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“You don’t have to make these choices alone anymore.”

She closed her eyes—the truth of his words echoing through her, though she tried to refuse them.

“But I do, Herrick. I have always been alone in this, and tonight proves that I need to leave. Every moment I stay with you all is another moment you are in danger,” she whispered, unable to keep her voice strong anymore.

Maude tried to pull away from him, but he only brought his mouth to her ear.

“Stay,” Herrick whispered, his mouth skimming over the skin below her ear. “Stay with me,minn eldr.”

A shiver ran down her spine at his words, the feel of his breath on her neck, as she arched into him slightly.

“Herrick,” Maude breathed, all the reasons she should leave dying on her tongue.

Herrick’s hands moved, skimming her hips and closing around her waist as he pulled her closer to him. Bracing her hands on his arms, Maude tried to keep their bodies apart, but when Herrick ran his thumbs under her shirt and along her exposed ribs, the flesh sensitive and hot, her restraint snapped.

Maude’s willpower ran out at Herrick’s soft touch. She had never been more frustrated by a person in her entire existence, but Herrick made arguing fun. She could tease him relentlessly, and he would throw it right back at her. She’d had plenty of lovers, but none who made her burn this way, who made her feel alive the way he did.

It was unclear which of them moved first, the events of the day pushing them into each other's embrace, but their lips quickly found each other in this moment of desperation.

Herrick’s mouth was soft and demanding against hers, his cool skin causing waves of goosebumps to skate over her flushed skin. Maude’s hands found a mind of their own and ran up Herrick’s strong biceps, her fingers digging into the hard muscles of his shoulders as his arm wrapped around her waist, bringing her impossibly closer.

Their kiss was feverish, the pent-up emotions spilling out into this moment. She felt as if she couldn’t breathe, this need for him crushing her so relentlessly. Maude felt Herrick move closer in between her thighs, only scraps of leather and cloth keeping them apart. With his arm wrapped around her waist to bring him closer, Maude brought her hands to his bare chest, bringing her nails down on the skin before she tried to pull him closer.

Herrick’s other hand moved to the back of her neck as she moved, fingers weaving through her damp hair as they both separated to come up for air. He tightened his grip on her and pulled her head back, exposing her throat to him the same way she had done to him in the streets of Logi. Pure satisfaction spread through her at his control over her, the apex of her thighs becoming slick.

She moaned, her hands tightening on him. Herrick roughly brought his mouth to hers again as if he had to taste the sound that only he could pull from her. In this position, there was little Maude could do to retaliate against his claim of her, so she sucked his lower lip into her mouth and bit down. Hard.

Herrick let out a low growl as his grip on her neck tightened. In response to her act, he stooped to lift her off the rail as Maude wrapped her legs around him. This close to him, the evidence of his need for her was felt through the layers of clothing that separated them. His hard length was pressed into the softest part of her, and as he moved, the friction started to drive her out of her mind with desire.

Moving them out of sight from their friends, Herrick brought Maude to the grassy part of the hillside they stood on and kneeled, keeping Maude balanced on top of him. Their tongues clashed, and Maude noticed that while he smelled of fresh rain on soil, he tasted of honeyed wine and berries.

She could become addicted to how he tasted, like sunshine on a warm summer day. Herrick’s hands wound around her, ripping the old, cropped shirt she had been wearing down her back and pulling the fabric from her.

Left only with the band she wore around her breasts, Maude could feel every point of contact between her skin and Herrick’s as he held her closer. Herrick’s mouth left hers as he started to plant frenzied kisses down her throat.

Maude threw her head back and arched into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and running her hands through his dark hair like she had been dying to do ever since she had fought him in that stupid pit. He lay her down on the soft bed of clover, moving to hover over her and running his hands down her side.

“Minn eldr,” Herrick breathed, bringing his face back up to hers.

Maude’s breathing became uneven as she looked into his golden brown eyes at the emotion that lay there, mirroring her own so perfectly. Unable to form the words in her heart, Maude leaned forward to capture his mouth with her own, silencing them both.

Herrick’s hand moved from her hip down to her thigh. When he reached the back of her knee, he brought her leg up to wrap around him and ground his hips into her in one movement, forcing a gasp from Maude. She felt Herrick smile against her lips before he moved down to kiss her neck, then her collarbone.

The most delicious sensation burned low in her belly the more he traced her skin with his tongue and teeth. Maude was enjoying the slow paceHerrick was setting, the predator-like intent in his movements, and the possession in his touch.

But she was not his prey.

When she felt Herrick’s hands make it to the band around her chest, rather than allowing him to loosen it, she took the opportunity to slip her hand between their bodies and run her palm down the front of his pants. Feeling the hard ridge of his cock through the fabric caused that molten heat in her belly to pool lower.

Herrick groaned into her skin at her touch, the sound spurring her on further.

Ripping through the laces holding his pants around his hips, Maude slipped beneath the waistband and wrapped her hand around his hard length. The silken skin felt right in her hand, a puzzle piece sliding into the right formation. Herrick’s hands tightened on her, and he bit her neck when she grasped him, causing her to suck in a breath at the exquisite hurt as she dragged her hand up his cock to the tip.

“Not so fast,minn eldr,” Herrick growled as he brought his mouth to her ear.

With one hand, he removed hers from his pants and captured both of her wrists, pinning them above her head. Again at his mercy, Herrick leisurely traced his other hand down the front of her. He paused at her breasts, still secured by the tight fabric, and palmed one roughly. She almost yelped at how sensitive her skin had become to his touch, even under the fabric.

“I have thought of a thousand ways to make you scream my name,” Herrick said, kneeling over her. His large presence took up all her attention, the rest of the world fading into the shadows.