Page 8 of A Tale of Mirth & Magic

E LIKKI

I ’d woken up shivering and extremely grumpy.

The memory of the bounty hunters searching for me during the night just seemed like a bad dream in the fresh light of the morning.

The unsettled feeling in my chest, however, reminded me that they were all too real.

I could handle myself in a fight… but three against one weren’t comforting odds. Best to stay on my guard today.

When I’d realized Barra was gone and the fire had died in the night, I’d grumbled around the campsite for a while.

Loudly. My fingers felt like little icicles.

I breathed on them until they thawed a bit, then grabbed one of the toasting sticks nearby and tried to poke the embers back to life.

They stubbornly resisted, so I’d decided to warm up with a brisk walk to find some water.

I was grumpy all the way up until I’d stumbled upon a sopping Barra by the water, looking as surprised to see me as I was delighted to see him.

Now, after filling up my flask with fresh, cold water and talking for a time—I couldn’t believe I’d told him about my toad phobia—we were back at our campsite in the forest clearing.

He looked just delicious, all fresh-faced with his burnished gold hair pushed back.

It seemed like this was the first time I could see his whole face properly, no hood or hair or shadows partially hiding him.

Despite the disaster yesterday and the less-than-ideal sleeping arrangement, this was a nice perk—being greeted by a sexy, wet man soon after I woke up.

Barra patiently built the fire back up to a low blaze and placed more wood on top. Oh, two perks. I leaned forward, holding my cold hands near the warmth. He pulled a few things from the saddlebags and began to boil water. “Want some tea?”

Another perk! “Yes, I’d love some,” I replied with a groan.

I’d never tell him, but this was one of the best mornings I’d had in a long time.

Easy, simple companionship was hard for me to come by in my nomadic life.

I was alone most of the time. And even when I wasn’t, when I’d found someone I liked being with for a short while, I still had to stay on my guard.

For some reason, with Barra, it was different. I felt… comfortable. Safe. It was a bit unnerving, but I let myself enjoy it. We’d part soon enough anyway.

We chatted more while waiting for the water to boil, and before long Barra placed a steaming mug in my hands. His palm grazed my fingertips. I took a tentative sip. It was a strong black tea with a lightly roasted flavor. “Mmm, delicious. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He didn’t move away. Just watched me take another sip, an intent look on his face. I smiled.

“No milk or sugar,” he said, “but I have some honey.”

I normally drink my tea black, but something about the way he offered made me want to keep taking whatever he was giving. “Sure, I’d love that. Just a little drizzle.”

He went to his bags and came back with a small jar of honey and a spoon. It looked so comically delicate in his hand that I grinned.

“What is it?” he said with a wry smile. “You’re always smiling or scowling about something,”

“The little jar! You!” I waved my hands about, gesturing at the picture he made. “It’s just so cute!”

Barra unlatched the lid, his smile deepening. He seemed different this morning—steadier, more present. In his low voice, he murmured, “You think I’m cute? That’s new.”

Laughing, I answered, “Very. But I mean, look at this. Possibly the cutest thing I’ve seen all week.”

He had dipped the small tin spoon into the honey and was bent down, drizzling it carefully into my mug. I started to flush, watching him. He was so close. His big fingers moved gracefully, and I couldn’t stop picturing what they could do to me.

His gaze flicked up, caught me staring. I had the strangest urge to look away—or run away—from his attention that I haven’t felt in years. I pushed it down and kept eye contact, giving him my coyest smile.

I added, “And you’re fucking gorgeous. Obviously.”

Barra’s eyes widened. He looked dazed, twirling the spoon between his fingers. A layer of honey clung to it, golden in the early morning sunlight. He saw me looking and lifted it up.

“You can lick it off, if you want,” he offered. I could almost see the replay in his mind, of me cleaning chocolate off my hand last night.

I looked him dead in the eyes. “You lick it,” I said, obeying the recklessness that surged through me.

His molten eyes flashed with desire and a touch of shyness.

He brought the spoon to his mouth, and my stomach tightened.

The tip rested on his violet lower lip. The air sharpened between us.

Barra watched me with an intensity that I felt all over—it was as if every inch of my body was on alert, waiting for what he’d do next.

He slowly pushed the tip of the spoon between his lips, just a bit, a tentative taste.

“Again,” I ordered.

He took a shuddering breath and pulled the golden-covered spoon out of his mouth, before licking the honey off one side in a steady swipe of his deep magenta tongue.

I nodded appreciatively, and he swiped the other side clean.

Running my gaze down the length of him, I took in the clenched fist held at his side and the truly massive boner straining at his tailored breeches.

He held still, only trembling slightly, and waited.

“Missed some.” I pointed at his lips. “Finish up.”

“You,” Barra ground out. “Please.”

I paused. Stepped closer.

He bent down again. I went up on my tiptoes and lightly brushed my tongue up over the center of his lips. His breath caught.

I felt a swoop of happiness in my chest.

Reaching up farther, I caught his bottom lip between my own and sucked.

Sweetness burst in my mouth. I heard one of us moan—whether him or me or both, I had no idea.

I was lost in a rich, sticky pool of heat, my head spinning.

I kissed him deeper, tongue swirling against his.

Everything was honey golden, mint, bright and dazzling.

One thick arm came around my back, holding me close. I stretched up to touch him—his shoulders, neck, whatever I could reach—and distantly heard my mug fall to the grass. I pulled back, looking down to find tea splattered over the ground and our feet.

“Oops.”

“I’ll make you another,” Barra rasped. “Later.”

“What’s happening now?” I quipped. I held the top of his forearms, squeezing the corded muscles distractedly.

“Now,” he said, “I’m going to lay you down and lick something else until every animal in this forest hears you screaming my name.”

My legs clenched tightly. My pulse ratcheted up. I leaned closer to him, pressing my hypersensitive nipples to his stomach through our shirts. His cock jerked against my stomach.

“If you want,” he added.

“Yes. Yes, I most definitely want,” I replied, digging my nails lightly into his forearms. He held my waist, hot hands warming me as they moved over my back, my large ass. I could feel him straining for me.

Suddenly, Barra swept his arms behind my back and knees, lifting me effortlessly. Three rapid steps and I was settled onto his bedroll. He knelt on all fours over me. I was caged in by his sturdy arms and legs. Brown quartz eyes met mine, and I wriggled with anticipation.

I loved getting what I wanted.

He dipped his head down, homing in on my right nipple and gently sucking through the linen.

A light nip brought my head back flat against the ground, and I sighed in pleasure.

He gave the same attention to my other breast and nuzzled between them.

I ran my fingers through his damp hair and tugged, just enough to raise his face.

“Down,” I half ordered, half begged. “Now.”

Barra ignored me, continuing to lick and tease my nipples through the wet fabric. He pushed one of his thighs up between my legs, grinding with agonizing slowness. I already wanted to scream with how good it felt, and he hadn’t even removed my clothes yet.

I kept running my hand through his soft hair, over his neck, his broad shoulders. He was focused on me completely. Barra reached up to kiss my neck, just under my jaw, palming my breasts firmly. I whimpered at the ache in my pussy.

Then he moved, shifting down my body—lingering at my stomach to nuzzle its soft squishiness—and pushed my long skirts up around my waist. I wore a pair of light wool trousers underneath for warmth.

He untied the drawstring on them—slowly, too slowly—and I groaned, tried to reach down to do it myself.

He pinned both wrists against my stomach with one of his massive hands, tsk-tsking at me.

“If we’re going to do this, I’m taking my time. Understood, Elikki?”

I wiggled my hips and huffed. Barra’s gaze met mine. Intense hunger and tightly wound control battled across his face. I playfully lifted one stockinged foot and ran it along the length of his cock where it bulged in his breeches. He closed his eyes, taking a sharp breath.

“Fine. As long as I get to play with you as much as I want afterward,” I teased.

“No,” he growled.

“But—”

“We can’t do that. I can give you this. Now. If you want it. And that’s all.”

Confused, I dropped my foot back on the ground. He raised his eyes again, waiting. The lust and focus were still there—but hidden behind his careful control I could see a touch of something else.

He began to rub his palm against my entrance. The friction heightened my arousal again. If this was all Barra was comfortable doing, I wasn’t going to push him. This was glorious.

“Yes,” I gasped. “Yes, I’ll take it.”

He finished untying the drawstring and tugged my trousers down over my thick ass, underwear and all, and dragged them off completely. I shivered as the crisp morning air hit my bare skin.