Page 38 of The King’s Man (The Kingdom of the Krow #3)

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SOUNDTRACK: I Feel Like I’m Drowning by Two Feet

~ DIADRE ~

At first I didn’t know how to feel, sitting high, straddling his thighs and looking down on him.

Not a position I’d ever preferred. When I was aroused, I liked to be overwhelmed by a man.

To forget anything but seeking more of what he gave.

But the truth was, Jann overwhelmed me anyway.

And sitting this way gave me a glorious view of him—those wide shoulders and flat pecs, the ripple of muscles on his abdomen and sides.

And those rough, rugged hands of his, tendons standing proud as he gripped me, his palms softened by the warm water, but no less firm and strong.

I shivered with need for him.

Jann growled and slid his free hand into my hair, pulling me down into a kiss, stealing my breath, but then pulling back to lean his forehead on mine and speaking against my lips.

“Don’t be afraid of me, Dee… Ever. If… if you become afraid, you tell me and I’ll stop.”

I nodded, quickly and rolled my hips, bringing us firmly together so that he slid against me, and my mouth fell open at the pure bliss of him.

Jann shuddered and turned his head, panting, his stubbled cheek rasping against mine, still gripping my hair and keeping me close as we began to roll together.

All I could think was more.

Then Jann kissed me again, his tongue darting and teasing in time with our bodies rolling together, until I was twitching, whimpering every time he drew away, then slid himself against me again.

I needed more air and tipped my head back, grinding against him—delighted when Jann shuddered and his fingers at my hip dug in hard as if he fought a battle.

Which was pleasing, because I did too.

Letting him control our arms that were bound together, I held onto him with my free hand as we rocked together. Both of us gasped, Jann’s turning into a low growl before he sat up higher, grabbed my ass with his bound hand and pulled me against him hard—so hard that I couldn’t move anymore.

I cursed, but he’d bent my arm behind my back and his was a steel bar behind me. I was trapped.

Even sitting like this, when he straightened he was taller than me so I had to look up to meet his eyes, arching one brow. But in answer, he looked down at me, those honey-colored eyes glowing, pinched at the corners because he fought for control.

“Do you want this? Want me?” he said hoarsely, one hand in my hair, the other arm pinning me against him.

I snorted. “I can’t decide if you’re stupid, or overly officious—”

“Dee, do not toy with me,” he rasped and flexed his hips once, just enough to press against me so hard the pleasure verged on pain. “I have no wish to hurt you, or scare you. If you want to wait—”

In answer, I grabbed his hair with my free hand, yanked his head back, and when he gave in, his chin forced up and throat bared, I opened my mouth against his Adam’s apple.

He sucked in hard when I grazed his stubble with my teeth, then licked him before speaking against his throat. “Jann, if you don’t take me right now, you will have failed in your duties as a mate, and I will be forced to—”

“Not another word,” he growled. “Hold on.”

The water rippled and splashed as he grabbed me at both hips and lifted me—high enough that I yelped and was forced to brace on his shoulder and bound wrist for fear I’d fall. I dropped my head, fighting for balance, only to have Jann take my mouth, open and delving, as he lowered me onto him.

I felt him there, then took him in and as he lowered me further, and further, and further onto him, I sucked out of the kiss and threw my head back, fingers digging into his shoulder at the incredible sensation of being so full of him—and yet, the niggling fear that I might not be enough for him.

He lowered me, lifted me, lowered me again, and the feeling of him drawing in and out so slowly made me shiver.

“Relax,” he said, his voice honeyed gravel. “I’ve got you.”

He’d brought his knees up behind my back and with whispered words, urged me to rest back against his thighs. My head tipped back over his knees, my hair dripping over his legs, but I couldn’t think beyond that overwhelming sense of him.

Then he sighed and groaned softly and his free hand moved to cup behind my knee, pulling me slightly forward and I gasped, realizing I was seated on him fully.

I opened my mouth to say… something. But then he lowered his knees, tipping me back, the water climbing my skin at the same time he drew out of me, then gripped my hips and pulled me back onto him, and I was undone.

Knees wide, my body pulsed because he made me so full I could feel him to the soles of my feet. My eyes fluttered as he moved within me, slowly, just short inches at first, as my body grew accustomed to him. But as we found our place together, and my body responded, he gave me more… then more.

Jann leaned me back, dropping his knees flat, which impossibly brought him deeper—and then as I gasped about that, he put one hand back to brace, pushing us deeper into the water, his other arm and mine braced across my back to keep me against him.

I hooked my ankles behind his back as the water buoyed me and took some of my weight, shifting the angle between us so we both groaned.

I gasped, struggling to pull myself against him, but also to give him space to move—until he grabbed a handful of my hair at the nape, pulled my head back to arch me backwards, and rumbled, “I’ve got you. Let go.”

I struggled at first, afraid I’d fall into the water and splutter, but as we moved into deeper and deeper water, Jann murmured and whispered, kissing my neck, stroking my breasts, urging me to relax, to let him hold me.

I opened my eyes—and my mouth—intending to tell him that it wasn’t that simple, but when our eyes caught and I saw him, gaping at me, adoration and sheer need painted on every tense line of his handsome face… the bond throbbed.

Mate. My mate.

My One.

Reaching for his chest, stroking fingertips up his sides, over the ripples of those steel muscles so that he hissed between his teeth, I stared into his beautiful eyes and the little knot in my heart unraveled.

Yes.

And then… then I sighed and let go, let my body float, kept my heels hooked around him, but closed my eyes, relaxed my body, and let him and the water take my weight.

My hair drifted around my face, and my ears were plunged under so that I heard the ripple of water as we moved and the rumble of his voice, but not the words.

But it didn’t matter, because when my eyes were open, it was to the delightful vision of my mate in the throes of need, lower lip slack, staring at me as if I were a lifetime’s treasure. And when my eyes were closed, his touch was alive on my skin.

Keeping our bound hands behind my back to hold me to him, he slipped his free hand up my side, stroking me—I wanted to arch into that touch like a cat—then slid over my breast, thumbing my nipple, and growling his approval when the peak tightened.

“Yes,” he murmured. “Relax. Let go, Dee. I’ve got you.”

He bathed me, inside and out. My skin washed in the soft ripple of warm water, my heart washed in the heat of the blazing bond, my body pulsing with the delights of feeling him within me—and then that sensation soon joined by the incredible feeling of his body massaging that bundle of nerves between my thighs, because I was spread so wide, every slow thrust was a sly slide against me.

I climbed towards my peak. And towards something shining on the horizon of the bond. Something precious and terrifying and… loving.

I might have tensed, might have started thinking, but then Jann groaned and his hands tightened on me, and he began to move in earnest.

I was lost.

*****

~ JANN ~

It took my beautiful mate some time to relax and trust me to keep her safe, but once she did…

The sight of her floating before me stunned me speechless.

Her hair splayed out, rippling and twisting in the water—the water that lapped over her stomach and breasts, making her skin shine even in the dim light of the mists.

God, I could have come with one thrust. But I knew she needed more. Even as her body turned languid, even as she smiled, I could feel her, reaching. And did everything in my power to help her.

I tantalized her skin with fingertips—teasing the hard, shining peaks of her nipples, kneading her breasts, stroking her sides and stomach, trailing fingers over her throat and along her shoulders, down her floating arm…

There was no inch of her I did not wish to know—and to my delight, the longer I stroked, still barely moving within her, the more she gave, until her limbs were loose, and her eyelashes fluttering.

“Jann…” she breathed.

I took a firmer grasp on her hips with both hands and dragged myself out of her. She blinked rapidly, until I pulled her hard against me again—rumbling my approval when the small wave of water between us rushed over her body and crashed against her floating breasts.

“Holy fuck, Dee.”

She gave a breathless giggle, but didn’t open her eyes, though her hand bound to mine clamped on my wrist, urging me forward.

“More,” she whispered. “Please, Jann.” Then she opened her eyes barely enough to catch mine, and smiled like a cat who’d gotten in the cream. “More please… Mate.”

Something within me pulsed at that word and a low, rough cry broke in my throat as I gripped her harder and pulled her onto me with another short thrust.

Her eyes rolled back and her other hand came to my other wrist. But she didn’t let go. She dug her heels into my back and urged me on, pushing me, pleading for me.

“Dee… dear God—”

“Don’t stop, Jann—please!”

I grunted and groaned, unable to control the strange sounds torn from me with every thrust, unable to cease drinking in the sight of her, so abandoned, and smiling as I took her.

“Mine,” I rasped, pulling her onto me with even greater force.

Diadre sucked in a startled breath, but whispered, “Yes!” on the exhale.