A Court of Flame & Shadow - Eris x OC

Eris's Room III

Vel could count on one hand all the times in her life that left her speechless. There were certainly none of those in the past one thousand years. Except for right now, when it seemed all rational thought had flowed out of her head. Eris' large hand was warm against hers, and the contact sent goosebumps up her arm.

She gathered herself enough to puff out a small laugh. "You are dreadful," she replied but didn't withdraw her hand. In the dimness of the room, the light of the fire accentuated the sharp angles of his face. His golden eyes shone brightly.

"And here I was, thinking that line would finally win you over," he smirked. "You could at least reward me with better insults than that."

Vel was ready to slap his self-satisfied smirk off his face, but instead, she rolled her eyes and pulled her hand away. She put the vial back in her pouch and stood up. "Since my work here is done, I will be taking my leave."

"I wouldn't quite call it done," Eris drawled, "you came here to give me a kiss, didn't you? And that certainly did not happen."

Vel wouldn't try to argue with him that it was not a kiss at all, he would be all too pleased to get on her nerves. But she did consider his proposal. She would've loved nothing more than to bed him - to run her fingers through his hair, to mark the pale skin of his neck with her teeth, to explore the planes of his chest with her fingers, and then run her tongue down the length of his shaft.

She felt like she was losing her mind. Eris was attractive, an understatement really, he was the most beautiful male she'd ever seen. But he already had enough of an ego on him that she wouldn't allow herself to let her thoughts wander in that direction.

Regardless of her vow to herself, there were endless reasons why it was not a good idea for her to get involved with an heir. But maybe, if it was simply a one-time thing, it wouldn't be so bad after all. If he eventually became the High Lord, she would make sure he drank the potion. It would be for his own good, that of his future Lady, and his eventual heirs, and so forth. She would lie to him if she had to, or force him to drink while he was delirious with a fever. And if someone else was chosen through her visions and Eris wouldn't become the High Lord ... well, then at least he wouldn't be forced to take a Lady wife. Vel didn't dare to consider what would happen if she were not able to make an impartial decision when the time came.

Eris had seemingly also come to his own conclusions. In one fluid motion, he was out of the armchair and had closed the distance between them. He attempted an innocent smile, but his eyes rather reminded her of a predator sizing up his prey. Her breath hitched in her throat as he towered over her. The air hung heavy between them, but she made no move to step away. She had been trying to rationalize her poor decisions, but the whole thing had been a lost cause the moment he took her hand in his and uttered those ridiculous words. Or maybe she'd been a lost cause from the very beginning.

Eris cupped the side of her face and brushed his thumb over her cheekbone. She felt his other hand settle on her hip. "Tell me you'll stay the night," he whispered, his breath fanning over her face. He smelled of leather, vanilla, and a hint of cedar. It was a warm, enveloping scent, one she recalled from all those years ago. She felt lightheaded, so much so that she placed her hands on his chest in an attempt to steady herself. She could feel his wildly beating heart beneath her palm.

Those amber eyes overrode every instinct, every pained memory, every vow she'd sworn. Vel managed a small nod, and he closed the distance between them, his lips gently brushing over hers as if expecting that she might change her mind. If this was to be a one-time thing, she would not let him take it slow. She wanted to lose herself in him, to let him consume her like wildfire and forget everything else, at least for the few hours they had together. So she tangled one of her hands in his hair and pulled, earning a groan from Eris, the vibration of his chest traveling to her very core. The male didn't need more confirmation than that. His mouth became hungry and desperate on hers, and she slipped her tongue over his bottom lip. He tasted like the drink they had shared earlier - spicy, sweet, and intoxicating.