I’m so hard, it’s painful.
“Are we there yet?” she whispers in my ear, teeth nipping my lobe.
“Almost, baby,” I rasp, fingers digging harder into her thighs. “Almost.”
“I’ve pictured it a thousand times at night, you know. When I’m beside you under your tidesdamned cloak.” She nuzzles the damp skin of my neck. “That you’d reach over and touch me. Taste me.Takeme.”
Not a single prickle. A ragged groan claws free from my chest.
Back at camp, I set her down on the blanket. Mayah lies back, spreading her legs wide, and fuck me if my eyes aren’t riveted to her center. I watch her through hooded lids, slowly unbuckling my belt.
“Face down, baby.” I tug the belt free.
She flips over, cheek pressed against the blanket, ass swaying in the air. “Like this, Zev?”
“Yeah,” I groan. “Just like that.”
I lower myself over her, futilely trying to ignore the press of her backside against my arousal, the sweet sound of her breathy moans. My hand trails through her hair, over her back, skating down her sides as she squirms beneath me.
“Zev.” It’s a breathy plea moaned through parted lips.
Skies, I could come from the sound of my name on her tongue alone.
I trace long lines down her arms, gathering her wrists behind her back in my hands. She’s too far gone to realize I’m binding her arms with my belt.
“You’re driving me insane, Mayah,” I growl into her ear when I’m done. And then I climb off, immediately missing her warmth.
“Wha—”
But I’m already tying her ankles together with a length of rope I snatched from beside the blanket.
“Zev, what the fuck?” she snaps, thrashing on the floor before managing to roll over and glare at me.
I regard her through narrowed eyes, chest heaving, hands clenched.
“I’m just a man, Mayah. I only have so much restraint. You are not going to say another word. You are not going to make another sound. You are going tosleep. Skies help me, don’t make me gag you.”
She doesn’t listen. As per fucking usual.
“I’m a virgin, Zev,” she says, her voice a low, husky whisper. “You can be the first to—”
Fuck, fuck,fucking fuck.
I can’t bear this. I’m at risk of ripping off her clothes and ravaging her right now if she doesn’t shut up. A guttural growlclaws from my throat, and I stalk over and tear off a strip from the blanket. My hands shake as I press it between her teeth, fingers stumbling to knot it behind her head. Too tight, then too loose, then too tight again. I swear under my breath—I don’t want to hurt her.
“I’m sorry,” I say when it’s done. Tears stream down her cheeks, dampening the fabric of the gag, as I tuck my cloak over her. Accusing blue eyes track my every movement. She’s upset with me now, but she’ll be grateful in the morning.
I settle down a few feet away, waiting and watching until she eventually drifts into a restless sleep.
As soon as her breathing evens out, I jump to my feet, walking stiffly behind a tree. My hands jerk angrily as I shove down my trousers. It’s embarrassing how quickly I come.
At least she’ll never know my shame.
Cleaning myself up, I trudge back to where I left her sleeping. She’s rolled onto her stomach again, thighs clenched together tightly. Carefully, I kneel beside her and remove the gag, fingers lingering on the soft skin of her cheek.
“Zev.” It’s faint but unmistakable, in even her sleep-roughened voice. A soft, mewling moan, cracked with need. Then again—“Zev.”
Skies damn me. I stomp back behind the tree.
