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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 pace Herrick 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.

His hand’s exploration of her body slowed at her waist, where her harem pants sat. Slipping one finger beneath the waistband, Herrick began slowly teasing the burning skin there .

Before he delved any further beneath the fabric, his hand skated over her hip and onto her ass. He squeezed, and Maude bucked her hips up toward him as she cursed.

“And another thousand ways to punish you for your mouth.”

Herrick’s lips crushed into hers, his tongue thoroughly tasting every corner of her mouth.

She was distracted by his invasion of her mouth to realize he had begun to strip the harem pants from her skin.

She must have stiffened when the air touched her newly exposed skin because Herrick froze in place.

He lifted himself off her so he could look into her eyes.

Where lust had been clouding his eyes before, only heartbreaking concern lay there now.

“Tell me you want this, Maude, or I’ll stop,” he panted.

Maude’s breathing matched his, their actions getting away from them before they could really think about what they were doing. If they kept going, they would be breaking the treaty. If they kept going, there would be no going back to how it was before.

She would have let him into her heart and her body. There would be no removing him from this point on. They both stood on the precipice of a potentially catastrophic affair that could launch their kingdoms back into war.

Maude couldn’t find it in herself to care.

“Yes,” she whispered. “I want this.”

Herrick only stared into her eyes, trying to sense any deception. Maude allowed all her doubts and self-hatred to slip to the side, so her answer shone in her eyes for Herrick to see.

“I want you,” she amended, the last of her barriers beginning to crumble.

“Thank the fucking gods,” Herrick said, the last bit of his control disintegrating at her words .

Vines shot out from the ground and wrapped themselves around her wrists, allowing Herrick to use both hands now to remove her pants.

Naked except for the band on her chest, Herrick drank in the sight of her panting for him.

His fingers traced the runes inked into her ribs that extended down over her hip and onto her thigh.

The rune for every element of galder had been tattooed onto her hip with the correlating element surrounding it: water, earth, wind, fire, light, and shadow.

Surprise had washed through Maude when she had first realized the wooden runes on Herrick’s necklace were of each of the elements, just like her tattoo.

Herrick’s touch was almost reverent as he traced the symbols for fire and air.

He lowered his mouth to place a gentle kiss on each of the symbols, nipping her skin when he reached the rune for fire.

Before her heart could shatter from the gentleness of his act, he grasped each of her knees and exposed her.

“Beautiful,” he breathed, placing a kiss below her belly button.

She whimpered, helpless in her restraints.

“Burn for me, minn eldr ,” Herrick whispered, his golden eyes locked onto hers as his mouth hovered over the spot she wanted him the most.

His cool breath tickled her heat, the sensation almost making her eyes roll to the back of her head. Maude opened her mouth to snap at him to get on with it, but he lowered his mouth, bringing his tongue to her very center, swirling around the tight bundle of nerves there.

She fractured at the touch of his mouth on her, all words emptying from her mind as she became all sensation. Herrick tasted her with a desperation she had never seen before like he was a starving man who stumbled upon a buffet.

Pressure built up in her core with every swipe of his tongue as his hands pressed down on her thighs, opening her up more for him.

Just when Maude thought she would be lost in the overwhelming sensation of him, Herrick slid one of his fingers into her opening, growling at the damp heat that welcomed him.

Maude bucked and moaned at the new intrusion.

Slowly, he pumped his finger inside of her, sucking her clit and forcing another moan from her lips.

Maude pulled against her restraints, feeling her release hovering over her, when Herrick lifted his mouth from her for a moment.

“Not a lot of argument coming from you right now, minn eldr ,” Herrick teased, still pumping his finger into her.

Breathing became more difficult for her with every movement.

She panted, every nerve ending in her body working in overdrive.

Herrick skated his nose over the inside of her thighs, licking the skin there and causing her to shudder with every swipe of his tongue when it was only teasing where she wanted him most.

“Herrick,” she panted, her hips twitching up to him. “Don't stop.”

Maude looked down at Herrick, his dark hair spilling over her thighs like a black halo as he worshiped her. The sight of that alone could have made her climax, but she was stubborn in all things, even sex.

“So pushy,” Herrick said, smiling against her skin.

When he pulled his finger out of her this time, he added a second on the next pump, and then a third. Maude groaned, the pleasure of his fingers stretching her to the brink of discomfort, pushing her further toward her undoing.

“And so wet for me.” He ran his tongue up her center, eliciting a moan from her lips again as he brought her to the edge once more.

Words were beyond her now; she could only feel. The throbbing in her center built until it took on a life of its own, torturing her with every one of Herrick’s movements .

His rate increased, his fingers setting a pace that only his tongue could keep up with.

Soon, Maude could not control her breathing any longer.

Her breaths became shallow, her hips grinding into Herrick’s mouth.

Just when Maude thought the sensation was too much, Herrick formed an ice cube with his free hand and ran it down her stomach.

The heat of her body was melting the ice quickly, adding an entirely new feeling to the mix.

At the last second, Herrick pressed his hand down on her lower stomach, pinning her to the ground and his mercy.

It was too much. Too much to feel. Maude’s body began to tighten, the pressure in her core building beyond her ability to bear it. It was too much. She needed to let go. She needed—

“Come for me, minn eldr, ” Herrick growled. “I need to taste you, to feel you.”

His words were her undoing. Release barreled through her as Maude cried out Herrick’s name, the flashing colors behind her closed eyes shattering along with her. Herrick became ravenous, devouring every undulation of her hips and soaking up every reaction his touch elicited.

Her flames shot out from either side of them, only to be extinguished by Herrick’s water. Steam boiled around them as their galder collided, hiding them from the open sky above them and any gods that might be looking down on them before settling on their skin and mixing with their sweat.

Herrick slowed and withdrew his fingers from her, laying more kisses up her stomach and chest. When he reached the hollow of her throat, however, the previously languid muscles belonging to Maude seized up.

She cried out in pain now instead of pleasure, her body rejecting the exercise it had just gone through.

“Maude?” Herrick asked, panic seeping into his voice as she yielded to her body’s protests.

“Burnout,” she gasped, eyes flying open to look at Herrick. “Fuck. ”

The vines holding her hands in place disappeared, allowing Herrick to pick her up and cradle her. Spasms rocked through her, the burnout from earlier rearing its ugly head.

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” Herrick said, running his hands over her hair and her skin.

“Not your fault,” she said through her teeth, spasms rocking through her.

Before she could say anymore, oblivion swept over her, and the rest of the world was lost to her as she lay in Herrick’s arms.