He’s still sliding inside me, so slow and controlled, even as the fire burns between us and the surging pleasure feels like it could destroy me.
He lets out a breathy groan then, and with one final thrust, his impressive length fills me so thoroughly that I can’t speak further. I breathe through my moans as Roman moves, long, slow thrusts that steal all the air from my chest through pure fucking perfection.
“Nova.” He groans my name as I come hard and coherent thought vanishes from my mind.
When I regain myself, it’s to find Roman slowing inside me, his hands sliding across my back as he caresses me and pulls me closer.
When his cock slides free, I’m almost sad to lose the physical connection with him, but that feeling disappears when he turns me over so we’re face to face. I cry out as he slides into me again, our gazes locked. My sensitive body reacts by bucking against him, needing more but barely able to handle the intense sensations I’m already experiencing.
“Rune,” I cry before he captures my mouth.
“I missed this,” he says as his tongue strokes against mine, and I taste the rich spice of his power. “There’s no comparison.”
There really isn’t. As sexy as it is when he’s behind me, there’s an intimacy in having Roman on top like this. His huge body crowding mine as he thrusts into me with his cock and his tongue. Tasting his kisses adds to the pleasure, and all too soon, I’m clawing at his back and calling out his name as he joins me in another mind-destroying orgasm.
Feeling completely sated, I relish his weight against me as he relaxes as well. He’s too heavy to stay on top of me for long, but I don’t even have to mention it, since Roman is attuned to my needs, and he adjusts in seconds. Even so, I hold on to him for as long as I can.
His chest rumbles with a soft laugh. “I’ll squish you, mate.”
Mate.
That word is as intimate aslovefor a shifter, and since Roman and I share shifter souls, my entire body vibrates with all the emotional significance of that single expression.
“I can handle it,” I manage to reply, even if I sound breathless and astonished.
This makes Roman smile. “I’m starting to see thatmateis your love language, Nova Madden.”
I press my lips together—I’m a non-crier, but Roman certainly stirs my deeper emotions and puts me in danger of shedding happy tears. “I have the most amazing pack with my sisters and demon wolves, but the thought of a true mate…” My voice chokes up a little. “It has never felt possible for me. It’s a dream I couldn’t afford to have.”
Roman gathers me up against his side, holding me close, dropping kisses across my forehead, cheeks, and chin that both soothe and tantalize me.
“Demons have mates too,” he reminds me in a low rumble. “When a demon’s energy bonds to another’s, they can share strength and power. I hope one day we can form a mate bond—from both sides. Wolfanddemon.”
The fact that Roman wants to share his energy and power with me means as much to me as when he called memate. And that he’s thinking of both sides of my—and his—natures strikes a chord deep within me.
There’s a part of me—a painful part—that wonders… If his wolf hadn’t been torn away from him, would we have formed a true mate bond already? Would the instincts that he lost when his wolf was taken from him have guided him, just as they constantly push at me, driving him to form the ultimate connection with me?
“Fuck,” I murmur into the soft silence, trying to hold back the burn behind my eyes. No matter how it happens, I want a bond with him badly—more than I thought possible. I swallow past the lump in my throat and try to find the right words to tell him what I’m feeling. “I would be honored to share a mate bond with you, Roman.Rune. When this is all over and we’ve saved our families and our worlds, I will join you in any bond you want.”
Whenwe save them, I repeat to myself, making myself believe it. Notif.
His next kiss is swift and thorough, and I forget my own name until we come up for air.
“Remind me why we need to leave this cabin,” I finally mutter, my gaze trailing across his naked form. The answers to my own question flood in and I try—and fail—to push them away, wanting to draw out these moments with Roman as long as I can.
After a longer-than-necessary shower, Roman fashions some clothing for us both—comfortable jeans and shirts to replace the armor we wore—and then we’re ready to leave.
Well, maybe not quiteready.
For a few amazing hours, I could forget why we’re here and the challenges that lie ahead. It feels as if we’re only ever able to snatch small moments of time together, but I make a silent promise to myself that one day…
Soon.
We will be together without the threat of battles and death.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
Bright light engulfs me when we step out onto the porch. Warmth infuses my soul, even as parts of my power shy away from the relentless sunlight filling the clearing in front of the three cabins.
