Free Flame of the Alpha by Lacey Savage Page B

trespassing.”
    Sophia allowed a small smile to grace her lips. “My Academy. My rooms.”
    Dante leaned against the frame leading to the bathroom, his presence overtaking the entire interior of the room. Suddenly, the place felt even smaller than it was and it took all of Sophia’s self-control not to step back into the relative safety of the cloister.
    It had to be the darkness that cast menacing shadows around Dante’s muscular form. He was taller than her by at least a foot, yet he hadn’t appeared quite so powerful outside. Here, in the claustrophobic interior of the servant’s chamber, he seemed larger than life.
    A turbulent shimmer of awareness traveled through Sophia’s veins, reminding her that she was as powerful as he was. The same animalistic desires ran through them both. The same Alpha urges drove them, and it was that mutated DNA that drew her to him, not his kisses or the careful, almost reverent way in which he touched her.
    As long as she kept reminding herself that it was her nature and not her emotions pulling her forward, she could keep a tight grip on her reactions to this man.
    Regaining a measure of self-control, Sophia crossed her arms over her breasts. She focused on his silhouette and breathed in his scent. Earthy and rich, it seeped into the filtered air and imbued it with the aroma of male sweat and desire, an irresistible aphrodisiac to any woman. Even one trained to withstand every seductive skill known to mankind.
    The Alpha in her, however, knew nothing of counteracting the spell of heat and raw desire woven by an Alpha male. A purr lodged in her chest, tickling the column of her throat.
    “Tell me, Priestess…”
    His words drifted away into nothingness and she found herself stepping closer, pulled forward by the playful promise in his voice. Somehow, she didn’t mind when he dropped the first part of her title. Just calling her “priestess” seemed intimate, shrinking the distance between them.
    He lifted his right hand, showing her a jar she recognized instantly as the container of soothing balm that was a staple of every servant’s room. Used to cool the sting of an instructor’s whip, it was as much a part of the training as the whip itself.
    Dante advanced on her, then used his foot to slam the door shut. The sound resonated with finality, causing Sophia to start as her stomach flip-flopped.
    He reached down and captured her wrist. Turning her hand over, he dropped the jar into her palm.
    “Would helping me relieve the bite of the Captain’s crop cross the boundaries of propriety?”

Chapter Five
     
    Dante’s body heated with the weight of Sophia’s gaze as it darted over the planes of his stomach, then drifted lower only to jerk back up to his eyes a moment later.
    “Uh…” She cleared her throat, a flare of crimson tinting her high cheekbones. “I don’t think I’m qualified for that sort of thing.”
    “It doesn’t take training, Priestess. Just a gentle touch.”
    Sadness tainted the wry smile tilting her mouth. “Now I know I’m definitely not the right person for the job.”
    “Come on,” he coaxed in a ragged whisper. “I can’t reach back there. Not as well as you could.”
    Sophia swallowed hard, her throat constricting with the effort. Her lips parted, and another jolt of lust rippled through Dante’s body in response. His cock was already as hard as he could ever remember it being. If she left, he could take matters into his own hands. Literally. He could wrap both palms around the throbbing shaft and tug on the delicate skin, harder and harder until he spilled his seed all over his stomach in a jet of warm liquid ecstasy, all the while screaming her name.
    “Lie down.” She spoke the command so softly he was afraid he misunderstood. When he didn’t move, she nudged his shoulder with her fingertips, guiding him in the direction of the bed.
    The contact poured lightning through his veins. It felt as though an electric bolt had slammed into