“You can stay down there as long as you want,” Riann said in a strangledvoice.
Tariel grinned, then reached up and pulled his leggings down around his ankles. His manhood jutted proudly in the air, and she took it in her hand, exploring the ridges with her fingers. Riann hissed as she slid her thumb along the ridge of flesh at the base of the tip, and a shudder wracked his body, making her smile. An idea came to her, and she leaned in, flicking the same spot with hertongue.
“Gods,” he groaned, the sound deep and primal. His hands found her hair, and he pulled her closer. “I’ve never had a woman do this before,” hegasped.
The admission filled Tariel with pleasure as she took him into her mouth. The act was shocking, and a bit strange—certainly she’d never heard of any woman doing such a thing to a man before, though she supposed that if they did, they wouldn’t discuss it. But the musky taste of him awoke something deep inside Tariel, and she took more of him in her mouth and began tosuck.
“Stop,” he gasped, pulling her away. “I won’t last if you keep doingthat.”
“Maybe I don’t want you to last,” she said, and then took him back into her mouth. His groans echoed in the room, and she sank her fingers into the backs of his legs, preventing him from pullingaway.
But Riann didn’t pull away this time. He surged forward, sliding even deeper inside Tariel’s mouth. At first it was too much, but her throat relaxed to accommodate him, much in the same way she had the first time they’d made love. Her legs began to ache from crouching so long, but she barely noticed, too caught up in the taste and feel of him as he slid inside her. Her entire body was burning with desire, and yet, she was not ready to stop, notyet—
“Tariel!” he cried hoarsely, digging his fingers into her scalp. He pulsed into her mouth, his hot seed flowing over her tongue. Shock rippled through her—she had not expected it to happen so fast—but she quickly recovered, swallowing everything he had to give her, and holding him fast as he quaked in herarms.
“That was…was…” he gasped, finally releasing her. His eyes were wide, his face flushed. “Incredible,” hefinished.
Tariel grinned, fierce satisfaction sweeping through her as she stood. “I’m glad,” she said, leaning up on her tiptoes to kisshim.
Riann wrapped his arms around her. “I tried to outlast you so that I could make love to you after you grew tired of playing with me,” he said sheepishly, “but you got the better ofme.”
Tariel laughed. “You can still make love to me,” she said, hopping up onto the bed behind them. “I believe you’ve managed to give me pleasure in other ways before,” she said suggestively, lifting herskirts.
Riann’s eyes lit up. He climbed up onto the bed between her legs, pushing the green fabric up around her hips. She wore no underthings beneath, and the cool air hit her wet, aching flesh as he gazed hungrily ather.
“Since we are trying new things, perhaps I can do this a bit differently,” he said. Tariel opened her mouth to ask him what he meant, then cried out as he slid his hot tongue along her slit. Her hips jerked upward instinctively, pressing her more firmly into his mouth. Laughing, Riann held her down, exploring her at his leisure. A groan worked its way up her throat as molten desire flowed through her entire body. Intense warmth rippled across her skin, as though she had a fever, and Riann was the only cure for heraffliction.
“Gods, you taste divine,” he growled, and his words vibrated against her flesh, sending little jolts of pleasure through her. He licked her again, and Tariel cried his name as his tongue found that sweet spot of hers. “Do you likethat?”
“Yes,” she cried, twining her fingers in his long, golden hair. He continued teasing her with his tongue, until she was at the breaking point, her entire body screaming out for release. “Please,” she begged. “I want you insideme.”
Riann rose up onto his knees, using his legs to nudge hers apart. He stripped his tunic off, exposing his broad, muscular chest, and Tariel burned hotter, loving the sight of him kneeling naked before her. Gripping her hips, he slid inside her in one smooth motion, burying himself to the hilt. A wave of pleasure rippled through Tariel, and she ground herself against him, seekingrelease.
“Yes,” she chanted as they moved frantically together in a frenzy of passion. She clawed at his back, and the sensation of her nails scraping against his skin only seemed to spur him on. His lips crashed against hers, and she could feel the ferocity of his need through the bond, as well as the swell of deep emotion that matched her own. He was her shining knight, her protector, the man who would always keep her safe and secure in hisarms.
When she finally came, he held her tight, murmuring endearments in her ear. She shattered to pieces in his arms, then came back together stronger and brighter, glowing withpower.
“You are a vision,” he whispered, stroking her face. The tenderness in his gaze stole her breath, and she tilted her head up for another kiss, lifting her hips in encouragement. He moved inside her again, and they rocked gently together until he finished, burying his seed deep withinher.
“I wonder if I’ve planted a babe in your belly,” he said as he stroked her hair. “It’s bound to happen sooner or later, at the rate we’regoing.”
“Actually,” Zolotais said, popping up out of nowhere again. Riann made a strangled noise in his throat, and quickly threw the blanket over them to shield Tariel’s modesty. “Fertility does not come easily to most mages due to the strain practicing magic puts on their bodies. Tariel has not performed any particularly large spells, but because she is still learning, it is the same thing. Once she masters her magic, she should be able to produce children so long as she does not overtaxherself.”
“Oh.” Tariel blinked, placing a hand on her abdomen. It seemed as if she was learning new things about herself every day. “I imagine now would not be a good time to get pregnant anyway, since we are still indanger.”
“Agreed,” Zolotais said. “Even so, you might want to whip up a contraceptive while you’re here. A house this size should have a decent amount of herbs storedaway.”
Tariel agreed, then dismissed the desert spirit. She dressed and went downstairs with Riann, and after a quick meal in the kitchen with Calrain—who had sliced up some cheese and dried meat, and had even found a bit of stale bread to go with it—Tariel went to the cellar. There, in the cool darkness, she found a sizable storage of herbs and plants. Delighted, she mixed up the contraceptive that Zolotais had suggested, then combined the dried flowers with other household ingredients to produce adye.
“Is that for me?” Calrain asked dubiously when she’dfinished.
“Yes,” Tariel said. She made him strip down to his underthings and then sit in a chair as she colored his hair with the mixture. “It should disguise your distinctive hair, at least so long as you do not wash it, or go for a swim in theocean.”
Calrain shivered. “My extremities would ice over,” he said. “I’ll stick to land, if you don’tmind.”
“At least until we board a ship,” Riann said. “I do hope there is one leaving for the Empire soon. I want to get out of here as soon aspossible.”
Tariel finished dying Calrain’s hair, and he looked quite pleased with himself. After it had dried, she found a jerkin and coat that were less fine, and adapted them to fithim.
