RETH

Every nerve ending in his body lit up at once when she put him in her mouth.

"Creator's Mane!

" he gasped, and arched his back high. But she put one hand to his stomach and held him down. And he was so overcome by the feelings she was giving, he shuddered, fisted his hands in the furs, and stayed there.

"Elia…

" his voice was strangled.

"Dear… **!

"

But she kept stroking, kept kissing, kept taking him, slowly, so slowly, until his hips began to roll without his permission and small noises broke from his throat at each peak.

"Elia! Light!

" he put his hands to her hair and pulled her up.

"Stop, you have to stop!

"

"Why?

" she gasped.

"It seemed like it was working.

"

"Dear Lord, woman,

" he growled, pushing up to sit.

"You'll take me over the edge and we haven't even—

"

"But that's the point, Reth. I want to do this for you.

" Her eyes were wide and pleading and he stopped, blinking.

What had he ever done to deserve this amazing woman?

Unable to resist, he took her face in his hands and kissed her, long and slow, reaching for her bared breasts and kneading them, groaning into her mouth when she stroked him.

"Elia, please,

" he gasped against her lips.

"I want you.

"

He leaned down to swing an arm under her and lift her up to the platform. She clung to his shoulders with a squeak. But he just pulled her onto his stomach and lay back down, pulling her with him, one hand in her hair, still kissing her.

Once she found her balance, she straddled him, rubbing herself slowly against him as they kissed. They both groaned.

"My beautiful mate,

" he whispered, combing her hair back from her face as she pushed herself up, her breasts hanging, swinging tantalizingly close to his mouth.

Grabbing her ass, he pulled her up his torso slightly.

"Reth, I…

" But then he could reach her nipples with his mouth, and her words trailed off into a sigh.

"Oh… okay.

"

He hummed his approval as she braced on the furs next to his head and continued to rub on him.

He couldn't stop tasting her. But the desire he'd thought he wouldn't find was already rising, driving him forward. He needed to take her, to possess her, to have her as close as they could be—leave nothing unsaid, nothing undone.

Without warning her, he hugged her into his chest, then rolled them over together, so he was on top of her. She shrieked, but then gasped again when he took her nipple gently between his teeth.

"Reth,

" she gasped.

"You're supposed to be resting—

"

"I'll rest when I've had you gasping,

" he vowed. Then, sliding his hand to the back of her thigh, he hooked her knee over his hip and in one shuddering thrust, pushed into her, right to the hilt.

They both cried out, and for a frantic minute, he thrust again and again, groaning her name as she panted his. But he didn't want it to end so quickly. So he stopped, resting on his elbows and stroking her hair back from her face.

*****

ELIA

The tenderness on his face made her want to weep. But then shadows began to creep into his eyes.

"No,

" she whispered, pulling him down.

"Don't think about it. Just think about me. Look at me, Reth. Feel me. This is us. This is real.

"

A strange call, deep and resonant, vibrated in his chest as she laid her mouth to his again, and he wrapped her in his arms until she was cocooned by him, her arms around his neck, his around her shoulders, and at her lower back.

"My love,

" he whispered, kissing his way down her jaw, then thrust into her sharp, and swift.

Her breath caught and her mouth dropped open.

"My mate,

" he rasped, and did it again.

She was beginning to keen, but she couldn't stop it. She was desperate for him, desperate to be close to him, exactly like this. And his own desire had awoken.

So, as he rolled into her again, and again, crying her name, and wringing feelings from her skin, and from her core, all she could do was cling to him, and say his name over and over.

Then he slid his hand flat to her lower back and pulled up in the same moment he thrust and she began to climb, taking another step closer to her peak with every roll of his hips.

"Elia!

" he gasped.

"I can't—

"

"Don't stop! Don't stop!

"

With a bellowing growl, he thrust again and again, so hard, his thighs slapped against hers, and just like that, something inside her broke open. She arched back, calling for him, as her skin sparkled with her impending release. Goosebumps washed from where they were joined, to every limb, every muscle tense and tingling.

She couldn't breathe.

Couldn't breathe.

And then it crashed over her and she cried out, panting into his hair as he buried his face in her neck and shattered right alongside her, his fingers clutching at her, his mouth on her neck.

"Elia!

"

"Love you, I love you, Reth!

" She clung to him as his entire body rocked, twitching and shaking, and he bellowed again.

They both shuddered, shivering and jerking, twin breaths tearing out of their throats. Elia blinked her eyes wide and sucked in a deep breath as Reth's weight finally came to rest fully on her, like a massive blanket of love.

Neither of them spoke.

She kept him close with on hand on his neck, but let the other trail up and down his back, stroking the lines of muscle, her fingertips riding the ripples of his shoulder blades, and his spine.

He groaned again, but this time he relaxed with it.

"That feels heavenly, love.

"

"Just rest, Reth,

" she whispered, and kissed his temple.

"Please. Just rest.

"

He brought the hand that had been at her lower back up and cupped it over her head.

"You are my rest, Elia,

" he murmured.

"Thank you.

"

She squeezed him tight to her and fought back the tears, because this was a moment for joy.

A minute later he pulled himself off of her, but when she began to complain, he shushed her and turned onto his side, rolling her as well, until he could slide her back into his chest. He slid one arm under her head, the other over her waist and curled his knees under hers, so she was completely wrapped in him.

She sighed happily as he nuzzled her neck.

"I love you, Reth.

"

"I love you too, beautiful,

" he whispered, then kissed her hair.

She was almost dozing a minute later when his lips brushed her ear.

"Elia?

"

"Yes?

"

"This doesn't change anything. You still need to go home.

" Her eyes flew open and she tensed. But he'd already held her tighter, squeezing her in, whispering love to her and wrapping her in his warmth.

"It's only because I love you that I'm going to ask this of you, Elia. You and Elreth. That's the only reason.

"

"I'm not leaving you, Reth,

" she whispered, twining their fingers.

Reth sighed. She still didn't understand the sheer danger she was in.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow.

"