Her hands stilled on the clay as I created a path of gentle kisses along the column of her throat, feeling her pulse flutter beneath my lips.
She turned in my arms, her clay-covered hands framing my face as she kissed me fully. This kiss was different from our morning greeting. It was deeper, more urgent, and filled with the same longing that had been building between us for days.
I stood, pulling her with me, and she came willingly. Dark desire filled her gaze as she looked up at me, her pupils dilated and her lips parted. The trust in her expression made my chest tighten with a mix of joy and anticipation.
“I want…” She shook her head. “I don’t know. Everything, I think.”
“How about just some to start?” I couldn’t take all she might offer until she was truly ready to commit to our bond.
“Alright.”
I swept my arm across the wooden surface of a workbench, sending tools clattering to the floor. Lifting her, I settled her on the edge, stepping between her knees until we were pressed together.
“You’re beautiful, Allie,” I said, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled, her cheeks flushing. My heart stumbled.
She removed my cowboy hat, tossing it toward another workbench as I reached for the hem of her shirt with trembling fingers. I paused to meet her eyes. The trust I found there, the desire that matched my own, made me dizzy with want. She lifted her arms, helping me as I slowly pulled the fabric up and away, revealing the perfection of her skin, bit by tantalizing bit. I grinned as I laid her shirt aside.
“You’re never getting that back, you know,” I joked, trying to hide the nervous flutter in my belly.
She laughed. “I don’t care.”
The soft curve of her waist, the gentle swell of her breasts in her simple bra, and the way her skin flushed pink under my intense gaze… Every detail burned itself into my memory. She was art come to life, more beautiful than any sculpture I could ever hope to create.
“Fates, Allie.” My voice came out in a rough growl.
Time slowed as we explored each other. My palms skimmed up her arms, and I marveled at the softness of her skin, the way goosebumps rose from my caress. Every kiss, every brush of skin against skin felt like I was discovering fire for the first time. When I found a ticklish spot near her collarbone, and she laughed, I smiled against her skin.
I traced the line of her collarbone with my fingertips, watching in fascination as her breath hitched, her back arching to press closer to my touch. The small sound she made, part sigh, part moan, sent heat spiraling straight to my groin. My mouth followed the path my fingers had traced, pressing soft, worshipful kisses along the elegant curve of her throat. She tasted like sunshine and rain and everything I’d ever wanted butnever dared hope for. Her pulse fluttered, a tiny bird’s rhythm that matched the frantic beating of my heart.
“Hail.”
“Yes, love?” I asked, smiling as she tugged lightly on my hair.
Her fingers tangled in the strands as I kissed down her throat, each touch of her hands against my scalp making my body quake. I paused to give attention to the sensitive hollow at the base of her neck, my tongue darting out to taste the salt on her skin. She gasped, her body trembling against mine, and the sound went straight through me like lightning.
“Please,” she whispered, her voice breathless and needy, and I nearly lost all control right there.
I mapped the curves of her body, from the gentle swell of her ribs to the way her waist dipped inward. The soft flare of her hips. Her skin was like the silkiest fabric, warm and impossibly smooth, and everywhere I touched, she responded with little sounds of pleasure that made my blood sing.
When I brushed against the sensitive skin below her breast, she jerked against me with a sharp intake of breath that made my cock throb with need.
“I love how responsive you are,” I said against her throat. I felt her smile against my cheek, her breath warm on my skin.
“Even with my ticklish spots?” she teased, her voice soft and breathy. I pulled back to look into her eyes, a grin tugging at the corners of my mouth.
“Especially with that.” I kissed the tip of her nose. “It makes you real, Allie.”
Her breathing came in quick pants that matched the racing of my heart. I could feel the rise and fall of her chest against mine, could feel the way her body trembled from my touch, responding to every caress like she’d been made just for me. I savored every moment, every taste, every sound she made. This wasn’t only physical desire, though the wanting was so intense itmade my hands shake with the effort to go slow. This was love expressed through touch.
I kissed the swell of her breast above her bra, and she arched into the touch with a soft cry that echoed in the room. Her fingers tightened in my hair, holding me to her as I gave attention to her sensitive skin, gliding patterns with my tongue that made her writhe against me.
“You’re driving me crazy, Hail,” she whispered, her voice filled with laughter and desire. I smiled against her skin, my hands moving to her back to unhook her bra.
“That’s the idea, love,” I said, helping her slip the fabric off her shoulders. The sight of her bare before me, flushed and wanting and trusting, made my throat close off. I took a moment to look at her, to appreciate how lovely she was. “You s-s-steal all my thoughts, Allie.”
She smiled. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
I worshipped her with my mouth and hands, learning every curve, every sensitive spot that made her gasp and arch beneath me. Her responses were like music. She sighed when I kissed the underside of her breast and sucked in a breath when my tongue found her nipple. I nearly came from her broken moan when I lavished attention on the other breast. When I took the hardened peak into my mouth, sucking, she cried out, her body trembling beneath mine.
