Page 71 of An Arcane Education
I pull the key from my pocket that I’d managed to convince AJ to give me earlier after bargaining with him for an hour. He ended up conceding, giving me the key he uses to lock up the library when he works the closing shift once I promised to get him an entire bottle of Fae wine. I’m not entirely sure how I’ll do that yet, but I imagine Callista can help me out.
I unlock the door while Alaric glances warily over his shoulder. But he follows me in, and I lock the door behind us.
The door closes with a gentle click, and then we’re enveloped by silence and the scent of old books.
Leading the way, I walk across the massive room and up the stairwell. Our steps echo, bouncing off the walls, until we reach the third floor and walk out onto the main floor. Shelves tower in every direction, looming in the dark library. I hadn’t anticipated how eerie it would be here after closing hours. Anything could be hiding amongst these shelves…
I shake my head, clearing the uninvited thought from my mind, and take Alaric’s hand to drag him between the nearest two shelves. A large window occupies the wallspace between the shelves, allowing us to overlook the quiet campus.
“What are you?—”
I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him, cutting off the question. He kisses me back, hesitantly at first before wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me into him to deepen the kiss.
When I finally pull away, Alaric’s dark eyes are fixed on me with a combination of lust, affection, and curiosity.
I flash him a small smirk before sinking to my knees before him. “Let me take your mind off things, at least for a little while.”
He nods slightly, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.
Slowly, I reach up to unbuckle his belt, letting the black leather fall to either side while I move on to his button. I take my time, wanting to draw this out and give him something to focus on that has nothing to do with his research or work. He needs to know that he deserves pleasure and relaxation too, and that the world won’t end if he takes a break for a little while.
Alaric reaches down, gently running his fingers through my hair before resting his hand on my head. He doesn’t push or grab; he simply cradles the back of my head.
The gentle touch makes my stomach swoop, and when I free his cock from his slacks a few seconds later, the swooping sensation in my stomach turns into a full-blown somersault.
Slowly, I lean forward and run my tongue along the underside of his erection, and he takes in a shudderingbreath. I repeat the action, loving the way such a simple movement can affect him so strongly.
I suction my lips around the base of his cock and suck hard, moving from base to tip and back again.
“Fuck,” he groans as I take the full length of him over and over again. His fingers tighten in my hair. “You're going to be the death of me.”
I pull back just enough to look up at him. His head is thrown back against the bookshelf, his jaw clenched, and he's never looked better than he does right now.
Except for maybe when he’d been on his knees before me…
With that thought, I’m overwhelmed by the desire to give him the same pleasure he gave to me last week, and I suck his cock with fervent need, gripping the base in my hand and swirling my tongue around the sensitive head.
“If you don’t stop now, I’m going to come,” he warns in a gravelly voice.
I don’t stop.
Seconds later, he grips the bookshelf behind him to stabilize himself as he groans out his release, and I eagerly swallow every drop of his cum.
Alaric extends a hand to help me up off my knees, and it takes a moment for both of us to return to breathing normally. He leads me to the nearest couch along the wall and pulls me into his lap.
“I don't deserve you,” he says. His tone is a combination of reverence, endearment, and the tiniest hint of sadness.
“You deserve everything you could ever want,” I reply. “I just…”
“You just what?”
“I just wish I didn’t have to be your secret.”
My confession hangs between us, and Alaric places a gentle kiss on the top of my head then murmurs, “One day, you won’t be.”
“One day, two years from now when I graduate?” I can't keep the resignation from my voice. I'm not mad, not really, because I don't want him to risk losing his job for me. But for once, I just wish I could be someone's highest priority and not a convenience.
I guess by now I should be used to coming in second to someone or something more important. That's been my entire life thus far, playing the role of someone who’s secondary, someone who sacrifices what she wants to help someone else. Sometimes it’s necessary, but that doesn’t make it any less disheartening.
