“Then by all means,” he said, spreading his hands mockingly, “try taming me, sweetie.”
And I did. Surging up to kiss him, shoving at his chest enough to make him stumble back a step into the deeper water. My fingers tugged at his harness, ripping the buckles open, and flung it backwards. For a moment, he let me lead, let me set the pace, and I felt a rush of triumph.
Right when I thought I had him, he caught my wrists, spinning us around with inhuman ease until I was pressed against the smooth rock that lingered in the lake once again.
“Cute,” he murmured against my lips, his grin wicked. “But you like it better when I’m the one in control.”
I opened my mouth to argue, only to gasp as his hands slid down, gripping my hips hard enough to drag me flush against him.
“See?” His voice was dark velvet, his gaze locked on mine as if daring me to deny it. “You melt the second I touch you.”
“I—” My protest died as he kissed me again, deep and slow, pulling the air from my lungs until I was clinging to him, my fingers digging into his shoulders.
“Mm.” His grin curved against my mouth. “You’re all mine.”
He didn’t rush. Every strap, every buckle of my harness he undid with deliberate care, tossing each piece to the sandbank without breaking eye contact. “Slow,” he murmured, dragging the word out as he peeled my soakedshirt over my head, until the night air kissed my bare skin and his touch against it felt like sparks.
“Perfect,” he said softly, and the word made my chest ache with something I couldn’t name.
Then he stripped off his own shirt, water beading over muscle, every sharp line catching the moonlight. “But more importantly… I’m hungry.”
He lifted me with ease, settling me on top of the rock, legs hooked around his hips. The water lapped coolly at my wet leather pants, a sharp contrast to the molten heat building between us.
“Didn’t you get enough?” I asked.
“I wasn’t talking about your blood,” he said, voice low, amused. “But you like it when I bite you, don’t you?”
I bit my lip, refusing to answer, and that earned me a dark chuckle.
“You don’t have to say it.” He dragged his mouth along my throat, his teeth scraping just enough to make me shiver. “I can feel it every time I touch you.”
My fingers curled in his hair, half-intending to pull him closer, half to push him away, but he only chuckled and nipped at my collarbone, his tongue soothing the sting.
“Always so aggressive,” he murmured, his hand hooking into the waistband of my soaked trousers, tugging enough to make me gasp.
I squirmed, but not to resist, instead helping by lifting my hips as he peeled the fabric away from my skin. The lake water made it slick, and he took his time, dragging it down inch by agonizing inch until I was bare in his lap, shivering under the moonlight.
His gaze dragged over me, slow and hungry, until I burned hotter than any flame I’d ever conjured.
“Kiss me,” I demanded, and he tilted forward, his lips brushing against mine. As I leaned in for more, he pulled back an inch. I glared at him, and he revelled in it, his grin sharpening, delighted. He curved away to strip the last of his clothes away before sinking back into the water with me.
Gods.
The sight of him stole what little breath I had left, all muscle, sharp lines and the faintly glowing red marks across his chest. I stroked his body, feeling him, learning every curve of him as I placed my lips against his collarbone.
“Fuck…” he said, reverent this time, his hands sliding up my thighs, spreading me wider across his lap. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
“Then show me,” I dared, breathless.
I burned under his gaze, but I didn’t look away, not even when he caught my breast in his mouth, licking lazy circles around my nipple. When another groan left him, my head finally fell back against the stone, arching into him, my body silently pleading for more.
His hand grabbed my chin, yanking me back.
“Pay attention, sweetie,” he purred against my lips, as his fingers slid over my bare skin; the touch barely there, yet it drove me mad. Then, he caressed between my thighs, stroking at my core. My body betrayed me, arching into his every stroke, craving it. I had to fight against surrendering to it, hauling myself up as I reached for him. At first, my fingers stroke teasingly, making his hardened length twitch in response as a divine groan left him.
“I’ll tame your flames so that every time you burn, you’ll remember who lit the spark.”
Embers flared around my skin, his strokes creating warmth throughout my body, sending a pulse of ecstasy along every touch.
