My skin tingles. Goose bumps erupt on my flesh, and I arch against him.
“Y-you like that?” he rasps out, grazing my neck with his teeth once more.
A moan escapes me, and my nipples pebble.
What is happening to me?
He groans, the sound landing right between my thighs. His fingertips dig into me, and I wriggle against him.
“P-please, s-stop moving,” he begs.
I do, my back going rigid.
He shifts me to face him, cradling me against his chest. I feel so safe in his arms, his warmth and scent creating a cocoon just for me.
“I'm sorry,” I murmur. “I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just surprised. It—it felt so good.”
He brushes a strand of hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear.
“And I want to make you feel good, Adhira. But not tonight. We're not alone, and you’ve had such a full-on day. It's not the time for what I want.” He presses his forehead to mine. “Let's just rest.”
I want to argue. A rebuttal sits on the tip of my tongue, but a recap of the day's events flashes behind my closed lids, and the words turn to ash in my mouth.
He's right.
Today has been so overwhelming, and as much as I want to drown in the pleasure I'm convinced onlyhecan give me, webothneed rest.
“You're right,” I whisper, sliding my hands up his chest and around his neck. My fingers tangle in the short strands at his nape. “Let's go to sleep, princess.”
His lips tilt up in a lopsided smirk, and I can't help but press my lips to his, a jolt of electricity radiating from the point of contact.
He gasps into my mouth, wide eyes meeting mine. My heart hammers against my ribs.
Holy hell.Did I just do that?
I try to pull away, but his gaze flashes with something new. An expression I've never seen before, and suddenly, his fingers are in my hair, tugging my mouth back to his.
He groans against my lips, eyes falling closed, and I let mine do the same, getting lost in the sensations swelling inside me.
It starts as quick, tentative kisses and becomes something all-consuming. His lips mould to mine, tongue lashing out, pleading for entrance.
I oblige, tangling my tongue with his. Our teeth clash as we stumble through it, and he guides me onto my back, bracketing my face with his forearms. My legs wind around his waist, and I allow myself to get lost in this. Inhim.
We take our time, exploring each other's mouths, becoming acquainted with the brushing of our noses, and learning what just the right pressure is. All the while, fireworks dance beneath my skin, and I come alive beneath him, somehow both winding down into a blissful calm and climbing high on the edge of ecstasy.
When we've had our fill, we break away with panted breaths and foreheads pressed together.
“That was?—”
“Everything,” I finish for him.
He cups my cheek tenderly, lowering himself down beside me.
“Youare everything, Adhira.”
Tears prick the backs of my eyes, whether from his soft-spoken words or his gentle caress, I can't be certain.
“Elijah,” I whisper.
