His hand came up, fisting in my tunic, yanking me closer even as his other hand found the front of my leathers and squeezed. The contact sent heat spiking through me, my cock hardening instantly under his touch, the pressure almost painful after hours of restraint.
I groaned, the sound dragged from somewhere deep, and crushed my mouth to his.
It wasn’t gentle.
We collided like we always did when control finally snapped—teeth and tongue and the clash of wills that refused to yield even in this. He bit my lower lip hard enough to sting, and I retaliated by tightening my grip on him, stroking firmly until he moaned into my mouth, the sound vibrating between us.
Our bond surged, magic tangling, seeking the familiar alignment we’d built over years of fighting and fucking and learning each other’s bodies like territory claimed and reclaimed. His storm pressed against my leashed power, lightning crackling along my skin, the mark at my wrist burning hot beneath the bracer.
“Malric,” Thane breathed against my mouth, his hand working me through the leather, rough and urgent. “We shouldn’t?—”
“Shut up,” I said, and kissed him again before he could finish that thought.
Because we should. Because if we didn’t burn this off, the tension would eat us both alive. Because Aveline’s scent was still in my lungs, and Thane’s loyalty was wavering, and I needed to remind him—remind both of us—what we were to each other.
I broke the kiss long enough to reach for his belt, fingers working the buckle with practiced efficiency. He mirrored me, hands yanking at my laces, our movements clumsy with urgency, neither of us willing to step back far enough to make it easier.
His leathers parted under my hands, and I shoved them down his hips just enough to free him. He sprang into my palm, thick and hot and already slick at the tip. I wrapped my fingers around him properly now, skin on skin, and stroked from base to tip in one firm pull.
Thane’s knees buckled.
I caught him with my other hand at his hip, pinning him to the wall, holding him upright as I worked him with deliberate intent. He was beautiful like this—head thrown back, throat exposed, lips parted on ragged breaths, his body surrendering even as his pride fought to hold on.
“Look at you,” I murmured, my thumb sliding over the head of his cock, spreading the wetness there. “Falling apart already.”
“Bastard,” he panted, but his hips thrust into my grip, seeking more friction, more pressure.
I gave it to him, tightening my hold, picking up the pace until he was gasping, his hands scrabbling at my shoulders, my chest, anywhere he could reach. His magic flared again, wild and uncontrolled, the air around us crackling with energy that made the hair on my arms stand on end.
“Easy,” I said, though my control was fraying fast. “Save some of that.”
Thane’s eyes snapped open, storm-dark and furious. “Then stop teasing.”
I grinned, sharp and feral. “Make me.”
He moved fast—faster than I expected. His hands shoved at my chest, and suddenly our positions reversed, my back hitting the wall as he dropped to his knees in front of me with a grace that should have been impossible given how hard he was breathing.
My protest died in my throat as his hands yanked my leathers down, freeing me in the cool air.
“Thane—”
He took me into his mouth without warning.
The heat was immediate, devastating, wet and perfect as he sank down on me, taking me deep in one smooth motion. I swore, my hands flying to his hair, fingers tangling in the dark strands as my hips jerked forward involuntarily.
He hummed around me, the vibration sending shockwaves up my spine, and hollowed his cheeks as he pulled back, creating a suction that made my vision blur.
“Gods,” I breathed, my head falling back against the stone, every muscle in my body going taut.
Thane worked me with the kind of focus he brought to battle, determined and relentless, his tongue sliding along the underside of my cock, his hand wrapping around the base to stroke what he couldn’t fit. He knew exactly how I liked it—rough and fast, no mercy, no hesitation.
I looked down and nearly lost it at the sight.
Thane on his knees, lips stretched around me, eyes closed as he concentrated on taking me deeper, his own cock still hard and flushed between his legs, leaking against his thigh. He looked wrecked already, undone by this as much as I was, and the bond between us flared hot and tight, our pleasure feeding into each other until I couldn’t tell where mine ended and his began.
“That’s it,” I growled, my grip tightening in his hair, guiding his rhythm. “Take it all.”
He moaned around me, the sound muffled and desperate, and redoubled his efforts, bobbing faster, sucking harder, his hand pumping in time with his mouth.
