We stayed in that wordless embrace as relief, comfort, and reassurance flooded between us.
Unthreading my fingers from his hair, I placed a hand under his chin tilting it up, and my heart ached at the vulnerability staring back at me.
I leaned down and pressed my lips against his, letting him know that I was okay.Wewere okay. Whatever thoughts plagued him seemed to melt after a moment, and his lips met mine with the same tenderness I offered him.
Our tethering kisses deepened, and as his broad hands pulled me in closer, I parted my lips for him, and he swept in tasting all of me as if he’d never tasted me before.
Moaning, he slid a hand into my tangled hair, nipping at the side of my neck—then stopped, pulling away to look at me.
“Nyleeria?” he asked, the concerned word accentuated by the deep lines between his brows. He tentatively traced a black splotch on my shoulder before his eyes darted around, cataloging the marks as if just noticing them.
“They don’t hurt,” I said.
“Are you sure?” he asked, brows still furrowed.
In response, I wrapped my legs around him, then pressed my hands against the sides of his face, pulling him in.
He hesitated for a moment, and I nipped his bottom lip. At that, his hand traveled along my spine, then followed the contours of my exposed hips downward. His warm breath hovered over my collarbone as his fingers explored. I bit my lip in anticipation—only, nothing happened.
I opened my eyes to find Thaddeus staring down at me. Pulling away to get a better view, his look morphed into pure, ravenous intent, and a guttural sound of approval slipped from his lips. I swallowed, following his gaze down to the cascading fabric of his borrowed shirt snagging on my breasts—their hard pointed peaks clearly visible.
He stood, his mass towering over me as his eyes continued devouring what lay in wait. I leaned up for him, craving any connection, but with mischief in his eyes, he tilted back a fraction and threw me a grin. I narrowed my eyes at him but relented at his silent promise.
Leaning back on my elbows, I watched as his fingers rounded my hips before continuing their teasing caress along the sensitive sides of my torso, gathering fabric as he slid up my body, until I was free.
I made to move farther onto the bed but was stopped. A crooked smile teased at his lips as he slid a leg up between mine, then brought the other beside it, kneeling. He placed a hand on either side of my head and lowered his weight down, his bulging desire only separated by the soft fabric of his garments. In a slow movement, he ground that part of him upward, rubbing me where I ached for it. I let out a deep, longing moan when he did it again and went to grab him, but he caught me, wrapping my delicate wrists in his hands before pinning them above my head.
Lowering himself farther, he said, “I want to devour you, Nyleeria, like my own personal feast.”
Oh gods. My feet flexed, and my hips moved under him, desiring friction.
“Yes,” he breathed into my ear, and a whining plea rang out of me—stars I wanted him covered in my slickness.
Making sure I kept my hands above my head, he flashed that knowing smile of his, then dismounted. Once standing, his firm grip dragged me to the edge of the bed, pulling the sheets free. He paused for a heartbeat, then placed a hand on the inside of my knees, spreading them apart so my sex was fully on display. He sucked in an approving breath, and his eyes, rich with promise, focused on their quarry as he lowered himself to his knees. Bursting with anticipation, I gripped the bedding, mindful to keep my arms where he left them.
Warm breath caressed my wetness. Torture—this was a new kind of torture.
My hips tilted, unhappy with the wait, wanting more.
A deep chuckle rumbled from him before a different kind of vibration jolted through me as he sucked in that bundle of nerves. I bucked, and his hands gripped my inner thighs hard, keeping me in place as he continued to play.
Unable to help myself, I released the bedding and brought my hands to my breasts, needing to feel flesh as I grabbed them with the same intensity he’d used, pretending they were his firm, calloused palms scraping against my nipples.
He released my thighs, and in a rolling motion, his fingers replaced his mouth just before he plunged his tongue deep inside me. The tip made a sweeping motion as if beckoning someone forward, and my hands shot out to the sides, fisting the bedding as I frantically grasped to contain the sounds that wanted to fill the halls, giving us away.
Thaddeus knew exactly what he was doing as he worked his fingers and tongue in tandem, pulling me to the edge over and over, but not quite giving me the release Ineeded—the one I’d surely die without.
“Please. Oh gods, Thaddeus. Please!” I cried.
His mouth traded places with his fingersonce more, plunging into me hard, but it was his tongue that had me screaming first, release shuddering through me as he pumped in and out of me like his life depended on it.
Finally, my breath hitched, catching in my lungs, and I was unable to make a sound when the muscles inside me clenched hard in pure ecstasy around his buried fingers. I shook as wave after wave crashed over me until there was nothing left to give.
Heart still pounding, Thaddeus removed himself, and a deep throb pulsed in his absence as if my body already missed him.
Standing, he made his way onto the bed and straddled me, watching as the remnants of pleasure continued coursing through my veins. Holding my gaze, he slowly sucked his fingers clean.
“You’re delicious,” he crooned, then leaned in and kissed me deeply, letting me taste for myself.
