Page 46 of Thorulf

“I loved you,” she murmured, finally nailing down the sensation. Not just loved butin love. He had been the first and last because she’d never felt that way about another. Didn’t want to. But then, she'd had no idea it could be so profound. “No wonder I was so hurt...”

The memory faded when that same old hurt spiked through her again. Only this time, she felt it in its entirety, wrapped up firmly with the deep love she’d felt for him. Which made it all that much worse.

“There’s no way I would have cheated on you first,” she managed, trying to remain focused on what he believed made him an easy target for the purple dragon. She shook her head, certain of it. “I would have never hurt you like that.”

Though hard to see past her own hurt and anger, she had to. They deserved it. Not just their dragons but their human halves.

“Any more than I would have hurt you.” Thorulf cupped her cheek and searched her eyes. “I think it’s important we remember that as time goes on. That we keep what we just witnessed and how we felt at the forefront of our minds.”

Though a part of her wanted to shift away from him in anger, a larger part, the one tempered by their memories, made her close her eyes and lean her cheek into his touch. How could she have ever forgotten the feel of this? Because he had done it often. Touched her cheek then...

Either because he followed her thoughts or needed the same, his lips touched hers, and everything shifted in an instant. While she by no means remembered everything, she recalled this vividly. The rush of excitement as he pulled her against him and closed his mouth more firmly over hers. The walking-on-air sensation followed by so much physical need it almost hurt. Hungry for more, their tongues twisted, tangled, did a dance they knew well. That was second nature to them.

She met his groan when he walked her backward until her knees met the bed and buckled. When his fiery gaze met hers, she knew he was as desperate as her to lose himself in this. To rediscover what they’d lost, no matter how volatile. And it was turbulent. All of it. Whatever had happened to them had torn away their intense bond. Had raped their minds and hearts of all they felt right now.

So they were desperate and angry and aroused.

There would be no turning from him now. No pushing him away for what he’d done. Not when she needed him close. On her, in her, driving away the hurt. Tearing away the shadows shrouding their forgotten past.

Some might argue this was too soon, too fast, but there really was no such thing as too fast in her world. Not only that, but in ways she had yet to understand, she knew Thorulf better than she knew herself. Had known him from the very beginning of her existence.

“I can’t...” he said hoarsely between kisses as she lay back fully on the bed. “I can’t do it like I just did it. Not right now...”

She knew what he was trying to say and fully agreed. This wouldn’t be slow and loving like their first time because itwasn’ttheir first time. Not just that, but it felt long overdue. As though they hadn’t touched in years. As if their inner beasts had longed for it every second of every minute since.

“It’s okay,” she gasped when he yanked her hair out of its ponytail and dug his fingers in hard. When he came between her thighs, ground his clothed erection against her sensitive center and nipped the side of her neck. “Do whatever you need...”

That’s all she got out before she groaned at him grinding against her. She loved that he was so aroused he couldn’t think straight to use magic. A problem she realized she was having too when she tried to chant away their clothing. Frustrated yet thrilled by the force of their need, she began tearing at his clothes as desperately as he did hers.

He was ruthless, tearing her shirt down the middle before she pulled his tunic over his head. She licked her lips and struggled to breathe at the sight of him whipping aside her boots and yanking her pants down. If anything, he was more chiseled than his younger self with more tats. She’d seen plenty of gorgeous men in her time, but he seemed designed especially for her, from the scruff on his strong jaw to the welcome but quick sight of his rock-hard cock.

She barely had a chance to admire it before, not bothering to pull his pants all the way off, he was over her again. This time he was more aggressive, his kisses hot and hungry. Angry and relieved. His emotions mixed with her emotions, his physical sensations with hers as he ground against her hot, throbbing center.

Unbelievably enough, she felt so much, so quickly her whole body let go right then and there, and she froze up. No guy had ever accomplished this so fast without doing much of anything, but there was no stopping it. She arched into the thrilling peak of orgasm and moaned long and hard.

Cursing in pleasure at her response, Thorulf didn’t wait for her to float down but seized the opportunity and thrust deep into her bliss, spiking it to a whole new level. She released a strangled whimper of pleasure at his ragged groan.

Waves of release didn’t just wash over her now but crested high and intense.

She knew he wanted to take her hard, to lose himself in her tight, pulsing heat, but showed tremendous willpower and creativity instead. He didn’t remain still but dug his hand into her hair rough enough that it stung just right, and made small, calculated movements with his hips.

“Fuck,” she gasped, losing herself in the fresh waves of pleasure spanning out from her core.

He was keeping her orgasm going with well-practiced moves designed just for her. Because they were, she realized. Moves she had taught him at some point as they grew together sexually. As they learned what made the other tick. What rung out every last little bit of pleasure. No wonder she enjoyed sex so much.

She had started with him.

Since then, she'd chased the sensation with every other man she’d been with but never found it. Not until now, as he worked her body to perfection and looked at her in that way he did. A way she didn’t remember until now. Like nothing gave him more pleasure than her receiving pleasure. Like he had never seen anything more tempting. More desirable.

“Because I haven’t,” he rumbled, his gaze half-mast as he watched her. As he seemed to visually drink in the sight of her coming undone for him. She knew he would stay that way too. He would keep her cresting over and over in an endless stream of mini-climaxes if she let him. He might be desperate to fill her the way he truly wanted to, but he’d put her needs first.

Needs, as it turned out, she understood every bit as well as he did hers.

He might have her near-paralyzed with pleasure, but she wasn’t about to let this moment be all hers. That wasn’t how she worked. So she took matters out of his hands and rolled him onto his back without losing intimate contact. Rather, she kept him buried deep inside until he was beneath her and at her mercy.

Though tempted to kiss and lick every hard contour of his glistening body, she forced him to find his pleasure the way she knew he liked it. Rough and wild and fast. She braced her hands on his chest, dug her nails in, and moved her hips just like he’d shown her at some juncture she couldn’t quite recall.

She did recall how his eyes rolled back in his head when she moved up and down on him, though. When she rocked her hips and slid along his granite shaft. Over and over, faster and faster, feeding her own fire as well. A fire that roared up fast and made her see red. She thrilled at the low rumble in his chest as she took them higher and higher until he grabbed her ass roughly, pressed deep, and let go hard right along with her.

So hard that they nearly missed the danger in their midst.