The other hand covers my breast.
Just that, one bold, claiming touch, and I arch like he’s jolted me with lightning.
No one has ever wanted to claim me before.
And the command Kovan has over my body—oh, he is claiming.
He kneads my breast through my shirt slowly—the full weight of it in his large hand already has me squirming, but then he slowly circles my nipple and I still against him, my whole attention focused on that warm point of contact between us.
Then his mouth pulls away from mine, and before I can object he’s pressed a kiss to my breast through my clothes.
Every thought in my head whites out in an instant.
And in the next, I am scrambling out of my shirt, because if that’s what it feels like with my clothes on, just imagine—nope, on second thought, pretty sure my imagination is not good enough—
Kovan, much more deliberately, pulls his own shirt over his head and I can’t help but breathe, “Oh gods.”
With his dark hair mussed and the lines of his jaw stark like they are going to shatter, and then his chest like he is carved from fucking alabaster,howis he real—
But then I manage to draw my gaze up to his golden eyes, which are devouring the sight ofme.
And once again, I’m anchored in him.
And bold.
Not quite bold enough to just take off all my clothes at once; maybe this will be as far as he wants to go today.
But bold enough to draw his head toward my naked breast.
Kovan doesn’t fight me.
Honestly, that’s putting it kind of mildly, because one second I’m making, you know, like, a nonverbal suggestion, and the next he has his mouth on me like he’s been dreaming about tasting me, with one hand on my other breast and the other holding me to him like he won’tletme go and my head falls back, gasping with all the sensation.
I’m pretty sure sages are fucking celibate, but to be the focus of all his attention, and deliberation, and care—
I have never hadanyonetake me apart so quickly. Sothoroughly.
But no: it’s like with every touch, he’s putting me back together.
And I can’t help but touch him, too, every perfect inch of his skin, and every stroke increases the fire between us until he ishard and I am writhing against him and finally,finally, one hand draws down to the juncture of my thighs.
And with it, the entirety of my focus.
I open my eyes to see him looking at me, and if I thought his gaze was fierce before it isnothingto what it looks like now.
His voice is low and half-growl as he still asks, “Yes?”
Does he really think I’m going to say no here?
Wait, actually— “Can you remind me to drink some cycle tea later?”
Kovan frowns. “Yes. What does that mean?”
“I can’t use magic to help with cramps, but I studied for a while with a woman who taught me how to suppress my monthly cycle with various plants—we foraged some today,” I explain. “Obviously I didn’t work for her long-term because, you know, paying consistent attention enough to not poison someone accidentally, not going to work for me, but I can still brew that. In all the drama today I forgot to take today’s dose though.”
Kovan swallows. “You would trust me with this?” he asks roughly. Likehecan’t believe it.
And that actually makes me feel surer about my snap decision, that he does appreciate the momentousness.
