Page 39 of Heart of the Hunter (Band of Bastards #3)
Just when she thought Hunter could not make her body feel any more pleasure, he replaced his thrusting fingers with his tongue and her hips bucked as the pressure built inside her, threatening to explode. He cradled her hips in his hands as he suckled and licked until she was in a frenzy.
“Don’t stop,” she panted and buried her fingers in his hair to hold him tightly against her.
“Oh, God, Hunter!” He plunged his tongue deep, putting pressure in all the right places and she felt a thousand stars of light explode through her body as wave after wave of ecstasy shot from her core out to her limbs.
When she came back down to earth and opened her eyes, Hunter was at her side, gently brushing strands of her hair from her face. She closed her eyes and started to turn her face away from him, feeling suddenly very self-conscious about the intimate way he’d touched her and her exuberant response.
“No.” He gently pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger and turned her face to his. “No regret.”
The way he looked at her, like he was seeing her for the first time, melted away her awkwardness.
He cradled the side of her neck in his hand and rubbed his thumb softly over her cheekbone as he leaned in toward her.
When his lips hovered just above hers, he stopped, searching her eyes for approval.
“No regret,” she whispered.
He kissed her then, leisurely sliding his lips over hers and gently exploring her mouth with his tongue.
His kisses were warm and sweet, and she never wanted them to end.
She curled onto her side and into his chest to take more of his heat as he massaged his hand over her shoulder and then down her back.
He groaned, deep and guttural, when she shifted onto her side and pressed into him as she slid a leg over his thigh.
It was then that she realized he had yet to have his release. She put her hands on his chest and pushed away from him to end the kiss. “What about you? Should I not return the favor in some way?”
Anora felt his chest rumble with a low chuckle. “The favor?”
She narrowed her eyes at him and said with a playful smirk to hide her embarrassment, “What am I to call it then? This is all new to me.”
A damp strand of hair blew over her face, and he brushed it away with his fingers and tucked it behind her ear as her skin shivered from his gentle touch. “‘Favor’ is good. And though it pains me to decline, angel, there isn’t time.”
Her stomach fluttered wildly every time he called her “angel.” She loved the growl in his voice at the start of the endearment and the way it felt like a warm caress by the time it finished rolling off his tongue.
“The sun will be up soon and once Bard discovers we did not return to Hawkspur, he will send a search party.” He stroked her ear in a thoroughly distracting manner as he spoke.
Anora pressed her cheek against Hunter’s chest and sighed.
She wished they could stay right here forever, sheltered from thieves, marauders, and loathsome barons.
With Hunter’s arms wrapped around her, she felt safe and protected from the rest of the world.
She never wanted him to let go of her, and she never wanted to let go of him.
Oh, Lord above! What had happened to her?
She’d gone from being contented with the future she’d laid out for herself to being willing to forsake everything and everyone if it meant staying in this moment forever.
All of her hard work to learn her craft, the persistence to gain the trust of customers, and the preparations to carry on her father’s business and honor his legacy would be for naught.
Hunter kissed the top of her head and effectively pulled her from the confusion of thoughts that had erupted in her head. He untangled his limbs from hers, then helped her to her feet and draped the blanket over her shoulders.
“Once you are dressed, it is but a short ride to the stable.”
She busied herself with pulling a gown and chemise from her saddle bag, feeling grateful she’d packed an extra change of clothing, and shaking out the wrinkles, while Hunter dressed.
As she donned her clothing, she chided herself for making more out of the situation than was warranted.
As life-altering as this night had been for her, it was not that for Hunter.
It was a pleasurable hour meant to be enjoyed, and even remembered, but probably nothing more.
He returned to her side with her discarded clothing from earlier, including her still-wet chemise. Smoke had permeated the items, and the smell was still so shockingly strong, she considered just disposing of the items. She wrinkled her nose.
“It will take some washing,” he said, “but they should be salvageable. Just don’t put them in the saddle bag with anything you don’t want to smell the same.”
At his advice, she repacked the few things she had into one side of the saddle bag and then stuffed the stinking clothing into the other side, focusing on her tasks all the while so as to avoid looking at Hunter.
By the time she had everything stuffed back into the bags, Hunter had returned with Shadow.
He secured the packs to the saddle and then held out his hand to assist her onto the horse’s back.
She rode the short distance sitting in front of Hunter with her back as straight as an arrow while she tried not to let any part of her touch him.
If she leaned back into him, and if he put his arm around her to hold her steady, she’d not be able to stop herself from melting into him and purring like a kitten.
As it was, she could feel her cheeks burning like a child with her hands stuffed full of stolen sweets.