He moved without warning and I was fooked.
Because I’d been hanging on his description, pinned by the power of his gaze and the way my core thrummed at the sound of his voice, I was caught off guard.
The first strike came high and fast, and I barely caught it, the impact ringing through both arms, since I’d added the strength of my left hand to the hilt.
The second came from the left before I’d fully recovered, then a third from below—I deflected it wide and danced back, heart hammering. Vrogul gave me no room to breathe, pressing forward with that same relentless patience turned suddenly fierce, each blow deliberate and powerful, ahungerin his eyes that almost frightened me.
I blocked and parried and gave back what I could, landing two sharp blows with the flat of my blade that he absorbed without flinching, and God help me, even that thrilled me.
The scent of him wasn’t helping. Warm skin and leather and something darker underneath, something that had no business being in my head while he was trying to hammer my sword from my grip. My pulse pounded in my ears as I flashed my tongue over my lips, imagining I could tastehim.
I missed a step. He pressed the advantage instantly, as if he’d been waiting for it.
I was moving backward now and couldn’t stop. My footwork was clean, my blocks were sound, but he was simply too large, too strong, and every blow I turned aside cost me ground. The oak’s shadow fell over me. I felt the gnarled root beneath my boot a half-second too late—my heel struck the trunk and I had nowhere left to go.
I fought harder.
I drove forward with everything I had left, a grim smile on my lips, blade flashing, trying to ignore the unexpected arousal thrumming in my core—and he caught my wrist as his sword pushed mine above my head.
I was trapped against the tree, my hands over my head, my breaths coming too fast as his massive body pressed forward, pinning me there.
“Sexually,” Vrogul murmured, and I blinked.
“What?”
“Mates are suited for each other: Physically, emotionally, and...”
He shifted, and suddenly his knee was between my thighs.
“Sexually. A Mated pair can find pleasure…”
He lowered his chin, and his voice, his gaze sweeping down my body even as he bent closer.
“In all sorts of delicious ways.”
My lungs didn’t seem to remember how to work. I tried to drag in a breath, but all I could smell wasVrogul. After days in his presence, I would have thought I’d been used to it now, but ohGod, it made my blood hum.
Hemade my blood hum.
Pinned over my head, my palms were beginning to sweat. I knew I was in danger of dropping my sword, but I didn’t care, because all I could focus on was the hard length of his body, pressing against me.
Andanotherhard length.
His cock was growing against my stomach, and the realization made me want to close my eyes and tip my head back. I didn’t want to give into the first instinct—lest he think me afraid—but I couldn’t help lifting my chin, the back of my head scraping against the rough bark of the tree.
“Rowena,” he rasped. “Beg me to kiss ye.”
With that, he lifted his knee just slightly, and his thigh—oh God, his thick thigh!—pressed against my overly sensitive core. I saw white stars and gasped in pleasure.
“Never,” I groaned, even as I rocked forward against his thigh, trying to capture that delicious pressure.
“I will not beg.”
His thigh pressed the leather of my trews against my linen chemise and my already wet cunny. I ground against him, my vision going blurry with need.
“Rowena.”
Now his voice was a mere growl as he lowered his mouth toward mine. At the last moment, he turned his head so his tusks scraped lightly along my cheek and his lips found my ear.
