Keening sounds left her throat and bounced around the room as he curled that wicked tongue inside of her, pressing upward to massage her inner wall. One hand was on her breast, teasing her aching nipple, and the other slowly ground circles around her clitoris. The pressure mounted.
Hele’s head fell back. She stared at the reflective ceiling, watching as he licked her, his powerful body bent in worship, and felt her muscles begin to tighten.
“Vael!”She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do as the precipice drew closer, closer. The feeling was raw, bordering on pain. She couldn’t decide if she wanted it to stop or go on forever. It was too much. Sensory overload, hideously familiar to her, began to tighten its hold on her.
Just when she was about to panic, the hand on her breast moved upward to grasp her chin. Vael directed her gaze down to him. They locked eyes. She felt the slow, soothing drag of his thumb over the corner of her jaw even as he picked up the speed of his stroking tongue, his grinding fingers.
Stillness.
That’s what she felt in that suspended moment, when they stared at one another and unimaginable pleasure hung on a string just out of her reach. Everything was still and sweet andright.
And then the string snapped.
Hele couldn’t breathe. Her muscles seized and her legs snapped around his ears. She felt his horns digging into the tender skin there, but hardly cared as golden ripples of pleasure washed over her again and again.
His touches gentled, slowed down, but they didn’t stop. He guided her through the new and bewildering sensations of her first orgasm — catching her as she fell.
It felt like hours later that her muscles unlocked. Hele sagged back onto her elbows and relaxed her legs. They hung limply over his shoulders, allowing her heels to rest between the base of his impressive wings.
Gentle hands moved her legs back to the edge of the pool. Warm water lapped at her knees as Vael’s hot breath puffed against her skin. He skimmed his mouth up over her sex, then her stomach, to press a kiss between her breasts. His hands cupped her back and she gladly let him take her weight as she sagged, utterly boneless.
“You said I’m your mate,” he murmured against her throat. She didn’t always do well with the nuance of tone or expression, but she was fairly certain he soundedsmug.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Hele dreamily replied, “Well, youdidsay you built me a library.”
ChapterSeventeen
Vael leanedagainst the door jamb and crossed his arms over his chest. His gaze was heavy-lidded but focused as it tracked his mate through the little library he’d built for her. Her long, pale legs stretched out from beneath the hem of one of his shirts. Whenever she reached for a book, the slits in the back would flash a tantalizing glimpse of her bare skin.
After Hele recovered from their interlude in the pool, she had demanded to see her library. He was happy to oblige, of course, but he worried about her delicate skin’s reaction to the salty pool water, so he’d coaxed her into a quick shower first. It did something to him when she didn’t think twice about snagging one of his shirts to wear after the fact — like this was something they’d done a thousand times. It was a sweet glimpse of their future.
It made his chest swell with pride, seeing her in their dwelling, wearing his clothes, but it also made him crave her again. Vael thought that having a taste of her would help calm his instincts down, but it had only made everything worse.
He watched her walk around, looking soft and rumpled, and wanted nothing more than to hoist her up against the shelves, throw her legs over his shoulders, and devour her again.
Lust, momentarily banked after their time in the pool, flared again.
“...organized?”
He shook his head.Thank fuck I put on pants.“Sorry, I was distracted. What were you saying?”
Hele had her fingers curled around the edge of one shelf. She was stretched onto her tiptoes, and when she peered over her shoulder at him, Vael’s breath caught.Never seen anything more beautiful than my mate. Especially when she looks like she’s fresh from our nest.
Hele wrinkled her nose at him and replied, “How did you organize the shelves?”
“Ah.” He scuffed his foot on the hardwood floor and answered sheepishly, “Can’t say I did much organizing. I wasn’t sure how you’d want it done, so I just kind of put them on the shelves.”
Looking around the long room that had once been the formal dining area, he couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit embarrassed. The shelves could only graciously be considered half filled and the two plush chairs at the far end of the room looked strange without a side table or lamp. The library was not even close to being done yet, and a part of him regretted boasting about it now that she was there.
The back of his neck heated.Damn. I definitely should have waited to show her.
Shifting uneasily, he apologized, “I’m sorry it’s not finished yet. I thought I had more time.” He gestured to the chairs. “I am going to get you a nice rug and blankets so your feet don’t get cold when you read, and I want to fill all the shelves. Iwill.”
Hele dropped back down onto her heels and turned to pad over to him. “Why are you sorry? You built me alibrary.Now we will fill it together. This is better.”
It was automatic, the way his hands reached out to cup her waist, pulling her in until her chest pressed against his. “I just want everything to be perfect for you.”
She wrinkled her nose again. “I do not want perfect.”
