Then, all at once, I was sitting next to a blazing star of desire. He wanted me. He wanted me so badly it almost burned my skin.
But still, he held back—not moving an inch.
My voice came out with as much desire as certainty. “Please.”
His grip tightened nearly to the point of pain before he pulled me impossibly closer, capturing my mouth in another kiss.
In the scant space between us, my fingers traced a path up his chest. They climbed until I could feel his heart thundering at the pace of my own. Breaking one hand free, I lifted it to cup his jaw, pulling him deeper into me.
His hand left my lap and moved to grasp the top of my thigh. His palm traced fire down my leg as it slid to my hem, then pulled. Slowly, he gathered my gown, searching for bare flesh.
The cold of the tent rushed in, and goosebumps erupted over my skin.
He noticed. The tent warmed with the subtle hum of his magic. How he could do it without stopping our kiss, without heating his own skin like the heating charm I used for bathing did, I didn’t know. But I was too lost in feeling his rough palm on my exposed thigh to care.
“I wanted to touch you…” I groused.
Reluctantly, he lifted away. “There will be time enough for that later. Now though, I said I would always ask…”
“Please.” My voice trembled. His lust, mixed with my own, was overwhelming. “I don’t want you to stop, Emrys.”
A brilliant flash of blue briefly overtook his gaze.Hello, beast.
His fingers trailed up my thigh until they reached the apex. The moment a callused fingertip grazed my curls, I forgot how to breathe. This morning I’d only experienced this through fabric. Now nothing separated us. Gentle, unrushed, teasing circles warmed my skin.
“Beautiful.” His deep voice cut straight to my core. “Spread your legs,cariad.”
My body happily complied.
I didn’t know what to expect, but I didn’t think he would only carry on with his soft ministrations. Something primal inside me wanted him to sink in further, wanted more. Only the continued thrill of his touch kept me from begging.
Then I felt it—the thing I now suspected he’d been waiting for. That same wet heat that had overtaken me this morning coated his fingers. He treated it as my body’s invitation to move past my curls.
A deep humming sound started in his throat. Almost like a purr.
A rasped reverberation of approval. “So perfect.”
“Not perfect,” I reminded him.
Another growl, this time one of denial, as his bared teeth grazed the skin of my neck.
Oh gods.The circling motion he started sent a shiver through me, and my hips arched in response. His other hand was there, holding me firmly in place, so I couldn’t float away in my ecstasy.
After a moment, he pulled his hand away, and for a second I thought that would be all there was to tonight’s intimacy. But then he brought his fingers to his lips and licked them clean like he was devouring the food of the gods. “I was right.Honey.”
His hand moved back to my still-parted legs.
And then—the most blissful invasion. A single finger coaxed its way inside, pushing past the meager resistance my inexperienced body put up.
I gasped.
“Is this okay,cariad?” His voice was so deep it rumbled my entire body.
“Yes.” I panted, not wanting to lose the feeling. I felt myself tighten then relax in a rhythmic pulse of greed.
“More?” I asked. The single word was partly plea.
A second finger joined the first. And his battle-roughened skin made my bodysing.
