Standing, I pulled her against me and held her. It took a lot of bravery for her to bring this desire to me, especially considering our earlier argument, and I was proud of her. I kissed her cheek, then leaned back to look at her.
“Claire, I don’t have to pretend that I want a child with you.”
Her eyes widened. “You don’t?”
“Of course I don’t. I’ve always wanted a child.” A knot formed in my throat, and I found this part was hard to say. “But I went unmated for centuries. And after watching my brothers marry and remarry their mates, and have more and more children, I put that dream aside, and committed myself to my job.” I touched the side of her face. “I want to have a child with you. But if anything happened to you. If you were hurt because of me. Because of somethingI did to you…”
She placed a finger against my lips. “If you want it, and I want it, can we just pretend?”
“I already told you, I don’t have to pretend. I think about the same thing.” I pressed a kiss to her temple. “As long as you understand where my boundary is. Because as much as I might want to, I’m not going to risk it. Not right now.”
“I understand.”
“Good. And… one more thing before we get started.” I remembered the way she rubbed the relic over her breast last time we were together, and even though Iknewit wasn’thim, I didn’t want to see that right now. I needed more time to get used to it. “No horn. I just want this to be the two of us.”
She hesitated, and I could tell she didn’t like this condition. “I feel stronger when you touch me while I’m holding it. I can feel my power opening.”
“If we’re really going to try this, then I don’t want magickinvolved. Let’s pretend that we’re just two humans who can do whatever we want. Who are leaving tonight to take a boat to that tropical island, free to live our lives for us.”
For a moment, I wasn’t sure if she was going to agree. I saw that dark flash in her eyes. The desire for power. The need to make herself stronger. But I wasn’t going to give in. If we were going to do this, I would be taking on all the responsibility. It was on me not to slip, no matter how badly I wanted to, and I had no idea how her magick might influence me.
Finally, she relented. “I can agree to that.”
She pushed the horn further away, and a sense of relief coursed through me, along with the desire to drop fully into this role as a man who not only desired his wife but wanted to give her a child.
Her fingers raked through my hair like she needed something to hold on to as I moved to her breast. Licking and sucking. Lavishing her with attention. I moved to her stomach and lingered there, pausing to look up at her. “I’m not holding anything back tonight,” I whispered. “You’re about to find out just how depraved I am. How I’d giveanythingto cum inside you.”
“Bastien,” she moaned.
I drank in the sound, as if it were my first sip of blood, letting it fill every corner of my being. My mouth returned to her skin, feathering kisses over her hips and along her legs. I was about to kiss her center when she tugged on my hair and pulled my face up to hers, smiling wide. Cheeks pink. I realized I was smiling, too.
“Before you take over, I want a turn.” Her gaze dropped low, and I knew what she was asking for. I was loath to give up my turn between her thighs, but I wanted to encourage her to keep asking for what she wanted.
“Youwant me in your mouth, chérie?”
“Yes,” she gasped.
With one more kiss to her inner thigh, I helped her off the table and gave her my seat. She looked up at me, eyes wide. She was so beautiful it was hard to breathe. Hard to believe someone like her had come into my life. I cupped the curve of her jaw, stroking a line across her cheek. “Then take what you want.”
Claire unlaced my trousers, and I watched her with eager eyes. Her obedience was only a false sense of control. I was hers to command. And I always would be. My trousers fell to my ankles, revealing the hard length of my arousal, and Claire didn’t look away.
I stepped out of my clothes and boots, fisting myself once before returning my hands to her face, gathering her silky hair in my hands. She sank her teeth into her lower lip, and I had to restrain the monster inside of me.
“Look at you,” I rasped. “Are you ready for a taste?”
She nodded, and her pink tongue skated across her lips, wetting them for me. I stroked her cheek gently. “That’s it, darling.”
I readjusted my grip on her hair as she took the tip of my thick sex inside her mouth, her lips stretching around me. “That’s good. That’s so good. Take as much of me as you want.”
Claire took me deeper, sucking me in and out, letting me fill her up with every piece of me. My body. My heart. My wretched soul. She moaned around me, and by the goddess, it felt too good.
I pulled myself out, and she looked up at me with lust in her eyes. Pupils blown wide. Unable to conceal her smile. “If you don’t stop, I’m going to cum in that pretty mouth of yours.” I brushed her wet lip with mythumb. “And we don’t want that, do we?”
“No,” she said eagerly.
“Get up and turn around for me.” She stood slowly and spun around. Her long red hair flowed down her back. “Now bend over and grab the table.”
Glancing over her shoulder, she gave me a wicked smile and did as I asked. Giving me the perfect view of her gorgeous ass. I hooked a finger around one of her garter straps and let it snap against her skin. She gasped. “When I’m done, you’re going to be dripping wet. So full of my cum.”
