Page 36

Chapter Twenty-One

At Cylo’s thoughts, Wren froze. Okay, removing her shirt might have been too eager, but she didn’t give a damn. At last, she was about to get horizontal with the one man who made her blood sizzle. But when he just stood there, gazing at her, shyness struck like her first day at school.

She angled her head as if doing so would sharpen her new ability to pick up his thoughts.

But nothing more reached her as if he was stunned into silence.

She cleared her throat and faced him. What was the rush?

If this was one and done, she should take it slow, savor each moment.

He kissed like a connoisseur, his tongue was beyond talented, and he already knew how to make her see stars, galaxies, and supernovas. Well, maybe there was room for more.

“Come here,” he said, pointing to his booted feet. Please.

Although she loved his commanding tone, the imp in her didn’t budge. She grinned. “And if I do not?”

Alodon’s balls, I love that she challenges me, but not now… “Ensa, I want you. If I move from this spot, I fear what control I have might shatter.”

Her eyes widened even as her heart froze then burst into an explosion of activity. That he was honest with her, had verbally revealed how he felt, that alone propelled her toward him.

“Here?” she whispered, not two feet from him.

His features hardened, and a pulse ticked at the base of his jaw.

She inched closer until she was a foot away.

“Minus cesu, what am I going to do with you?” He wrapped his fingers around her upper arms and yanked her against him, plastering her to his taut body.

The warmth of him hit her first, then the velvety texture of his skin registered.

She clung to his biceps, loving the strength and play of muscles beneath her fingertips.

He nuzzled her neck, drawing in deep breaths between nips that sent shivers outward.

Liquid heat trickled to her toes and weakened her knees.

Maker, I dreamed of this. “It is my wish to undress you,” he said, his breath puffing across her goose-bumped flesh.

She opened her mouth to agree to anything, but with a sharp tug, her bra fell away. He spread his fingers across her back, his breathing rougher.

“Your skin is so soft,” he mumbled. I ache to taste every inch of you.

Communicating with her telepathically added a whole new level of intimacy to this moment. She feathered kisses where she could reach, hating that his armor prevented her from truly enjoying being plastered against him. “I hope I get to undress you, too.”

He leaned back and thumped his chest. His armor parted, granting her a sliver of bronzed skin, not a hair in sight. The urge to press her lips there squashed any lingering shyness. The taste of him made her sigh—hot, scented, and all male. When she licked him, he thrust her away from him.

Thamani.

With a hand holding her back, he slipped out of his armor, letting it fall. Her gaze locked on his taut nipples, darker than his skin tone. She tried to wrap her lips around each bud, but he wouldn’t let her.

She stamped her foot and glared at him.

His attention wasn’t on her face but lower. So beautiful.

From where his outstretched hand touched her, he stroked down until a breast filled his palm. Her breath caught, and her head fell back as she relished his reverent touch. When he rubbed a thumb over a nipple, pleasure shot outward. She hummed in approval.

Must taste.

Movement disturbed her pleasure, but she couldn’t bring herself to peek. Something hot and wet latched onto a nipple. She looked then, finding him on his knees and his mouth on her. He wrapped his arm around her ass, keeping her in place. From one breast to the other, he bathed her in worship.

Addicting.

She sank her fingers into his hair and held on, knowing he’d keep her standing.

Garments. Off. Now. Despite his thoughts warning her, when he pulled back, she almost went with him, but his grip on her hip kept her upright.

He glided his hands down one leg until he reached her foot. Off went her flip-flop. She kicked off the other, not wanting to waste a second on something so simple.

My thanks. He chuckled as he stroked up her other leg to hook his fingers in the waistband of her jeans. With a jerk, the button popped off. Another yank had the zipper sliding down.

Control yourself. Soon. He ran his fingers along the waistband while dusting kisses across her belly. Every inch he exposed when he removed her pants was blessed with a kiss. Every inch but the part of her that wept for him.

I am stronger than this. He paused, buried his face between her legs, and inhaled. Then continued until she could step out of her jeans and underwear. Naked before him, she waited, half expecting him to stand. He lunged, taking her from vertical to sprawled on the floor in the blink of an eye.

She barely had time to gasp. He abandoned her to rip off his boots and pants, giving her a glimpse of his gorgeous body before he lay on top of her.

She pouted at the lost opportunity. What was visible while he kept himself off her in a permanent push-up did little to assuage her disappointment.

Her view was filled with broad shoulders into bulging pecs and biceps, his ripped abs next—the stuff of fantasies.

“What is it, ensa?” he asked, his gaze snagging hers. Is she anxious?

“Nothing like that. You get to look, but I don’t?”

He laughed. “We have time…later.” He lowered himself until he pressed her into the blankets.

She sighed, appeased for now. With her arms around him, as best she could, she peered into his lovely eyes flickering between navy and neon blue. She could drown in the mini light show happening in his irises.

“Your eyes,” she whispered. “Is that normal?”

He hesitated mid-descend, his lips a breath from hers. “What color are they?”

“They swirl between dark and bright blue.” She cupped his face. “They’re beautiful.”

His smile was slow, on a sensuous crawl across his sinful mouth. “As are you, thamani.” He kissed her then with languid sweeps of his tongue. I could kiss her for an eternity.

She melted, her limbs weak and warm even as a knot constricted in her core. It throbbed, ached, demanded. She writhed, desperate to have all of him touching her while hoping to find some relief for the craving building within her.

He broke the kiss and caught her gaze. With a deep inhale, his eyelashes fluttered shut. Maker. “Your scent is intoxicating.” He growled when she hooked her legs around his hips, forcing him closer.

At that victory, especially when his erection pressed into her and pinged sweet need through her, a smile formed. She loved how she could rattle him and how open his reactions were.

“We have now, later, tonight.” She winced at her eloquence. “Fuck me again and again.”

Alodon’s balls. He trembled, his breathing ragged, but he, at least, caught her beneath her knee and lifted her leg. That she barely registered when his hard cock rubbed along her folds.

She whimpered when he paused. Panic gripped her, that he might stop, and she tightened her arms. “Please.” She licked her lips. “Cy...”

Instead of plunging in, he kissed her again, enchanting her with his tongue. She succumbed, letting him lead her. There was no other choice. She couldn’t force him to hurry.

When he broke away, he held his cheek to hers. “I like that: Cy.”

“Oh,” she managed, her heartbeat in her ears, her voice raspy.

All thoughts of teasing him with his new nickname shot out of her mind when he inched into her, stretching her to accommodate his girth.

Every nerve tingled in pleasure, and the sensations he invoked were indescribable.

She bit her lip and savored this moment.

What she wanted was to be fucked and hard. But this… This was good.

When he was fully seated, his breath caught. Oh, Maker . He jerked back to meet her gaze, his eyes warming as he stared at her. My Wren.

Tears burned at the back of her eyes, and her heart swelled.

“I am keeping you,” he whispered, but she wasn’t sure she heard him correctly.

She opened her mouth to ask, needing to know they were more than lovers.

But he withdrew and thrust into her, clouding her mind.

Her core zinged, and that desperate craving rose and crashed over her.

All she could do was enjoy the sensations, the emotions, culminating in an overwhelming state of awareness.

Something circled her soul, like ribbons of bright energy.

A wealth of warmth came with it, spreading from her chest to lower.

His eyes widened, he stilled, and gave her a sweet kiss.

A cheek caress preceded another deep thrust. She couldn’t focus on both, and him finally fucking her was more demanding.

The tension built, her core tightened, and to hell with breathing.

She clung to him, let him take her to the pinnacle.

With a cry, she tumbled off the edge, arching into him when an orgasm slammed into her. No emotions other than her own bombarded her, and for that precious moment, she was just Wren, a woman in love.

Thamani.

My ensa ra ensa.

His thoughts trickled in as the ecstasy faded.

He dusted kisses over her cheeks and threaded his arms under her to crush her against him.

She tucked her face into the curve of his neck and took a long inhale, loving the heated scent of him.

Fuck. She was a goner. And yet, none of his emotions hit her.

His endearments didn’t necessarily mean he loved her back.

You are quiet.

She hummed. “Sorry. Just enjoying this.”

His chuckle rumbled through her. As am I. He leaned back a little and kissed her. “My apologies on not giving you a fulfillment before finding my own,” he said, his breath fanning her lips.

“I came,” she hurried to say.

I know. He kissed her again . It was magnificent.

Heat scorched her cheeks when she had nothing to be ashamed of or proud of. He’d wrung the orgasm from her.