A line forms between his brow, and I wonder at his reaction, wanting to press more. But he doesn’t give me the chance. He shakes it off and steps forward with the soap.
“Time you clean you up, princess.”
He reaches down to work the soap into a lather between us, then without words, he bathes me. Despite my restrained position, his touch is gentle and sends sparks dancing across my skin as he scrubs my entire body. He eases off his shadows just enough that he can help me duck my hair into the warm water, and lathers that clean, too.
Finally, the last of the suds are rinsed from my skin. Stark gives me a heavy look.
“Tomorrow,” he starts.
“I don’t want to talk about tomorrow,” I tell him, my throat tight around the words.
The truth is, I’m afraid.
Afraid we won’t succeed, and what it will mean for Nocturna. Afraid that we will succeed, but that the cost might be either of our lives.
“Fuck me like we have forever,” I beg him.
Stark lets his shadows dissipate, and I open my knees slowly, deliberately in invitation. He steps up between them, pressing close.
He kisses me, his lips hard and unyielding at first but softening the more I push myself into him. As he licks his tongue into my mouth, I wrap my arms around his broad back, pulling him closer, closer.
The soft sounds of the water around us, the breeze in the pine branches, and the calls of birds hunting in the cold night air blend together like a harmony. I shiver at the chill of the breeze on my wet skin and the relentless heat of Stark’s body against mine.
Throwing my head back, I gaze up at the sky. Stark’s lips and teeth trail down my neck, the scruff of his cheeks and chin setting my sensitive skin alight.
Our bodies press closer together, and closer still, until I barely know where I end and Stark begins. The hard heat of his cock slips and slides against me, teasing me without giving me the fullness I crave.
I moan, a small, desperate sound, and he tangles his fingers in my wet hair, tilting my face toward his. He looks me directly in the eye as he finally pushes inside me again.
It feels so right, so good, I almost forget to breathe. When he pulls out and pushes back inside, starting up a steady rhythm, he does it slowly. There’s nothing desperate or punishing in it anymore. Instead, it’s reverent.
I savor every brush of his skin against mine, every second of completion as he fills me again and again, deeper and deeper. His breath goes rough against my neck as he approaches his peak, and I savor that, too.
Just before he comes, Stark reaches his hand down to strum my clit with his fingers, and that’s all I need.
I’m falling, tumbling into my orgasm. His pace picks up, every thrust sending me to new heights, and I dig my fingers into his shoulders so that I feel his entire body clench and shudder as he also hits his peak.
There’s a sea of shadow dancing around us, I realize, my pleasure and emotion spilling out of me in dark waves that swell to caress us both. As we regain our breath, clinging together, the tendrils of power begin to dissipate and fade away.
Stark wraps his arms around me, staying inside me as the final shocks of pleasure roll through me like ripples in the steaming pool around us. His arms wrap around my back, chasing out the cold that threatens to catch us now that our movements have stilled.
We stay like that for a long moment, my face pressed into the crook of his neck, head tucked under his chin.
Finally, reluctantly, we dry ourselves as best as we can and pull our clothes back on. The two of us head back to camp quietly, lying down together in front of the fire. Sleep comes easily.
I’m not sure how much longer I rest, but when I open my eyes, the sun is rising. It casts long shadows through the trees and bathes everything in a golden glow.
I’m still curled against Stark, sheltered by his strength. He looks so beautiful in its light. His eyes are still closed. He looks younger when he’s sleeping. Like he’s who he was before all the pain came. Or like he’s who he could be, given time to heal.
With me, maybe. With me.
“Meryn,” Anassa says softly. There’s affection and understanding in her voice.
I shut my eyes, wishing I could deny the rising sun. Wishing I could summon enough shadow from my blood to turn the sky dark again and flood it with stars.
But even I have limits.
“Anassa,” I reply.
