“Gods, you taste delicious,” he said against her, his words rumbling and vibrating, increasing the sensations. She cried out as he pushed a finger inside her, curling it just the way she craved. Iyana covered her mouth with a hand to keep the sounds inside her. The inn was small and their companions were on the same floor; she didn’t want them to hear everything. But Altair stopped his ministrations, removing his mouth and stilling that magical finger. She whimpered at the loss.
“Don’t you dare, astalle. I want to listen to you make those sounds.”
She shook her head, hand still over her mouth.
“I won’t continue until you remove your hand.” He slowly retracted his finger and blew a stream of cold air over her, causing her to gasp at the strangely pleasant sensation.
Iyana moaned. “You’re evil.”
He chuckled, but she relented, clutching the blanket in a fist and biting her lower lip instead.
Altair gave her another devilish smile. “Don’t hold back.”
Then he was on her and in her, pleasure piling on top of more pleasure until Iyana was sure she would burst from it all. The bundle of nerves at her core sent electric pulses through her body. Licking, sucking, tongue swirling. Gods, he was amazing. Two fingers replaced the one, filling her deliciously. A tingle ran down her spine, her toes curling. Heat built in her feet first and quickly traveled up her legs to the apex of her thighs, where Altair continued to devour her.
“Altair…” she moaned.
He hummed in encouragement. The release hit her hard and fast, starbursts in her vision, Altair’s name a prayer on her lips. He coaxed her through the orgasm, still licking and kissing her lazily. As she settled back into her body, Altair climbed on top of her and Iyana finally got to drink her fill of him. He hovered above her, letting her look. She ran her fingers over his chiseled chest and Altair shivered, his skin appearing to glow again, like when she had first seen him. He’d been tamping it down while they traveled, and she hadn’t realized how much she missed his etherealothernessuntil that moment.
“You’re incredible,” she murmured.
“If anyone here is incredible, it is you, my star,” Altair said, gazing upon her with wonder. “Phaedros could take me now and dump me straight into his pit, but I’d go happily, having had this moment with you. My only regret would be that I couldn’t worship you the way you deserve every night of your life.” He ran his thumb along Iyana’s lower lip tenderly. “Because you deserve tenderness.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “And compassion.” Tears sprang to her eyes. Before they fell, Altair was kissing her again languidly, the tip of his cock teasing at her entrance.
Iyana had had enough of his teasing for the night. Shoving at his shoulder, he allowed her to roll them over, so she was straddling him fully, his hands resting on her hips. Altair’s glow increased as he watched her hungrily with a brow raised.
Running her hands over his sculpted chest, she ground her hips into him again. Altair swore softly, his head lifting off the pillow. “You’ve deprived me of touching you for far too long. It’s my turn.”
His eyes sparked gold. “Have your fun, starheart.”
A thrill ran through her, and she took her time licking and kissing down his glowing skin. There was a thin, silver scar over his left ribs she’d never noticed before.None of the deep scratches from the wolves had left any permanent marks—Iyana didn’t want to know what would be capable of scarring a star. She placed a gentle kiss over it, and he shivered beneath her. Her fingertips ran past the hard ridges of his abdomen, before grazing over the silky-smooth skin of his erection. A bead of his desire sat at the tip, and she smoothed it around the head; his cock twitching within her hand.
“Fuck,” Altair hissed.
Iyana’s lips continued their lazy perusal of his body, pressing kisses to his inner thighs. Then she ran the flat of her tongue up the underside of his considerable length, sucking him into her mouth. Altair gasped, and any semblance of control he’d had snapped, so fast she couldn’t track the movement; he suddenly had her pinned underneath his weight. Altair slid into her in one fluid motion until he was buried to the hilt. They both moaned at the feeling and stilled. For several moments, they only gazed into each other’s eyes, unblinking. Then Altair broke and was pounding into her. Iyana held onto his shoulders, unable to do anything but cling to him like a rock in a storm. Sensations and heat were rising again fast within her. With each stroke, Altair hit the perfect spot deep within her. Then his hand was between them, his thumb circling her clit with increasing pressure. Within moments, Iyana’s pleasure crested and crashed over. She dug her fingernails into his skin with her release, and with two more strokes, Altair buried himself within her—practically roaring as he came. Beams of golden light streamed off him, filling the room.
Altair scattered kisses over her lips, her cheeks, her eyelids, finally resting his brow against hers. He exhaled deeply, and his brightness dimmed. “Astalle…”
“Altair.” More words weren’t needed. Their emotions and the heaviness of the moment contained within their names on the other’s tongue.
He slid out of her, and she wanted to moan at the loss of him inside her. She had been complete. Whole. Sex had never made her feel that way in the past. Altair rolled onto the bed, tucking her in closely like he couldn’t bear to stop touching her, his fingers roaming over her skin.
“Does the bed live up to your expectations?”
Iyana huffed a laugh. “It’s everything I dreamed of and more.”
He pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head. It was the most tender thing he’d ever done. “Get some sleep, astalle. We can bathe in the morning.”
Several hours later, Iyana awoke alone in the bed, but the area Altair had occupied was still warm, so he couldn’t be far. Sitting up, she saw him in one of the wingback chairs, still naked, silhouetted by the banked fire. He appeared to be lost in thought, his head resting in his hand, and he hadn’t realized she was awake. He was gorgeous, his skin still with a faint glow, and his blonde hair artfully tousled from sex. Iyana grabbed the sketchbook he’d made her off the side table and began to draw him.
She became lost in the process, not realizing Altair was now watching her work until she had almost finished. She startled when she looked up again to find his intense golden gaze. It was difficult to read the emotions he was feeling in the moment, but he appeared conflicted. Iyana wanted to smooth out the fine wrinkles between his brows and ease any of his worries. She rose out of the bed, sheets sliding off her, not missing the way he drank in her still-naked body. Her drawings had always been her own escape, and she had never shared them with anyone—not even Imo. But she wanted Altair to see himself the way she saw him.
Wordlessly, she showed him the picture, waiting impatiently for his reaction. He stared at it for a while, eyes roaming over the entire paper. Iyana’s hands fidgeted, fighting the urge to snatch the book back from him.
“It’s beautiful, my star,” Altair said, breathless. “You have quite the hidden talent.”
She shrugged. “It’s nothing, just something I enjoy doing in my spare time and—”
“My love,” he interrupted, “it’s incredible.You’reincredible.” Iyana blushed, the earnest tone to his voice convincing her he was being sincere.
