Page 39 of The King’s Man (The Kingdom of the Krow #3)

“Only mine, Dee— you belong to me.”

“Yes!”

Her high-pitched cry was the spark to my fuse. I clawed for her, pulling her onto me, rumbling and rasping mindlessly about her beauty and my need for her. She threw her head back and tightened on me so beautifully, I shuddered and almost came. But she wasn’t there, I needed to bring her with me.

“I’ve got you… I’ve got you—” I groaned as I slid both hands to her back and pulled her up out of the water, holding her to me, burying my face under her jaw and latching onto her neck.

Rewarded by the flush of goosebumps on her thigh, I followed the wave of pebbled skin to her knee and lifted it higher, bending it back, urging her to let me hold her, carry her, take her—and bellowing joyfully when she did.

She let me take her weight, let me hold her, drive into her, bend her… urging me on with whispered affirmations until she clapped her free hand to my shoulder, her cries turning wordless and her back bowed.

Time slowed as I bent over her, body thrumming, cock aching for release, but heart and soul so full I wanted nothing more than to live and breathe this moment forever.

Diadre arched over our bound arms, her body bridging, breasts high and shining, skin wet—her head thrown back and chin to the sky. Her mouth was open and the only word I could make out was my name, which only pushed me closer to that desperate edge.

Her hair flowed around her, trailing in the water, a gorgeous, soft crown that curled and beckoned like she called me forward. I was desperate, moaning her name, body pulsing with need and driving harder with every thrust.

The water rippled and splashed, but neither of us noticed as I felt her tense and jolt, climbing ever closer to that moment when—

Diadre’s jaw dropped and she bucked, her body rigid and clenching down on me.

I thrust into her again with a roar that started in my toes, echoing off the trees and dampened by the mists.

But we hung there together, bodies trembling, as the bond expanded and the light between us flared—blazing like the dawn sun finally breaking over the mountains.

We were frozen together in that shining moment, bodies overwhelmed with bliss, souls braiding, as the world and all that was in it disappeared… except for her.

Then time sucked back in, and I moaned, jerking and trembling as Dee shook in my arms, her skin pebbling under my hands in waves as desire crashed over her.

My eyes saw only her.

My ears heard only her voice.

My body knew only where we joined and touched.

And my soul… my soul sang.

My mouth was open and my breath tearing out of my throat as she jolted, bouncing up and out of the water, hand slapping to my chest, then my shoulder as she tried to find a grip.

But I held her to me, urging her on, riding her through that climax, watching her breasts bounce until she went slack, panting in my arms.

Only then I did I close my eyes and release that leash.

One deep thrust and my orgasm hit like a boulder bouncing down a hill, carrying me in its wake, pitching me forward, over her, but I gathered her to me, roaring and groaning, holding her against my chest and she clung to me, her face in my neck, until both of us were finally still.

Chests heaving, breath tearing, both blinking and trying to find our bearings… I walked her back to the shallows and sat down hard, holding her to me as I trembled.

She had her free arm wrapped around my neck and her face under my jaw. She trembled in waves, tensing in my arms. I stroked her hair and whispered to her until the trembling stopped. And when she finally lifted her head, I met her eyes with a happy sigh.

She stared into my soul and I waited, unsure how she’d feel in the wake of that.

But to my delight, she smiled, took my chin in her hand and kissed me. Hard.

And when the kiss broke she caught my eye again, her breath fluttering on my face because she hadn’t pulled away.

“Never, ever stop doing that to me.”

“You have my word.” My voice was deep and gruff from all the roaring. I sounded like I’d been asleep for weeks.

Diadre smiled, then kissed me again. I pulled her to me and lay down in the shallows, holding her against my chest, leaving her sprawled over me.

And I had never been more at peace. Or more startled by joy.

I didn’t know what I’d done to deserve this, but I vowed to God as surely as I had vowed to her.

My life before hers.

Every time.

*****

~ DIADRE ~

I sprawled on his chest like laying on a log that was wider than me. Our bound arms slumped into the water, I had the other splayed across his arm to grip if I slipped. But I was boneless with contentment.

I must have dozed off, at some point I became aware that his free hand trailed up and down my spine, and that the skin not plastered to him that had been wet was growing chilled. But I didn’t want to move.

Laying on him was like laying on the back of a horse—I fit.

Just the right places to rest my head on his chest, just the right narrowing of his waist for my knees.

He had owned me. And for the first time that I could remember, I didn’t tense when I came awake, wondering how this would end. Or whether his eyes would avoid mine.

I sighed happily and smiled when he gave that low rumble in his chest, under my ear.

“You’re awake?”

I nodded against his chest. “I don’t want to be though. I wish we could live here. Let the nations rage and fight. I want to make love to my mate in the hot water and see which one steams more.”

His chest expanded under me, like he’d drawn in a deep breath. “I wish that too,” he said carefully, his voice deep and rough. “But you and I are both fighters, Dee. We’d go mad with no purpose.”

Propping up on my free arm, I reluctantly lifted my head and stared down at him, wondering how to put into words the things in my head.

Jann went still, holding my eyes. When I didn’t speak, his brow furrowed. “What? What is it?”

I cleared my throat. “I think… I think this is my purpose,” I breathed, afraid he’d shrink from that. But to my delight, he groaned and reached for my hair, pulling me into another hard kiss. He still hadn’t pulled out of my body and I could feel him thickening again, and my belly fluttered.

I sat up, pulling him with me, but as I caught an eyeful of his beautiful body, my eyes widened.

“What?” Jann asked quickly. “What’s wrong?”

I shook my head, stroking his chest, watching his skin pebble. “Nothing’s wrong. But… You had bruises. Scratches. Wounds from the mists. And they’re gone.”

I was awed.

Jann frowned and sat up properly, but held me to him as he looked down at himself and his brows rose. “You’re right.” Then he raised those incredible eyes to meet mine and his smile grew. “You healed me.”

“Me?” I squeaked.

“The bond,” he said warmly, then touched my face. “You took the bond and… it’s healed me. You weren’t wrong about your purpose, Dee. It’s mine as well. We’re stronger together.”

I experienced a strange rush then—warm desire twisted up tight with nervous fear.

But Jann kissed me again and I got lost in the press of his body against mine and his sweet mouth—until he suddenly let me go and cursed, sinking back to brace his free hand behind him in the shallow water. Putting space between us.

“What’s wrong,” I asked worriedly, then looked around—were we being discovered?

“I just realized… we ran from the camp. From Melek and Yilan,” he rumbled, his voice tight and frustrated. “They don’t know where we are, and the sun is dropping. It’s already darker in here. Dee… I need to fly you back. Yilan is going to literally kill me if I don’t show her that you’re okay.”

I cursed as well. But he was right. I let my head slump back to his chest. “Five minutes. Five more minutes won’t hurt,” I muttered.

Jann sighed heavily, but held me to him and laid back down, returning to lazily playing his fingers up and down my spine. “You’re right.”

“I usually am,” I snorted.

“That’s funny, me too. Clearly we were made for each other.”

I’d never giggled with a man before. It was… delightful. And it ended far too soon.