As she quieted beneath him, he loosened his hold on her and smoothed her damp hair from her face. He kissed her tenderly, a change from their frantic urgency mere seconds ago. She snuggled tightly against him, and his chest constricted with the surge of emotion she elicited.
“Is it always like that?” she asked in a blissful tone.
He laughed. “Indeed not, and for that I am grateful. I couldn’t survive such an experience on a regular basis.” But even as he said it, he knew he spoke an untruth. He could never tire of being intimate with her, and he knew with certainty that it would always be just as exquisite between them.
She yawned against his chest. “It’s too bad really. I could get used to something so wondrous.”
He smiled as she cuddled against him like a warm kitten, content and replete after a saucer of milk. No matter what happened here on out, he would cherish this night and hold the memory of their coupling close to his heart.
* * *
Isabella opened her eyes, reluctant to come out of her euphoric haze. Merrick’s arms were tightly around her in a protective barrier against the outside world. One that would not intrude upon them for several more hours if she had any say.
She drew slightly away and gazed up at his face. How calm and deceptively mild he looked in sleep, his hair at his temple falling over his handsome face. She lifted her hand to smooth back the lock, tucking it behind his ear.
Not for a moment did she regret her actions. They had shared something truly spectacular, and whether she was merely a duty to him or not, she didn’t believe that he was unaffected by their union.
A wicked grin twisted her lips as she imagined the perfect way to awaken him. By her accounting, they had several more hours before arriving off the coast of Leaudor, and she planned to make the most of every single one.
She slid down his body and cupped his manhood in her hand. With care she began stroking it, then on instinct, she lowered her mouth and flicked out her tongue. She felt him awaken instantly, his hands immediately tangling in her hair.
With a slight twist of her head, she glanced up to see him staring at her, his eyes filled with desire. “So you are awake,” she teased.
“As if I could sleep when you are doing that,” he said raggedly.
“Would you like me to continue?” she asked, arching an eyebrow daringly at him.
“If you don’t, I may die. If you do, I still may die.”
“In that case,” she whispered ducking her head back down. Her eyes widened when she saw his shaft, rigid and straining toward her.
The fact that she was not at all sure what to do didn’t hinder her in the least as she wrapped her fingers around the base, smiling when he arched against her. A bit hesitantly at first, she closed her lips around the tip, but then she heard him moan and quickly gained confidence.
He writhed beneath her as she continued her gentle suckling. His hand gripped the back of her head tightly as he arched into her. Finally he yanked away from her and pulled her tightly against him.
In one swift movement, he rolled her underneath him, her stomach to the bed. Warm and wet, his tongue traced the line of her backbone from the small of her back to the base of her head. She shivered as he left a damp trail. Then, mimicking her earlier action, he sank his teeth into her neck, sucking and nipping at the sensitive flesh.
She dug her hands into the sheets, curling them in her hands, moaning with abandon. That she couldn’t see him, had no idea what he would do next was driving her slowly up an impossible peak.
She felt her legs spread under his firm hands then felt his hot breath blow over her buttocks. His hands kneaded the plump flesh there, and she arched up on her knees to give him better access.
The ache between her legs had begun in earnest, and if he didn’t touch her soon, she might well go mad. She buried her face in the pillow he had slept on, inhaling his masculine scent even as he tormented her with his fingers.
He massaged her most sensitive point then plunged two fingers into her, making her scream into the pillow. To her astonishment, she felt his shaft probing her entrance, and she was immediately flooded with the images of him mounting her from behind. Before she could react to such an erotic idea he was inside her, deep, hard, into the deepest recesses of her being.
She fought for breath as wave upon wave of intense pleasure washed over her. They fit perfectly together. She rocked back against him then pushed herself up off the pillow with her hands.
She threw back her head as he thrust forward again. He leaned over her, deeply embedded within, stilling his thrusts completely. His hands smoothed over her back and underneath to cup her breasts. He plucked her nipples like a finely tuned instrument and she went wild bucking against him, begging him with her body to continue his motions.
“Please…” she managed to gasp out.
With one last tug of her breasts, he let loose and thrust into her again and again. As she neared her peak, she shoved back against him as hard as she could. Then she let out a seemingly endless sigh as she toppled into complete oblivion.
Her vision blurred, and she feared she might lose consciousness. And still he didn’t stop. On the heels of her release, she began a second climb, faster than the first, and she begged him to stop. Begged him not to stop as she hovered precariously near the edge once more.
And with a final thrust, he made her completely his. She whimpered his name and surged forward against the bed, unseating him with the power of her movements.
His warm seed pulsed against her back as he shuddered against her. She closed her eyes, reveling in the delicious feel of his body atop hers, their sweat mingling, his warm salty smell wrapped around her like a cocoon.
