Ihadto get out of the circle of his arms.
But how could I escape unnoticed? I scooted my hips, hoping to slink out in a way that would allow his arm to fall gracefully. But moving only made the warm bulge brush against my most sensitive parts. The heat growing low in my belly got worse. So I squeezed my thighs tight, strugglednot to squirm, and tried to will the feeling away. If I could just wait it out, I was certain it would disappear.
Several minutes of suffering later, I decided to wake him up so I could get away from the source of my current throbbing dilemma.
I turned toward Emrys, his arms still a cage of warmth and muscle around me, hoping my shifting would be enough to rouse him from sleep.
It did. In more ways than one. He grew impossibly harder. Except now, because of my shifting, the part of him that was the cause of all my current problems was wedged between the front of my thighs, escalating the ache there to an unbearable level.
Drowsy blue eyes opened and pinned me in place as effectively as his arms.
“Good morning,” I croaked, my throat tight with trepidation as a nervous sweat broke out over my palms.
Instead of answering, Emrys moved to pull back. Under normal circumstances, I’d have been very grateful for his thoughtfulness. But I was in a state of frenzy, and my body betrayed my good sense—again.
I lifted my chin and, gods, I pressed my lips to his. The second my tongue begged for entry, there was no turning back.
He answered by pulling me even closer. Leaning into the motion, I tilted my pelvis to capture every bit of his heat. Where he’d kissed me like a man starved of hope during the cave-in, I now kissed him like a woman desperate for everything he could offer.
His skin carried the primal scent that was uniquely Emrys. I wanted to nuzzle into it. For a long time, we just kissed, not needing anything more than our bodies pressed together.
Until he shifted. I couldn’t contain my moan as the slight movement sent waves of pleasure rippling through my core. Something about him always seemed to send molten heat straight to my belly, but this was something else.
Emrys immediately pulled away, eyes frantic. Brushing a strand of hair from my face, he asked, “Isca, did I hurt you? I’m sorry,I—”
“No!” I whispered as loudly as I dared. He was trying to pull away again when I wanted the exact opposite. I dragged him back with two trembling hands.
Still wild-eyed, he asked, “Then what is it?”
I let out a slow breath as I averted my gaze. “I…don’t know what to do, Emrys. The sound I made wasn’t from you hurting me.” My cheeks wereablaze. “It was from the exact opposite.”
The stunned “Oh” that slipped out of his mouth was undeniably endearing. But he still didn’t move a muscle.
More truth then. “I liked it quite a lot when you moved against me like that.”
After the words were out of my mouth, I felt a strange mix of relief at finally giving voice to my desire but also a pang of embarrassment. While he seemed to feel the same way, the thought of his rejection always lingered in the back of my mind because he spent so much of his time closed off from me.
But there was no second adorable “Oh.” There was only my weight being lifted. Before I knew what was happening, I was on top of him, straddling his hips. His length was trapped between our clothes but still pressing on my most delicious spot.
“Kiss me,” he pleaded, gaze still burning with that desperate fire.
Looking down into his eyes, I faced a critical decision. I could stop right then, never kiss him again, and leave things between us as they were. He would keep his distance if I asked. Or I could continue kissing Emrys, surrendering to whatever he had planned, knowing I’d be sharing myself with the curse as well.
It didn’t take much thought to realize I’d already made this decision days ago when I’d packed that red dress.
I wanted him. Emrys had captivated me, just as he was, without alterations, curse and all, since the beginning. He might call himself a monster, but the rasp of his voice and the fire in his gaze still drew me in. I wanted nothing more than to surrender to it, to him.
I leaned down, and the intensity of our kissing reignited, with me now atop him. Except his hands moved down to my hips. What was he—?
Oh.
I’d said,I liked it when you moved against me like that. Now he was turning my words into reality.
His hands on my hips pulled then pushed. He applied gentle downward pressure with the movement, moving me up and down the full length of his arousal.
Shivers ran down my spine as I let out another low, breathless sound.
“More?” That one-word question conveyed more meaning than I’d ever imagined.
