RETH

Elia laughed when he buried his face in her neck, but he could feel the tension in her and he cursed himself. He'd thought leaving her alone was the best thing so she wouldn't feel pressured while she was growing accustomed to being a mother. But apparently he'd made her think he didn't want her anymore.

He growled again and let his teeth tease along the column of her neck until she shivered.

"There is no one in this world—or yours—that I want other than you,

" he snarled, his voice dark and rough with desire, taking her mouth again before she could respond.

Elia whimpered and her hands leaped to his hair, her fingers clawing into his scalp in a way that made him shiver.

His beast roared, and he shoved it back—he couldn't afford to be rough with her at all when she was so hesitant. But his blood hummed with desire for her, and his body was already making itself known… all her wriggling with that soft ass wasn't helping, but he decided not to mention it since she seemed like she might still be close to tears.

So he kissed her, one hand cupping the back of her knee, the other at the nape of her neck, he took her mouth again and again, groaning his desire and huffing the mating call when she dropped her head back as he kissed his way down her neck.

She sighed his name, one of her hands trailing down to stroke his chest. He wanted to press into it, to lay before her and let her touch every inch of his skin and pick the part she liked the taste of best. But he knew what she needed was for him to give, not take.

"Relax, Elia,

" he whispered, then nipped at her ear.

"I'm here and there is no rush. Whenever you are ready. And until then, I will… play.

"

He pulled back just far enough to catch her eyes—wide and thrilled, which made him grin—then dove back to her mouth.

She tilted her head to deepen the kiss and sucked on his tongue which made his body leap. He growled, sliding his hand up the back of her thigh to cup her gorgeous ass and pull her closer. But she turned in his arms, wriggling and lifting her knee to straddle him.

Then she was in his lap, her knees either side of his thighs on the bench, facing him, her hands on his shoulders, staring at him wide-eyed.

Her breasts rose and fell quickly with her breath, her nipples—hard from the cold outside the pool, or her arousal, he wasn't sure—dipping in and out of the water in a way that called to Reth's eyes. But he forced himself to hold her gaze.

She put one wet hand into the hair at his temple, combing it back the way he'd done for her so often. His eyes half-closed and he purred, leaning into her hand as she dragged her fingers across his scalp, her eyes following their progress down his neck to his shoulder and chest.

"You're so… beautiful,

" she whispered under the sound of the waterfall rushing behind her. But she looked sad.

"You stole my line,

" he murmured, smiling carefully, uncertain of her mood.

Her lips curled up then, but the glance she gave him didn't agree. Her chin dipped because she went back to watching herself stroke his chest, but he caught it, pulling it up, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Elia, I don't—

"

"Don't talk,

" she said quickly.

"I need to get out of my head. I want you, Reth. That's all that's important right now, right?

"

"No,

" he said simply, stroking a hand up and down her back.

"It's not all that's important at all. But it makes my heart sing.

"

He reached up to cup her face in his jaw—her little face that fit so perfectly in his palm, his fingers curling into her hair while his thumb pressed up on her chin to keep it high.

He let his other hand trail up her thigh to her ass and pull her against his very prominent arousal.

"Do you still believe I don't want you?

"

"I know you want me now, Reth. I'm… I'm less certain about how this will be later. That's all. But there's only one way to find out!

" She forced a smile, but her eyes were beginning to glisten. But before he could answer, she rocked her hips.

A tiny, rasping groan rolled in his throat at the delicious slide of her against him. The sparks of desire in her scent became a flame.

He held her face and examined her, arguing the merit of forcing her to talk. But maybe… maybe in this moment it was better to show her.

"I love you, Elia. You are the other half of my heart. I will never stop wanting you,

" he whispered, then sat forward, laying his lips on hers as he gripped her neck and kept her close, even as he pulled her hip into him with the other hand.

Elia's breath sucked in when he kissed her and she arched her back, opening herself against him.

"Oh, Reth,

" she breathed against his lips and that was all it took to loose the tethers on his control.

He grabbed both her hips and pulled her hard against him, rocking forward in the same movement so her mouth fell open and her head went back.

Unable to resist the honey of her skin, he licked and sucked his way down her neck, pressing her further and further back until her hair was trailing in the water and her neck was a graceful arch under his eyes.

Breath thundering, he rocked against her. She gasped, so he did it again.

Her eyes were closed and her cheeks beginning to pink from the warmth of the water—and the heat between them. When he curled over her to take one of those beautiful nipples in his mouth—gently—she buried her fingers in his hair and held him there as he laved her with the flat of his tongue, then let his teeth slide over the peak before giving his attention to the other side.

Silently, he promised himself he wouldn't stop tasting her until she had let go completely.