“I promise.” He had never meant any promise more in his life.
He slid his hands down under her bottom and lifted her hips. In one slow motion he thrust deep inside. The wall of her maidenhead tore against the force of his entrance. Emily’s sharp cry of pain followed the rise of her hips as she tried to pull free, but the motion only forced him deeper.
Godric froze at the sound of her pain.
“Should I stop?” His voice was raw, scraping over his own ears.
She feathered kisses on his jaw and lifted her hips in encouragement. “No, don’t.”
Leaning down, he caught her mouth in a deep kiss. Her tension lessened. He urged her to move with him, and match his rocking rhythm. He was soon lost in the tight squeeze of her inner walls and the rise and fall of her breasts as she breathed, and each time a soft sound mewed from Emily’s lips. Her legs moved up to wrap around his thighs as he stood at the edge of the bed, bent over her, driving himself into her. Never had he feltso consumed by a woman before, so desperate to brand his soul into the very core of her being.
Mine. You are mine, he said in the rough play of his tongue against hers, his hands clenched her hips tighter as her breasts rubbed against his chest.
A crimson seaof desire enveloped Emily as Godric pushed himself deeper and deeper into her. Each time he withdrew she felt the depths of her own emptiness. Only Godric’s returning thrusts eased the ache. Nothing existed, held shape or matter, beyond the mating of her body to Godric’s. She tightened her legs, claiming him as hers as her tongue fought its way into his mouth, tasting the ginger from their ice cream and the remnants of brandy.
The ache and flashes of pain turned to bolts of pleasure. She was careening towards a cliff, and once she fell, there would never be a way back up to sanity. The pleasure of this union between them was beautiful and devastating.
“Take me deeper,” he urged in her ear as his teeth grazed her neck.
Emily slammed her hips as hard as she could against his. All of him reached, straining towards her womb as the pressure within her crested. Emily swam on a foreign shore of desire, a scarlet sunset splashing her world in shades of fire and pleasure. Godric was there with her, his hand stretched out to grasp her, making her his forever.
She was his. Fire burst out of her body from that single point of connection and rippled through her in crashing waves. Emily cried out again, this time with sheer pleasure and Godric thrust twice more, harder than before, and collapsed onto her with a groan.
She fought to regain her breath. His heat spread out deeply between her legs as he rocked out of her a few inches before he slid back inside. Emily moaned, her inner walls convulsing around him, still welcoming him. Their bodies were damp as he slid against her, nuzzling her neck. Emily wrapped her arms around his body, the muscles of his back shifting with his movements beneath her hands. He reached under her and lifted her up a little, sliding her farther back onto the bed so he could lie beside her.
When he finally pulled himself off her, Emily shivered, and tried to reconnect to him, wanting to be held. Godric drew her against him, hands stroking her back, her bottom, her thighs, back up to her hair, holding it in place at the nape of her neck so he could kiss her. Emily rested her cheek against his chest, savoring his heat and the steady beat of his heart.
“Are you all right, Emily?” Concern roughened his voice.
She shut her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his skin beneath her cheek. “Yes.” She loved to feel him breathe, to know that life flooded through him, and that he was hers and hers alone, even if for a brief time.
He kissed her hair. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, my darling. The first time always hurts, but I should have been gentler.”
“Shh…” She raised a hand to cover his mouth. He kissed her fingertips tenderly and she smiled.
“And to think you meant to punish me.” Emily gave a soft, sultry laugh that stirred his desire.
“Don’t tempt me to be more creative. Lucien has some fascinating ideas from the Far East involving bondage with strips of red silk—”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Her head snapped up, eyes darkening, and gasped as he pinched her. She beat a loosely balled fist on his chest.
“You rogue!” she hissed, but only laughter filled her eyes now.
“I’ve never claimed to be anything else.” Emily relaxed, burrowing into him, absorbing his warmth. Godric, rather than continue to hold her, disentangled himself and pulled back the covers of the bed.
“Get in,” he whispered. He tucked her in and started to dress himself. She looked up at him, the covers pulled tightly to her chin. He had just made a woman of her and yet he was abandoning her.
“Where are you going?” The quiver in her tone shamed her.
“Downstairs. I’ll be back soon.” He threw his shirt on, waiting for her reply.
Emily opened her mouth but the grandfather clock in the hall outside chimed.
“Ah, ten o’clock.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead.
She lay still in his bed for a long minute. She wanted to laugh, to scream with joy. She had never felt so wonderful before. For a time she and Godric had been asingle living entity without end or beginning. He’d been lost in her, and she in him. As soon as she realized this, she realized something more important. She never wanted to leave him.
“I love him…” The epiphany brought both thrill and heartache.
