find pleasurable."

"Are you almost finished?" she asked, her patience beginning to wane.

"Is that a hint of impatience I detect?"

"Well, my back is starting to ache from lying in this position for so long."

"Now you sound like a pampered princess," he teased, his tone light and playful.

"Indeed, I am quite spoiled," she shot back.

"You sound defensive," he drawled. "I'm merely giving you a taste of my predicament—having you around and not being able to fully claim you."

Her heart skipped, her already hot body now throbbing to life. Also, was he implying that was how she felt now?

He locked eyes with her, "But today, you are my prize," he stated, his voice dropping a few notches, his fingers exploring further into the forbidden territory of her inner thigh.

She strained to keep her body motionless under his torturous ministrations.

"And I am merely preparing my prize," he persisted, his attention returning to the brush in his hand, yet his wandering fingers remained a relentless distraction.

She gritted her teeth and braced herself for the continuation of his slow, tantalizing torment. Once he finally stopped, pulling back to admire the completed design, his eyes were ablaze with a fierce intensity that nearly took her breath away.

"It is done now," he announced.

He reached out to carefully touch the paint on her stomach. "This area is already dry, but we should wait for the rest."

She nodded, momentarily forgetting how to form coherent sentences.

"How shall I entertain you in the meantime?" His words were laced with pure mischief.

"Oh, no, Malachi. I don't want to ruin the paint," she protested weakly, her breath hitching as his hand slipped between her thighs once more.

"You wouldn't want to spoil my hard work," he reasoned, though his hand kept venturing further up her thigh before tracing a tantalizing path downward, causing her body to shiver involuntarily.

"Malachi, at least…" Her breathless plea was cut short as he bent down, pressing a lingering kiss against the side of her bent knee.

His lips continued their descent, and she found herself closing her eyes, all attempts at protest falling silent. He skillfully nipped and licked his way along her skin, each touch sending shockwaves straight to her core.

Simultaneously, his free hand was working to bare her other leg, his fingers dancing playfully along her sensitive flesh.

Ravina curled her toes, her breaths becoming more shallow as the heat from his lips crept further up her thigh. She vividly remembered the sensation of his mouth exploring her most intimate area, and the mere recollection ignited a fire within her.

"Oh, Ravina. What are you thinking about?" His husky voice intruded into her thoughts, causing a blush to bloom on her cheeks. "Are you thinking about my mouth on you?" His question was punctuated by a teasing nip of her flesh.

His question left her panting, incapable of forming a coherent reply. "Tell me, Ravina," he insisted. "Do you want my mouth to explore you? Do you want my tongue to unfurl your secrets?"

The combination of his breath on her skin and his provocatively sensual words coiled a tight knot of anticipation deep within her. "Like this…" he murmured, his fingers seeking out her already throbbing center, stroking her in a promise of what was to come. Her body reacted instinctively, convulsing under the potency of his touch.

"Be careful not to ruin the paint now," he teased, amusement tinging his voice even as his fingers maintained their tantalizing rhythm.

"Mala…chi…" she managed to gasp.

"Are you not going to stop me this time?" he challenged her, though he must've known she had neither the strength nor the will to resist.

"Stop teasing me!" she pleaded breathlessly, her voice barely more than a whimper.

He chuckled softly. "Very well, my princess."

Without another word, he descended upon her, pressing his mouth to her most intimate area with an intensity that took her breath away.

Her hips bucked up reflexively, a surprised gasp escaping her lips as her fingers tightened in his hair. He began to explore her with his tongue, slowly, languidly, as if he were tasting the very essence of her soul. Her back arched in response, legs clamping shut instinctively, but his hands held her open for him, exposing her to his relentless assault.

His mouth on her, his tongue stroking her so intimately, was a sensation so overwhelming that it stole her ability to think. It felt as if every nerve ending in her body was coming alive, each stroke of his tongue sending waves of pleasure radiating out from her core.

He seemed to savor her, feasting upon her with an intensity that quickly had her teetering on the brink of release. She writhed and twisted beneath him, her body taut, on the edge of snapping from the strain of the pleasure he was bestowing upon her. His hands reached out to hold her still, preventing her from wriggling away from the blissful torture of his mouth.

Just as she thought she could take no more, he slowed down, giving her a moment to catch her breath. The brief reprieve only served to heighten her need for him, her body aching for his touch.

And then, he was back, his mouth once again claiming her, his tongue delving into her with renewed vigor. She moaned as the pleasure began to build anew, escalating swiftly toward a peak she knew would be her undoing.

As if in response to her body's urgent plea for release, he redoubled his efforts. Her hips bucked wildly against his mouth, his name torn from her lips in a desperate plea.

Her pleasure reached a fever pitch, her body coiling tighter and tighter, until it was too much to bear, and finally… with a shuddering gasp, she was undone. Her body convulsed, the world blurring as waves of pleasure rolled through her.

It was an intense, almost painful release, her inner muscles clenching in sweet agony as the sensations overtook her. Every inch of her was trembling, the aftershocks of her climax rendering her completely boneless in his hold.

Ravina lay there still for a moment, watching the ceiling sway until it stopped. Waiting for her lungs to catch up and for her heartbeat to stabilize.

"Tha paint!" She shrieked once she could think.

Malachi chuckled, carelessly dragging his hand along her thigh. "The paint has dried from the heat of your body."

Really?

She reached out to see for herself. He was right. It had turned into crusts, some of which fell off as she touched them.

"Now, let's go wash it off," he said.