RISING (#2, of Crows and Thorns)

Chapter 103

When he raised me back up to meet him, I evaded his mouth hunting mine, to nudge my nose against his throat. Varen arched his neck to allow me to graze my lips along a coil of ink. Inhaling his masculinity and the hint of anise—gods he smelled good. So, so, so good. I wanted to eat him up like the big bad wolf. I darted my tongue out to taste desire on his skin and pressed my lips to the hollow in his throat and his low rumbling groan vibrated against my mouth. Leaning up further, I brushed my cheek along his own, charmed by the five o'clock scruff abrading my skin. "I miss the beard."

"I'll grow it back, back, back..." he muttered, pulling back to chase my mouth and claim it in a dirty kiss with a rolling tongue that had me moaning and wriggling against his marble-hard chest. His hands finally roamed past the dip in my back to my butt just as he nipped my lip, gently dragging his teeth over it.

"Don't you dare," I sighed, relishing the sting of his teeth and the feel of his fingers squeezing my soft flesh. Well maybe on occasion he could grow it back, but right now I didn't want anything in the way between my cheek and his. The beard had been wild and sweet and suited his brash, unfiltered character, even if I'd suspected it had been a shield of despair. A way to hide from himself.

Gliding a palm over the raised skin of his wyrm brand I skimmed the rise of his shoulders down to those ridiculous biceps I couldn't even cuff with my hand. I felt so tiny straddling his lap, my backside resting on his thick thighs, and my sex, slick with arousal, spread wide against his raging hardness. Desire crackled from the tips of my toes creeping up my legs with an oncoming climax. Rocking my throbbing clit against him, I gasped for breath as I gripped his bunched shoulders tightly, driving it onward.

Holy hells, hells, hells...

I wanted it. I needed it.

My nipples were sharp points and were in agony. I wanted him to rip my bra off to lick and suck and ease the ache. But as yet he hadn't touched me in any private place. Rotating my hips in a slow seductive move, I ground up against him, stealing pleasure from the friction of fabric separating us. An electric pulse right at the apex of my thighs set an exquisite buzz thrumming inward and pushed me right to the edge of the cliff.

Varen's head suddenly fell back limply as he released a loud wanton moan. His fingers bit into my butt. "Tabitha...fuck...wait, wait, wait..." His entire body clenched and he shuddered. "Oh fuck, fuck, fuck..."

All of a sudden I was shoved away. I floundered in the water with a startled yelp and the impending climax was cut short and disappointingly dissolved away.

Varen's burly shoulders rounded as he rubbed his hands briskly up and down his thighs beneath the water. He blew out a breath and a string of curses. Strands of black hair slithered over his forehead and his face was deeply creased in pain.

For a moment I worried I'd actually hurt him.

A second fear slammed into me, more crushing than the first, that perhaps he'd had enough of me. I rose quickly to stand in the small pool, my heart braced for hurt. "I'm sorry, so sorry... Did I do something wrong?"

Varen glanced up, mortified. "No... Shit no, Tabitha."

Relief sweetened the air in my lungs. He grabbed hold of my wrist to tug me to him as he stood, creating waves with his body cresting the surface of the water. His fingers slid under my wet hair to cup the nape of my neck and tilt my head back so he could place a sweet kiss on my forehead. His gruff voice rumbled against my temple. "I'm about to fucking jizz in my briefs like I did in the glassware cupboard."

Oh...oh...

A pleased feeling had me biting my lip to stifle the smile. I reached for him and his hands whipped out to ensnare mine and trap them by my sides. Wet locks of his hair swayed as he shook his head. "I just need to take a moment to calm the fuck down."