Page 35 of Blood Skye (Skye Druids #6)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chills raced over Song’s skin at Carlyle’s heated gaze. The unadulterated yearning, the stark longing there was her undoing. His hands caressed her back and cupped her ass in a firm grip, dragging her against his thick arousal. She had hungered for his touch, to know him on a primal level.

Heat seared her skin everywhere he touched. An ache deep inside her that only he could satisfy throbbed. She kissed him, needing to taste him again. He moaned as his tongue swept past her lips and tangled with hers seductively, provocatively. Carlyle stole her breath with his kisses.

He consumed her, possessed her. All with his lips.

Anticipation of the pleasure that awaited hummed through her. Her fingers delved into his hair as he deepened the kiss. He scooted to the edge of the chair, bringing his upper body against hers. His shirt scraped her already hard nipples. She tore her mouth away as pleasure shot straight to her sex. He kissed along one collarbone and then the other before moving downward to the valley between her breasts.

Song dropped her head back. He stroked a hand up her spine. The act was soft and erotic. He splayed his fingers and bent her backward, the pose thrusting her breasts out. Excitement and impatience rolled through her as she waited expectantly. She dug her fingers into his arms, trying to urge him onward. The longer he made her wait, the more she ached for him.

“ Carlyle ,” she whispered.

Her body went taut when she felt his breath on her skin. A heartbeat later, his lips brushed against a straining nipple. She groaned at the explosion of desire, waiting, craving more. His hair brushed her chin as he moved his head to her other breast and placed a soft kiss on the turgid peak. She pulled him closer, needy and breathless. For him.

Only him.

“ So damn beautiful,” he murmured against her flesh.

Then he closed his lips around a nipple. Desire shot straight to her center with every pull of his lips and each swipe of his tongue. His mouth ruthlessly teased one peak. Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, he shifted to her other nipple.

Song rocked against him as the desire tightened low in her belly. The friction was exactly what she needed, but it wasn’t long before she wanted him inside her.

How many times had he dreamed of holding Song , of kissing her? Her moans filled the room, coaxing him headlong toward the hedonism that awaited. Her hips undulated against him. His balls tightened, and his cock jumped, making it harder and harder not to plunge inside her and give them the release they coveted. Carlyle held himself back because he wanted to make this last.

He kissed along the globe of her pert breast, up the side of her neck, and across her jaw as he gradually sat her up. Their gazes met. The fire and hunger he saw reflected in her dark depths hit him straight in the center of his chest. He used both hands to smooth her glorious mane from her face.

She claimed his mouth in a passionate, fiery kiss. Carlyle gripped her hips and got to his feet. He carried her to the bed and released one leg, then the other, until she stood. He ended the kiss and took a step back to look at her. Her body was supple, her curves glorious. He skimmed his hand from her back to her side, moving to the indent of her waist and over the swell of her hip. His mouth watered at the sight of her small breasts and hard nipples. He looked lower to the triangle of black hair between her legs.

He could spend eternity staring at her, but he needed to touch her, hold her.

Make her his.

Song reached for the hem of Carlyle’s tee. Her fingers brushed the warm skin of his stomach. The next thing she knew, he ripped the garment over his head and tossed it away. The rest of his clothes followed in quick order. Her mouth went dry when he stood before her like a fiery god rising from the shadows.

Chills raced over her skin at the sight of him. She had wondered what he might look like bare. Her imagination hadn’t done him justice. Song drank in the sight of the sublime male specimen in his prime before her. He was unadulterated perfection. The epitome of masculinity. From his broad shoulders to his thick chest dusted with auburn hair to the chiseled abdominals, trim waist, and narrow hips. His legs and arms were corded with muscle.

Finally , she let her gaze take in his arousal. His cock was long and thick. Her nipples tightened in response. Song had to squeeze her legs together as she imagined him sliding inside her. As she stared, a bead of liquid formed on the head.

She lifted her gaze to his, and her stomach quivered at the stark hunger reflected in his face.

“ This is what you do to me. Have from the very beginning.” His voice was hoarse with desire. “ I tried to ignore it, but I’m tired of pretending I don’t want you.”

“ Then don’t pretend.”

He was against her in the next second, his mouth capturing hers in a wild, torrid kiss that inflamed her already heated body. He walked her backward until her legs hit the mattress. Carlyle easily lifted her and laid her down. Then , he was on top of her.

Song parted her knees as he settled his delicious weight atop her. She moaned and wrapped her legs around his hips. His cock rubbed against her swollen sex. Instinctively , she rocked her hips against him. She was hot and ready. So very ready.

“ Fuck ,” Carlyle ground out as he rose onto his hands. “ You’re wet.”

“ That’s what you do to me,” she confessed.

He kissed her again. Softer . Deeper . And it only intensified her desire. She smoothed her hands over his back, feeling the play of his muscles as they moved and bunched. Song was so lost in the kiss and the feeling of his remarkable body over hers that she didn’t notice his hand moving between them until his fingers slid over her sex.

She cried out at the pleasure that rocked her. She arched her back when he found her clit and circled it. Everything centered on that sensitive nub as he stroked it. Then his mouth was there, his tongue skating over her clit. A riot of bliss ran through her veins like wildfire.

Then he slipped a finger inside.

The feel of Song’s body constricting around his finger was glorious. As was the taste of her orgasm. Carlyle didn’t stop until her body had gone lax. Only then did he lift his head. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her black hair was spread around her on the cream-and-black-plaid duvet.

He crawled over her and held himself up with his arms as he waited for her to open her eyes. Song’s fingers curled around his wrists before her palms caressed up his arms and moved over his shoulders. A slow smile formed on her lips as she released a satisfied sigh. Then she finally opened her eyes.

That very moment was branded into his mind. He didn’t want just one night. He wanted… Carlyle was afraid to even think the words. But his heart knew what he desired, what he yearned for with Song .

Enemy turned ally turned lover.

Her hand moved to his face as she watched him. Her finger traced his lips, then moved over his chin before caressing down to his neck and chest. She didn’t stop there. She continued lower to his stomach. He sucked in a breath when her fingers wound around his arousal. She stroked him slowly, twisting her hand as she did. He grasped her wrist, halting her before she could take him over the edge. He was too close already, and he had much more in store for them.

The half moan, half growl that rumbled Carlyle’s chest made Song’s breath catch in her throat. She recognized the wild need in his eyes. It excited her, aroused her.

Freed her.

She rose onto an elbow and pressed her lips to his. He groaned and seized her mouth. The kiss was frantic, feverish. Exhilarating . She released his cock at the same time he let go of her wrist. Song rolled him onto his back and straddled his hips. His hands cupped her ass once more, holding her against his rod.

He was so close to her entrance. She needed him in her, wanted him to fill that void. Song shifted, trying to get him inside her. Suddenly , she was on her back again. He rubbed the head of his arousal against her sensitive flesh before pushing inside.

Song gasped at the feel of him. Carlyle’s thrusts were slow and deep as her body stretched. His arms on either side of her trembled. He gradually increased his tempo until he found a steady rhythm.

Their bodies were slick with sweat. Pleasure hummed through her, ravenous for more. He touched her, held her as no one else had. In his arms, she was cherished. Treasured . With him, she could be herself. For the first time, she felt safe enough not to hide who she really was.

Desire swelled, tightening each time he drove inside her. Uniting them, connecting them. Bonding them. It was a fever pitch of need and urgency, yearning and fervor.

“ Song ,” he whispered huskily.

Her response was lost when he shifted his hips slightly. The muscles in his arms strained as he thrust harder, deeper. She became lost in the roar of passion. There was no time to catch her breath as the orgasm ripped through her. It swept her away in a rush, flung her high, and cradled her on its slow descent.

She was still quivering from the intense climax when Carlyle cried out and buried himself deep inside her. Song pulled him down and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly—just like her future.

They remained like that for several minutes. Carlyle was the first to move as he rose on his forearms and looked down at her with his turquoise eyes. Her fingers moved the thick, cool strands of hair from his brow. He kissed her forehead before pulling out of her. She immediately missed his weight and warmth.

She feared their time was done when he got off the bed, but he tossed aside the decorative pillows and tugged down the covers. Once he was back in bed, he patted the space beside him. Song smiled as she flipped over and crawled up to him.

He leaned against the pillows and headboard as she reclined against his chest. He wound an arm around her shoulders to hold her close. She held onto his arm with both hands and looked through the window at the sunrise.

“ You don’t need to worry,” she said. “ I used a spell to make sure I didn’t get pregnant.”

Carlyle nuzzled her neck behind her ear. “ I’m glad you thought of that because I didn’t. That was amazing.”

“ It was,” she replied with a grin.

“ We’ll be doing it again.”

Her smile widened. “ Yes , we will.”

“ You have a place here if you want it.”

She looked down at her leg hitched over his. “ On Skye or in your bed?”

“ Both ,” he replied.

“ I’ll help you. Without question.”

He paused. “ But you don’t want me.”

“ My past is?—”

He sat her up and turned her to look at him. “ In the past. Just as mine is. I don’t care what you did. I care about who you are now, your actions now . You showed me who you were the moment you suggested we work together.”

“ Others won’t see it that way.”

“ I don’t give a bloody damn about anyone else.” He touched her cheek gently. “ I care about you.”

She shook her head. “ Don’t say things you don’t mean.”

“ I never say things I don’t mean. I wasn’t expecting to find…this,” he said, moving his hand between them.

Her heart began to beat so loudly she was sure he would hear. “ This ?”

“ You . Feelings .” He sighed and glanced away. “ I’ve fallen for you.”

Did he mean love? She had never said the words before. He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to say something. “ I don’t want to say the wrong thing.”

“ Say what you’re feeling. No matter if it will hurt me. I can take it.”

Was he serious? Did he really think she would reject him? He was everything she had ever dreamed of. “ I’ve never been in this situation. I’ve always kept my feelings locked away, pretending to be someone else.”

“ You don’t have to do that anymore. Ever . I want you to be you. Be wild. Be crazy. Be weird. Be loud. Be silent. Be you .”

“ You’re the first person I’ve felt safe with since I was little. I want to belong somewhere. I want…”

His brows raised gently. “ You want?”

Did she say it? Could she? She wouldn’t know what might happen if she didn’t take a chance. Putting herself out there was scary, but she had to give it a try. “ You .”

“ Sweetheart , I’ve been yours.” He smiled and took her hand in his, threading their fingers together. “ You belong here on Skye . You belong in our bed with me.”

“ Our ?” she asked with a grin.

He nodded. “ Does that scare you?”

“ A little.”

“ Don’t let it.”

She gently touched his face before placing her lips on his for a lingering kiss.

He leaned back and looked at her. A small frown puckered his brow, and he licked his lips nervously. Had he already changed his mind? Maybe he had expected her to say something different. Fear soured her stomach.

“ Don’t pull away,” Carlyle said.

“ Then tell me what you’re thinking. Because your face says you don’t want to be here.”

He cleared his throat and glanced away. “ I definitely want to be here. There’s something I want to say, but I’m scared it’s too soon. For both of us.”

“ Just say it. Please ,” Song murmured as a cold hand wrapped around her heart and squeezed.

“ I love you.”

She frowned, blinking. Had she heard him right? Had he really said those three words?

“ It was too soon.” Carlyle pressed his lips together. “ I take them back. I’ll say them later.”

“ No ,” she said hastily as she grabbed his hands. “ It isn’t too soon.”

His eyes studied hers. “ Really ?”

She laughed softly, feeling so light and free she thought she could walk on air. “ I love you, too.” Her voice shook as she spoke. But not with fear. With hope and joy.