“I’m fine standing,” Liane said, hating how her voice croaked.
Erich’s eyes flashed with humor. Did he know the effect he had on her and was enjoying making her squirm? Well, he didn’t realize how stubborn she could be. She wouldn’t give in to this impulse because that was all it was.
“Are you planning on standing there all night then?”
“And what if I am?”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself. You’re missing out, though, this mattress not only smells of must, but it’s rock hard.”
Laughter gasped out of her throat, too throaty and eager.
Erich leaned back on the bed with a smirk, and as he did, the fabric of his shirt gapped open, revealing a dark patch of curly hair on his chest. She imagined running her hands through it, as she straddled his waist, grinding… No.
Maybe she should have that glass of wine after all. Liane poured herself a generous glass before gulping it down; sour wine coated her tongue, doing little to sate her thirst.
“Thirsty?” he asked with an arched brow.
“I’m a fast drinker.”
“There’s more pleasure to be found in savoring, the aroma, the taste...” His eyes were heavy-lidded as he regarded her, his big, kissable lips parted.
They weren’t talking about wine, were they? Liane licked her lips. She hadn’t felt this awkward with a man since her first time with Elias… At times, her mission fulfilled her; her purpose gave her reason and helped keep Elias’ specter from her nightmares. While revenge fueled her, sometimes, when she closed her eyes at night, she’d see his hollow, drug-induced gaze begging her for justice. At times she could chase it away, bringing in different lovers to try to fill the gaping void of loneliness inside her. Sleeping beside someone, after sometimes disappointing sex, she’d feel a little less alone, but it was always temporary. It always came back, and then she’d seek comfort again.
That night, she felt that same ache clawing at her insides, and Elias’ face would haunt her as she closed her eyes. She’d drawn the line with Erich, thinking he’d be a distraction from her mission. But the longer they spent together, the more she wondered about him. Wanted him. And needed to cross the line, to forget, and to feel for once.
Standing at the edge of the bed, Erich looked up at her, his gaze wary. Kneeling over him, she straddled his torso, and he shifted beneath her, rising up, so their faces were inches apart. His warm breath fanned over her face as he placed a broad hand against her waist, neither pushing nor pulling but waiting for her to make the next move.
“What about our arrangement?” he breathed against her.
“To hell with it.”
When Liane kissed him, he opened his mouth, inviting her in, his tongue warm, soft, hungry as his hand glided up her back, grasping the nape of her neck and deepening their kiss. It stoked the flames of desire within her, pulsing down to her core. Then he pushed back lightly, breathing heavily. Liane leaned back.
“Why did you stop?”
“I shouldn’t.”
He hadn’t shoved her off him, but there was something holding him back. An uncertainty shimmered in his eyes.
“Do you want to stop?” She motioned to climb off him, but his hands grasped onto her waist, fingers curling in the fabric of her skirt.
“Don’t,” his voice rasped.
“Do you want me?” Liane asked, breathless, waiting.
“Very much.”
“Then you can have me. Is that what you want?”
“I do.”
He pulled her down to him, and their teeth clashed together in their urgency, wanting to be closer, needing to be closer. As his rough hand grasped her waist, he lay back, cupping her rear as liquid heat pooled in her stomach, radiating outward. Never had she felt starved, desperate, and satiated all at once. Was it magic, the wine she’d drank? No. She’d never been more sober in her life. All she knew was she wanted more of him, all of him and now. His erection pressed against her thigh through the fabric of his breeches, and she ground against him, desperate to feel him—all of him, inside her. She needed him now, like a woman starved.
Interrupting their kiss, Liane reached between them, tugging at his breeches to free his shaft. It sprung loose, and she curled her hand around it, reveling in the feeling of soft velvet gliding over hard. Slick with desire, she hitched up her skirts and guided him inside her, gasping as he bucked forward and thrust into her. They stayed like that for a moment, and in the candlelight, flecks of gold in his brown eyes flashed as he watched her. Sparks danced across her skin, heightening all sensations, and burning up within her, desperate for release. Erich, too seemed ready to burst, as a guttural growl escaped his lips. His hands fisted into the fabric of the comforter, until she started rolling her hips, riding his length as cresting waves of pleasure brought her higher and higher.
Then his hands were on her, running up her sides, cupping her breasts through her ill-fitting dress as she moaned and moved faster and faster. Stars danced in her vision as waves of ecstasy washed over her. As they both climaxed, she uttered a string of unintelligible words before collapsing onto the bed beside him. She couldn’t recall a time a man had ever made her feel this way before.
Both spent, they lay on the bed beside one another, panting and sweat drenched. Erich brushed a strand of damp hair away from her face, surprisingly gentle. And while her lust had been sated, her need for human comfort hadn’t, and she snuggled up against his chest. She’d lay here for a moment. Just enough to not feel so lonely, and when she was in his arms, that gnawing sadness disappeared. Instead, she felt comfortable, and at ease. It wasn’t long before exhaustion overcame her, and she slipped off into a dreamless sleep.
