Wellion thought about leaving his underpants on, but when the other men stripped down to their skin, he shrugged and did the same. After all, if he was going to be part of the harem, he supposed he needed to get used to seeing them naked, and vice versa. Joining them, he thought it would be awkward, but once they were properly in the water it was no different than if they had still wornunderpants.
“Want to see who is the fastest swimmer?” Riann challenged, a gleam in his eyes. “I bet two coppers I can beat youall.”
“I won’t take that bet.” Calrain laughed. He stayed in the shallow area, near Tariel. “I’ve only been swimming twice in mylife.”
“I’m afraid I have to sit this one out, too,” Tariel agreed. She snuggled up to Calrain with a smile. “But I will raise the stakes. The first one to make it down to that tree and back to me”—she pointed to a palm frond waving in the distance—“gets a kiss fromme.”
She looked directly at Wellion, her eyes lighting withmischief.
Wellion grinned at her before turning to Yarim and Riann. “I’ll take your bet,” hesaid.
The three of them lined up in the waist-deep water, and upon Tariel’s signal, were off. Wellion sped through the water with ease, having spent many childhood afternoons swimming in the pond behind the keep. He thought he would be neck and neck with Riann, but to his surprise, Yarim overtook the Fjordlander, his smaller, compact body cutting through the water like a knife through butter. The Maroyan grinned at him as he swam past, only a few yards from thetree.
Gritting his teeth, Wellion put on a burst of speed and overtook him. His arms burned as he spun around and propelled himself back toward Tariel, shooting past Riann, who was barely on Yarim’s heels. With a grin, he swam the last few feet toward Tariel, then swung her into hisarms.
“My champion,” Tariel grinned, lowering her mouth tohis.
Wellion’s head spun as they kissed for the first time. He was unprepared for the way her soft lips molded against his so perfectly, as if they belonged there. Hard nipples scraped against his bare chest as she wound her arms around his neck, and his cock hardened in response, jutting against the curve of herhip.
Gods,he thought as she flicked her tongue against his lower lip. How the bleeding hell had he managed to hold out this long without tastingher?
He opened his mouth to taste her fully, but she slid down his body, then wrapped her hand around his. “Come with me,” she murmured, and began to tug him back toward theshore.
Wellion glanced back to the others, but Riann merely winked, then immediately engaged Yarim and Calrain in a splash fight. As the three of them shouted and laughed, Wellion followed Tariel up the shore, where they spread one of their cloaks beneath a palmtree.
“This is so lovely,” she said with a sigh as they lay down together. She rolled on her side to look at him, and her breasts nestled together, less than a hand’s breadthaway.
“Yes, it is,” he agreed, reaching for her. He knew she expected him to touch her breasts, but instead he went for the tantalizing curve of her waist. He glided his hand up her side, along her rib cage, then back down until his fingers could curl around the back of herthigh.
“Do you want me?” he asked in a low voice, his fingers inching between herthighs.
Tariel sucked in a sharp breath, her topaz eyes darkening with lust. She ran a finger down the center of his chest, sending tingles racing across his skin. “I think you already know the answer to that,” she said, “but I am loyal to myharem.”
“I’ll join your harem,” Wellion growled, rolling on top of Tariel. He pressed her into the sand, nudging her thighs open with his leg. “If you’ll do the ritual withme.”
He kissed her hard, plunging his tongue deep inside her at the same time that he slid his hand beneath the waistband of her underpants. Tariel moaned into his mouth as he found her folds, already wet, and she drove her hips up, rubbing shamelessly against him. The need to bury himself inside her was so strong that he nearly gave in, but instead he reached down between them and used his fingers to pleasure her. He wanted her to be good and ready for this nextpart.
“Wellion,” she gasped as his thumb found the little jewel nestled in her folds. She ground herself against his hand as he massaged her, applying just enough pressure to make her wild without quite pushing her over theedge.
“I pledge myself to you, Tariel,”Wellion said in Maroyan, pressing his lips against Tariel’s ear. He thrust two fingers inside her, and her body bowed into his, vibrating as the climax he’d been teasing her with was finally unleashed. Primal satisfaction surged through him as she cried out, the sound echoing in his ears as it was carried away on the balmy breeze.“In flesh, blood, and spirit, for as long as we both shall live. My life is yours, my heart is yours, and my sword and strength shall forever be devoted to yourdefense.”
Tariel laughed, a breathless, happy sound. The hours Wellion had spent practicing the words, which Zolotais had taught him, were absolutely worth it to behold the mingled look of shock and joy on her gorgeousface.
“You came prepared,” she said, cupping his cheek. Her eyes were heavy-lidded as she looked up at him through her thick lashes, their blue depths sparkling with amusement andsatisfaction.
“I did,” Wellion said, grinning. “Did I get itright?”
“You did.” She cupped his other cheek, cradling his face with both hands as she looked deep into his eyes.“And I pledge myself to you, Wellion Traize. In flesh, blood, and spirit, for as long as we both shall live. My life is yours, my heart is yours, and my magic will forever bind us together, so that we may never beapart.”
She hooked her legs around his waist then, and guided him deep inside her. Wellion groaned as her tight, wet heat enfolded his cock. She felt incredible, far better than anything his fantasies could have everconjured.
And she was his now.Forever.
“Mine,” he growled as he plunged deeper inside her. Her nails dug into his flesh as they moved together. The ocean waves crashed on the shore behind them in tempo to his thrusts, hard and slow and thorough as he worked his cock in and out of her. Hunger raged inside him, urging him to go faster, but he forced himself to slow down, wanting to savor their first timetogether.
“Yours,” Tariel agreed, her blue eyes shining up at him. Tangling her fingers in his hair, she drew his mouth down to hers and kissed him fiercely. Their tongues tangled together in a battle of wills, and as Tariel drew him into the mating dance, he found himself losing control, his thrusts growing wilder as he barreled towardrelease.
When the climax finally hit him, it was like nothing he’d ever felt before. A titanic wave of pleasure hit him, and he felt as if something had suddenly burst inside his chest, filling him with light and warmth. His head spun as he tried to wrap his mind around all the emotions rippling through him—pleasure, power, pride, exhilaration. Some of the emotions were his, and some were Tariel’s, who he could now feel through the bond that snapped into place betweenthem.
But most of all, he felt pure, unadulteratedjoy.
“You’re glowing,” Tariel said softly, running a hand along his arm. Wellion blinked as he looked down at his skin, which was enveloped by a faint golden glow. “It looks like Zolotais was right about the ritual after all.” She smiled up athim.
“Yes,” he said, dipping his head down to kiss her again. He began to move inside her once more, his cock already growing hard again. “Now let’s see if we can make you glow,too.”
