Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 43856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
The loveliness of his attention sent a delicious thrill down my spine.
After a long moment, he finally poured his elixir, but his gaze never left me.
“Don’t eat that just yet.” Cosmo, seemingly pleased by the reactions in the room, pressed forward. “Next, we move to the Elixir of Life—the legendary drink said to grant immortality, to defy time itself.”
Cosmo lifted his hand, and the waitstaff flowed in, placing before each of us a delicate glass filled with a glowing pink liquid.
Wisps of smoke curled up from its surface, spiraling like a living thing, the scent of something exotic and decadent filling the air.
Cosmo winked. “Try the elixir.”
I lifted my glass, hesitant but intrigued, and took a sip.
Oh.
The moment it hit my tongue, it was as if the drink exploded inside me—bright, floral, citrus, and honeyed warmth unfolding in waves that lingered, stretching out the moment into something infinite.
Just. . .wow.
I pressed my lips together and let out a shuddering breath, stunned by the sheer pleasure of it.
“Holy shit,” I whispered, setting the glass down carefully, because I needed a damn moment to process what was happening in my mouth. “I think I might actually live forever.”
Fabien still hadn’t touched his. He just watched me, his expression dark and amused, like he was savoring my reaction more than the drink itself.
“You really enjoy pleasure, don’t you?” he murmured.
I looked at him, heat rising to my cheeks. “Is that a bad thing?”
His lips curled at the corners. “Not at all.”
Before I could think too much about the way his voice sent a pulse of warmth through me, Cosmo clapped his hands. “And finally, we have Alkahest—the universal solvent. The great dissolver of barriers, the final key in unlocking the philosopher’s stone.”
The waiters set down the last dish, and I almost gasped at the sight of it. An impossibly delicate tower of crisped pastry sat in the center of the plate, layered with what looked like rich, golden crème.
But the real decadence was the caviar—mountains of it, tiny black pearls glistening under the golden light, cascading down the dish like some extravagant luxury only whispered about in secret societies.
Cosmo bowed. “Enjoy, Alchemists.”
Then, he left.
I am absolutely going to enjoy this.
Fabien took the first bite, scooping a perfect portion with the edge of his spoon and bringing it to his lips.
The moment it hit his tongue, he let out a low, deep groan of pleasure.
Damn. That sounded good.
I swallowed hard, my mind immediately spiraling to places it had no business going.
That groan—it was pure sin, rich and thick like molten chocolate, like the kind of sound a man makes when his cock is buried deep inside you, losing himself completely.
I clenched my thighs, suddenly hyper-aware of the heat pooling in my belly.
Fabien, oblivious to the war he was waging on my self-control, tilted his head slightly, considering. “Hmmm. Sometimes caviar can be an unnecessary flashy ingredient for a dish, but this?”
He took another bite. “This works. I can taste the magic of the sea.”
I finally gathered myself enough to try a bite, and oh damn. It was creamy, salty, buttery, the crisped pastry adding the perfect contrast. It melted on my tongue like an erotic promise.
“I am truly enjoying this.” I tried the first dish—the black bar that shifted to gold—and tasted succulent lamb. “This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
“I agree.” Fabien nodded, but the way he looked at me, the way his eyes dipped from my lips to my throat, then lower, made it clear he wasn’t just talking about the food.
The moment stretched between us, thick with unspoken words, heavy with the weight of something unnamed. As I took another bite, the rich, buttery layers of pastry dissolved on my tongue, mingling with the salty burst of caviar.
I let my eyes flutter shut for a brief second, just long enough to savor it—to let the pleasure unfurl through me like silk slipping over bare skin.
When I opened my eyes again, Fabien was still watching me, his expression dark and knowing, like he was committing every reaction, every sigh of enjoyment, to memory.
His spoon hovered just above his plate, forgotten, as if he were more interested in my pleasure than his own.
Yeah. . .I just might take him to bed tonight. Fuck. Would that be too soon?
I swallowed hard and glanced around the room, trying to ground myself, to remind myself that we weren’t alone.
Every table shimmered under the golden glow of the Chandlier light.
The air was thick with laughter, hushed voices, and the occasional clink of glasses.
Couples leaned into each other, hands brushing, fingers tracing over bare skin, mouths moving in whispers that I knew carried sexy invitations meant for later.
A woman near the far end of the room lifted her flute of champagne to her lips, her partner watching her with the same kind of intensity Fabien had given me all night.