Kazia waits, languor melting into anticipation, as the jar of salve clicks open above him. When Lucien’s hand returns to his ass, it’s slippery.
“Tell me if you need to stop,” Lucien says, massaging the salve into Kazia’s rim.
“Okay.” Kazia’s nerves sing even hotter than Lucien’s touch. He’s never needed anything so badly.
Lucien’s fingers slow, teasing. “I’ll stop if it hurts.”
“Okay!” Kazia groans. “Get the fuck on with it!”
Chuckling, Lucien nudges one finger in.
Kazia arches, muffling his moan in the pillow. Fuck, Lucien wasn’t exaggerating about his hands. Nothing hurts, but there’s nothing relaxing about the heat of Lucien’s magicinside him.
In the best possible way. “What the fuck!”
“Feels fucking amazing, doesn’t it?” Every movement eases as Lucien works the salve deeper in. “It’s even better with two fingers.”
He isn’t wrong.
Kazia gives up on restraining himself. His body rocks onto Lucien’s fingers, and his breath staggers from his lips.
He wanted one night with Lucien, in case everything goes wrong tomorrow. But suddenly, he can’t bear the thought that this might be it. That he might have exposed so much of himself for only a single night of affection. An entire month wouldn’t be enough. Nor an entire year.
“You’re ready,” Lucien rasps.
“Wait.” Embarrassed, monstrously needy, Kazia buries his face in the pillow. His question is muffled. “When this is over, are you going back to Silaise?”
Lucien pushes his hair aside to kiss his neck. “That should probably be a difficult question, but no. I’m staying until you get sick of me.”
Kazia takes a deep breath. “Then yes. I’m ready.”
Lucien touches his shoulder. Kazia moves with the gentle push, as if they’re already a single body breathing in tandem. He falls back on the pillow and looks up at Lucien, whose hunger shines like worship in his eyes.
Kazia has never hated his height. It’s everyone else who’s too tall, not anything wrong with him. But he’s never truly loved it until this moment, safe and small and protected beneath Lucien’s freckled shoulders.
He reaches for another kiss as if starving. It’s artless, messy, perfect, as Lucien hooks Kazia’s knee over his elbow and presses inside him.
Lucien moves so slowly, and Kazia is so comfortable, there’s none of the pain he expects with penetration. Even though Lucien’s cock is so much larger than his fingers—Kazia kisses Lucien harder to keep from commenting on his size. Can’t let him get arrogant.
But Kazia’s surprise twists into nervousness. Surely the pain just hasn’t happened yet. He tenses, and the anticipation fulfills its own promise: the next slow movement hurts. Kazia’s magic jars within him, rattling against his bones.
Lucien pauses. Kisses the corner of Kazia’s lips until his magic settles, untaken. “You okay?” Lucien asks, concerned but not horrified. His calm is reassuring.
“I’m okay.” The answer is a revelation. “Are you?” Kazia has no idea how difficult controlling magic is. He doesn’t have control over his.
“Never better.” Lucien slides deeper in, gently shoving Kazia open. “You’re so considerate.”
“How dare you,” Kazia gasps.
“Thoughtful.” Lucien punctuates each description with a slightly deeper thrust. “Attentive. Sweet. The kind of dream I never want to wake up from.”
If that’s an exaggeration, Kazia will take it. “I know, I’m incredible.”
“You amaze me,” Lucien says earnestly. “I can’t get enough of you.”
Lucien hikes his hips up, bending him near in half. It’s overwhelming, and Kazia’s going to feel this tomorrow, but it doesn’t hurt now.
Nothing hurts. His body’s filled with pleasure and his mind is filled with adoration. There’s no room for all the things Kazia should be afraid of.
