Page 29

My fingers trail down his chest, over the ridges of his abs, and lower still until they reach the soft leather of his loincloth.

All the while, he watches me, every muscle in his body tense with anticipation.

I can feel the raw power coiled just beneath the surface of his skin, and it sends a wicked thrill shooting through me.

My eyes meet his as I slowly loosen his loincloth and pull the fabric away to reveal him. His cock springs free, and I gasp.

It’s long and thick, the shaft a slightly darker shade than the rest of him with a ridge that runs along the length on both the top and bottom.

Small, textured nubs, just like the ones on his tongue, cover his member, and I can’t help but wonder what they’ll feel like inside me.

The crown is shaped like a plum, and it glistens with a drop of precum that catches the firelight.

My mouth waters and I lick my lips.

Vrok watches me like he’s on the edge of something. Like with just one little push he’ll finally let go and the wall of control that he’s built will come tumbling down. And right now, I want to see that more than anything in the world.

I lean down and flick my tongue over the tip of his cock. The taste is nothing like I expected. It’s mildly spicy, almost like cinnamon, and I hum in surprise.

His hips jerk, and a harsh breath rips from him. “Emily,” he growls in warning, his voice strained.

But I’m already wrapping my hand around his shaft and leaning in again to wrap my lips around his cock, swirling my tongue around the tip to gather more of the delicious taste. When I slide him into my mouth as far as I can take him, his head falls back with a strangled groan.

“Emily,” he rasps. “You feel… so hot. So good.”

I take him deeper, working him with my lips and tongue, letting the ridges and textures glide along my tongue.

My mouth stretches wide to accommodate his size.

Vrok grips a handful of moss, every muscle in his body locked tight.

Harsh, uneven pants spill from his lips, and his hips twitch in shallow thrusts.

I can feel his control slipping, unraveling by the second.

I moan around him, and the vibration makes him choke out a curse. I keep going, savoring every twitch, every helpless sound he makes until suddenly, it’s not enough. I need more. I want to see him lose control, but not like this. I want to feel him unravel inside me.

I let him slip from my mouth, and look up. “I want you inside me.”

He doesn’t answer, just stares, as if my words have short-circuited something in his brain. Then, his eyes flare, golden and bright with hunger. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

He sits up in a single movement, flipping me onto my back before bracing his big body over mine, the tip of his cock nudging between my slick folds.

I arch up, aching to feel him inside me. “Please,” I whisper, hooking my legs around his hips and drawing him closer. “I need you.”

But instead of thrusting in like I expected, he stills. His mouth swoops down to claim mine in a fevered kiss. His tongue sweeps in, as if he’s trying to memorize the taste of me.

When he pulls back, he rests his forehead against mine. His breath comes out in ragged puffs against my skin. “I’ll go slow.”

I slide my hands over his shoulders, holding on. “You don’t have to?—”

“I do.” His voice is soft but firm. “I want to feel you, all of you. And I want you to feel me.”

Then he shifts over me with one strong hand sliding between our bodies to guide the thick, ridged length of his cock to my entrance. The swollen tip nudges against my slick folds, and then, inch by careful inch, he begins to press inside.

He goes slow. Excruciatingly slow. Like he’s savoring every second, drawing it out as some kind of sweet, maddening torture.

The stretch is intense, deliciously so. Every ridge, every textured nub drags along my inner walls, sending sparks through me like a live wire.

My fingers dig into his shoulders as he eases in deeper, filling me with a fullness I’ve never known.

He groans above me, a low, primal sound that vibrates straight through my chest.

When he finally bottoms out, he stills. His forehead drops to rest against mine, our breath mingling in the small space between us. The weight of him, thick and heavy, inside me and all around me, feels like I’m being claimed and cradled at the same time.

“You’re so tight. So wet. You feel like fire,” he rasps out. His voice is tight with the need he’s trying so hard to leash.

It’s so good, but it’s still not enough. My whole body is shaking with the need to move, clenching around him, desperate for more. For the pleasure I know he can give me.

“Move, Vrok. Fuck me, now,” I plead, my nails digging into his arms.

Something flashes in his eyes. It’s a wild possessive expression that I’ve never seen before.

He pulls out almost to the tip, then slams back in with a force that knocks the breath from my lungs.

I cry out as pleasure streaks through me, sharp and overwhelming.

The nubs and ridges along his cock drag against my inner walls.

It feels like he’s stroking every nerve ending inside me all at once.

And with each deep thrust, the ridge at the base grinds against my clit, sending shockwaves up my spine.

He sets a relentless rhythm, deep and fast. Each stroke feels like he’s claiming me, ruining me for anyone else. My back arches off the moss as heat builds low in my belly, rising fast.

“Vrok,” I sob, gripping him tighter, my voice breaking. “Don’t stop.”

His answering growl rumbles deep in his chest as he pounds into me harder and fast, each thrust driving me closer to the edge. My breath comes in ragged gasps and my vision blurs at the edges.

And then everything snaps and I shatter into a million pieces as my orgasm crashes over me. A scream tears from my throat, and my body clamps down around him. My whole world is plunged into a white-hot storm of pleasure. I lose myself completely, swallowed whole by the intensity.

Vrok groans above me. His thrusts become erratic and desperate. His head is thrown back, the cords in his neck standing out in stark relief as a fierce snarl escapes him. With one final punishing thrust, he stills, roaring as he comes inside me, his release flooding me with heat.

With a groan Vrok buries his face in my neck, and his breath is ragged and hot against my skin. His cock is still pulsing inside me as I slowly come down from the pleasure still tingling through my body.

The only sounds are our mingled breaths and the quiet crackle of the fire. It feels like the world has gone quiet. Like all of Laedirissae is holding its breath for us.

Eventually, he shifts, easing his weight onto one forearm as he lifts his head to meet my gaze. “You…” His voice is hoarse, like he’s just been through a battle. He swallows hard as his golden eyes roam over my face. “Are… incredible.”

A slow smile curves my lips. “You sound surprised.”

He huffs a breath. “I’m not. I just don’t have the right words.”

“Well, you managed a few good ones,” I murmur, lifting my hand to brush his sweat-dampened hair back from his brow. “Tight, wet, fire. All very poetic.”

He groans again and buries his face against my neck. “Don’t tease me. My brain still isn’t working.”

“Your hips were doing just fine,” I quip, laughing softly when his fangs graze my shoulder in playful punishment.

When he lifts his head again, something has changed.

His eyes are still golden, but the intensity has eased into something calmer, gentler. The hard lines of his usually stern features soften, and his mouth relaxes. It smooths every sharp angle, transforming him in a way that feels vulnerable. Like I’m glimpsing a side of him no one has ever seen.

It makes my heart flutter in my chest.

I’m not sure what I expected from Vrok, but this tender, almost reverent look is a surprise.

He strokes a hand down my cheek, and when he speaks, his voice is low and careful. “Did I hurt you? I tried to hold back.”

“No.” I hook one leg around his hips, keeping him close, unwilling to let even an inch of space come between us. “You were perfect.”

His eyes search mine like he’s still not convinced. Like he’s afraid he was too much. But I mean it. Every word.

I reach up and brush my thumb along the edge of his jaw. “You don’t have to be afraid with me. You don’t have to hold back. I can handle it.”

A breath releases from him and the tension in his shoulders eases. He leans down and presses a soft kiss to my forehead. “I’ve never felt anything like this.”

Neither have I.

The flutter in my chest turns into a full-on ache at his words, and I know that should scare me, but it doesn’t.

He rolls over to his back, taking me with him, and I melt against his warmth, resting my cheek on his chest. The steady thrum of his heartbeat echoes beneath my ear. It’s so deep and strong it almost sounds like two hearts beating as one. His arms wrap around me, and I relax against him.

That bubble of safety that seems to follow him around envelops me, and I let myself enjoy it.

I don’t know where this thing between us is headed. I don’t know what it means for tomorrow or the days after. But right now, in this moment, none of that matters.

I let my eyes drift shut, breathing in the rich scent of moss and him. His warmth, his heartbeat beneath my ear, the way he holds me like I matter… they all feel like part of something I’ve always needed but never dared to hope for.

This doesn’t erase the danger waiting for us. Or the ache in my chest when I think of Lily. But right now, I don’t feel alone in it.

Sleep tugs at me, and I let it take me, held in the arms of a warrior who has come to mean everything to me.