***
Hradi knelt above Katrin, taking a few deep breaths to steady himself. He'd spent last night and all day today thinking about touching her, and now that he finally reached that goal, his control slipped.
The sight of her bared before him, the locks surrounding her head like a crown of fiery clouds matched the curls hiding her secrets. Her innocence. Once more his heart raced, his cock throbbing in anticipation.
It was why he'd insisted she not touch him. Oh, he would show her passion and all the pleasures that came with it, but he could not have her as he truly wished. At least, not yet. He was not so sure the gods would take her gifts, but she was. For now, to gain her trust, he must refrain from burying himself deep inside her body. If she touched him, his resistance was sure to break down. And if she disobeyed his command... Hel, he already hoped for that, so he might indulge himself in ways other than the one he was forbidden.
Doubts about his endurance poked through his perusal of the bared woman before him. He closed his eyes, gave a silent prayer to the gods for the stamina needed for the hours ahead and once more met Katrin's gaze, holding it, searching for… what? He didn't know, wondered if he ever would.
Remaining silent, he cupped her cheek, and bent for a leisurely kiss. Her eager response jolted him, the throb of his heart surging in rhythm with the pulsing in his cock. She gave the sweetest cooing moan when he dragged his mouth along her jaw, licking and nipping at the sensitive flesh along her throat. Running his fingers along her shoulder, he breathed deeply of her sweet scent, a mix of springtime wildflowers and earthy lust. Lust swelled his cock, his attempt to maintain control nearly blinding him. Surely, she would be the death of him and he suspected itwould be as glorious as dying on the battlefield, swept away to Valhalla by the Valkyries.
A moment later, she surprised him yet again by nudging him back to her mouth, without releasing her hold on the headboard. A peculiar admiration mingled with the desirous sensations raging in his blood, his heart thumping and ready for the upcoming thrills.
Somehow, with great concentration, he withdrew again, leaning back to study her in the soft glow of the lamp. She met his gaze brazenly. Why did that surprise him? She was not afraid to dare him in front of others, though he admitted he found the times she did display her wariness spurred his longing.
"What are you doing?"
A heavy note of frustration laced her words. Suspecting he would have her begging for more of his touch before long, he gave her a lecherous smile before answering.
"Whatever I please."
"What about what I please?"
He clenched his jaw tight to hold back his laughter. Somehow, she always responded in the most unexpected ways. He wondered if he would ever tire of it. That thought calmed his elated desire. He had no idea if they might ever share more than this night. He would ensure the night would be one she would never, ever forget.
"You will be pleased. I promise you this."
He slid his hand over one breast, smiling at the way her eyelids fluttered, her body arching into his touch. Was anything more pleasurable than showing an innocent woman the true meaning of pleasure?
He had always enjoyed seducing a maiden, watching their faces when the pinnacle of pleasure washed over them for the first time. But Katrin was unlike any other maiden. She roused in him an uncertain anticipation that was almost as alluring as her beauty. She had been sheltered more than most, with not even an innocentkiss between young ones. Being near her gave him a feeling of youth he'd not felt in many years.
At the same time, her fiery responses to his kisses and his touch were as untamed as any he'd ever experienced. He wondered if her gift gave her awareness of a different sort, of which even she remained unaware. He ached to coax that passion from her. And he would.
He cupped his hands around both her breasts, focused on her lust-clouded gaze and finding so much to see. Desire, apprehension, eagerness, hesitation. He growled low in his throat and dipped his head to flick his tongue at the enticing pink tip of one breast. A strangled cry escaped, her body bending toward him. His heart thudded. He drew away, forcing back the escalating need. Some time would pass before she was ready for what he planned. Maintaining his control would take monumental strength.
Gentle squeezes of the trembling flesh under his hands spurred still more writhing and sweet sighs. He shook his head. How would she react when he finally reached her pussy? His cock was instantly hard at the very idea. He ground his teeth together, rolling his shoulders against the ever-strengthening urge to take her, gods be damned.
"What's wrong?"
The husk in her voice sent a wave of tingles along his spine. He shook his head.
"Nothing. I am finding you a delight, but there is only so much a man can bear."
Bewilderment crept into her expression. A reminder of her innocence, and enough to steady his senses. At least for now.
"Is this painful for you?" she asked.
Odin's blood, she would be the death of him with her chaste curiosity. The control of a moment ago slipped from his grasp.
"No, not in the ways you might think." A sense of pride at keeping his voice calm and even helped him regain mastery over himself.
She reached for him, letting go of the headboard. He caught her wrist, letting loose his excited grin. The moment he had been hoping for had come to pass. Sooner than he expected.
"You have disobeyed me."
"What? You mean… I only meant to help you, not to … not to …"
He shook his head, a feral eagerness thumping through him. Despite the true worry darkening her eyes, Hradi also read a desire-filled curiosity in the clear blue depths.
