Page 53 of By the Horns (Royal Artifactual Guild #2)

We move together amazingly well. I’ve had sex in the past where we could never find a rhythm together, or where I’d have a man lying over me like a blanket, not like a lover.

But Raptor knows just how to move and how fast to move.

His strokes start slow and then he moves quicker, until he’s hammering into me with sharp, delicious precision with every quick snap of his hips, every stroke of his cock deep inside me.

I lose myself in the feel of it, closing my eyes and sinking into the sensation.

I won’t come like this, but there’s nothing wrong with simply enjoying the moment.

Raptor’s hand moves from my back, and then he anchors one on my shoulder, the other going to my breast. And then he starts fucking me.

Hard. Now I’m the one who’s gasping for breath as he uses my body, working me hard.

I’m never in pain, but the bed shakes, my thighs quiver with the force of his slapping hips, and all the while, he’s roughly rolling my nipple between his fingers just the way I like it.

And even though there’s no hand on my clit…I feel as if I’m going to come. I whimper, because it’s almost like my body is coiling in on itself, a sure sign that I’m about to climax. “I’m—close—”

“Then come for me. I want to feel it when you clench around me.”

I make a needy little noise as he continues to fuck me.

I can’t come on command, but now that I know he’s not going to take this away from me again, I’m free to sink into the sensations.

I close my eyes and lose myself, and the only thing in the world is the sharp thrust of his cock into my body, the big rough hand on my breast, and that ever-building sensation deep in my belly.

When I come, it’s not like a lightning strike.

It’s more of a tidal wave, building and building until I’m swept up along with it.

I moan as the first wave of overwhelming pleasure takes me, my body responding with all my limbs tensing and tightening.

I clench everywhere, and as the pleasure floods through me, so does gratitude.

Gratitude that he’s giving me this release, finally.

“Thank you,” I babble. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Raptor’s thrusts slow down, and he gives my breast one final squeeze before sliding to my clit. Even as I quiver with the aftershocks of my release, he rolls my clit against his fingertip. “You’re nice and wet, my sweet wench. You think you can take my knot now?”

Through a delicious haze, I realize that I’ve had my release but he hasn’t had his…and knotting me is what he wants more than anything. I nod, lowering my cheek to the bedsheets as he thrusts into my body. “Yes.”

My simple answer makes him pause. “No hesitation?”

“None. Give me your knot.”

He takes in a shuddery breath. “Gods, you’re perfect, you know that?”

With another thrust of his hips, he pushes deeper into me.

The effect is startling—my pussy suddenly goes from feeling pleasantly overfull to absolutely-too-much.

My first instinct is to claw my way free and escape him, but I know it’ll hurt his feelings.

He’s being vulnerable, asking for this. And if Aspeth can be happily married to a Taurian who knotted her in a moon rut, I can surely take Raptor’s knot.

I breathe through it, relaxing underneath him while he pushes deeper.

“It’s a lot, but you’re taking it beautifully,” he croons at me, teasing my clit again. “I’m almost in. You’re amazing, my sweet Gwenna.”

His touch sends little flicks of fire through my body, and I find myself rocking against his hand as he works my sensitive clit. I make little whimpery sounds of pleasure even as the sensation between my legs grows tighter and tighter.

With one final thrust, Raptor gives a belly-deep sigh, and his hands flex on my hips. Did I think I was impaled before? It’s nothing compared to now. My entire body quivers as I take him, and that delicious edge of pleasure and pain returns.

“How…how are you doing?” Raptor manages, voice tight.

I take shallow breaths, adjusting my knees on the mattress. “Well…now I know what the sausage feels like when the cook stuffs it.”

He makes a choked sound of amusement. “Don’t make me laugh. I’ll lose control.”

“You can lose control now,” I tell him softly. “Come inside me, and fill me with your seed, just as you’re supposed to.”

He groans. “My good mate. My sweet mate.”

His mate? I suck in a breath. Why do I love that so much?

I shouldn’t put too much into his words, as we’re in the middle of sex.

People say things in the heat of the moment.

But…his mate . It’s annoying how much I love that.

I want to reward him with words of my own.

“Fill me up with your seed, then. Give me everything you’ve got, my big, strong bull. Knot me and fill my belly—”

His hands grip my buttocks tight, and then he half snarls my name as he holds me against him. It seems impossible, but his knot feels bigger than ever, and I squirm in place against it—and him.

Raptor leans over me and then he’s pressing me into the mattress, his big body blanketing mine.

He braces his weight on his arms to each side of me but he’s still covering me entirely, and all the while, I can feel little clenches in his body that I imagine are spurt after spurt of his seed releasing into me.

He groans and then gives one last push inside me, emptying himself.

For a long moment, the only sound is his heavy breathing.

If I lift my head, I can see his body over mine, and it reminds me just how small I am compared to him.

How he could crush me if he wasn’t careful… but he is always so good with me.

Raptor takes a deep breath, and I can feel his body quiver.

“You all right?” I ask, voice soft.

“Just…feels really good.” He tries to nuzzle me but only manages the top of my head. “I’m going to roll on my side and take you with me, all right?”

“All right.”

He puts an arm around my waist and rolls us together.

I resist the urge to squirm against his hips, which are still locked to mine.

This is a new sort of sensation, being trapped against a man as his cock remains inside me, huge and noticeable.

It’s like I can’t quite come down from sex yet, and when he strokes a hand over one of my breasts, arousal burns through me again.

“We probably shouldn’t have done that…but I can’t say I’m sorry.” He thumbs my nipple, teasing it into a point. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Don’t…be…ridiculous.” I’m breathless as he continues to tease me. “You know I wanted that as much as you.”

“This is new for me, though. Knotting someone I like, someone I care for. I want it to be good for you.”

“You care for me?”

Raptor huffs. “Is that not obvious, woman?” He reaches up and tenderly strokes his knuckles over my cheek.

“I’ve been in agony for the last few weeks, obsessed with you when I should have been hunting for Sarya.

Thinking I was betraying her every time I had a lusty thought about you.

Falling for your personality and your strength even as I was supposed to be focusing on Sarya.

Wondering how I was going to keep you safe through all the bullshit that’s been going on.

Knowing that if something were to happen to you, I’d lose control.

Lose my mucking mind. That I want nothing more than for you to be happy, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get that artificer sash on your shoulder, because what you want has become far more important than anything. ”

His deep voice is full of emotion.

I don’t know what to say. I’m surprised at his confession. Surprised and pleased, my body clenching around his knot even as he drapes himself over me.

“The question is, do you care for me? Because we both know you’re keeping things secret.

” His words are far more accusing than his tone, which is rich and soft with redolent pleasure, and I know they’re not meant to hurt me, just to convey a bit of frustration.

“You know I’m on your side. I hunted the entire city looking for Sarya because I was obsessed with her. Turns out she was right under my nose.”

“The sex is good,” I admit. “But sex doesn’t solve everything.”

“It’s not just the sex, Gwenna. Surely you know that by now?” He stops teasing my nipple and slides his hand between my thighs, moving to toy with my clit again. “You think I claim just anyone as my mate?”

I bite back the whine rising in my throat. How does he expect me to have a serious conversation with him when he’s going to make me come again like a cat in heat? “You…you…”

Suddenly my throat burns. It’s a sharp knife-slash sensation, and I want to gasp but there’s no air.

HELP.

A sharp thought pierces my mind. A familiar, sharp thought.

I know this person.

“Hemmen,” I choke out. Oh gods.

At my side, Raptor goes stiff. “That’s a damned thing to say when a bull’s knotted inside you.”

I want to reassure him, but the haze falling over me won’t let me. I can feel Hemmen’s panic and the pain as his throat is cut. The blood. The gurgling. Can’t breathe. Collapsing. Then…nothing.

I clutch my throat in horror. “I—I think Hemmen is dead.”