Jolie didn’t answer with words, just a faint moan that rumbled in her chest as she wrapped herself around me, her body molding to mine. Her mouth sought mine desperately, and I gave her what she wanted, what we both wanted.
It was everything I never knew I needed—having her in my arms. Wanting me.
And yet, a part of me was hesitant, despite the desire coursing through my veins like wildfire. Jolie had been part of Qurbaga’s harem for so long, trapped in a nightmare I could only imagine. There was no telling what type of depravity sheendured at his hands, what horrors were inflicted on her body and spirit. I would cut out my own soul before doing anything that brought her back to that dark place and made her remember even a moment of that trauma.
“Are you sure?” I murmured, pulling back slightly to search her face, letting my lips trail feather-light kisses along the curve of her cheek, across the bridge of her nose. “I know what you went through with Qurbaga, and I would never do anything....” The words caught in my throat, the imagining of what she might have suffered, too terrible to speak aloud.
Jolie cupped my face in her hands, her palms warm against my skin, brown eyes soft and loving as they held mine. “Yes. I’m sure.” There must have been something in my expression, some lingering doubt, some shadow of concern, that made her smile, gentle and reassuring. “It’s my choice.” Another deep sigh colored her words, her chest rising and falling against mine. “In the harem, I didn’t have a choice. With you, I do. And I choose you.”
I kissed her deeply, pouring everything I felt into that kiss—gratitude and desire and something deeper, something that felt too dangerous to name. I reveled in her words, in the gift she was giving me, in the trust that shone in her eyes.
My zeihava. And she wanted me.
I let my fingers trail down the V-neck of her tunic, tracing the delicate line of fabric with deliberate slowness, pausing at the hollow of her collarbone where I could feel her pulse thrumming beneath my fingertips. “Can I see you, my heart?” I asked. “I’ve dreamed of seeing you—all of you.”
A saucy little smile danced across her lips, her eyes sparkling with mischief and desire as she nodded, the movement both shy and bold.
I rolled away from her just enough to let my fingers grasp the edge of her tunic, the rough-spun fabric bunching inmy hands. She lifted her arms, helping me tug it over her head in one smooth motion, her hair cascading down around her shoulders as the garment fell away, leaving her bare before me.
She was exquisite.
Her breasts were perfectly rounded and full, the weight of them calling to my hands, nipples a deep dusky pink as they stood at attention, already pebbled with arousal. Her skin was creamy and luminous, like polished ivory, soft over the gentle curve of her waist and the flare of her hips. Her belly was taut and lean, the muscles beneath the surface defined but feminine.
She watched me as I stared at her, unmoving, barely breathing, my eyes drinking in every inch of exposed flesh. Her chest rose and fell with her breathing, breasts undulating slightly with the movement, hypnotic and mesmerizing. She looked beautiful, laid out before me on the emerald moss, like some ancient goddess of the forest offering herself to a mortal supplicant.
When my hands found the fastening to her pants—a simple tie at her waist—she lifted her hips slightly, the movement fluid and encouraging, helping me as I slid the fabric downward over the curve of her hips, down the length of her thighs, revealing more of her warm, silken flesh inch by tantalizing inch. Her legs, while not long, were lean and muscular. Her hips curved enticingly, the dip of her waist flowing into the swell of her pelvis, begging to be traced with my fingertips. The small thatch of honey-colored hair at the juncture of her thighs was both adorable and enticing. A golden triangle that drew my gaze like a beacon.
The scent of her arousal filled the air, heady and unmistakable, mixing with the earthy scent of the moss and surrounding vegetation, intoxicating as any liquor I’d ever consumed.
“You’re stunning,” I whispered, my voice thick with desire, the words barely more than a rasp.
Jolie smiled, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks, spreading down her neck and across her chest, painting her skin with a rosy glow that made her even more beautiful.
Still gazing at her face, memorizing the way she looked at me with such trust and want, I let my hands glide down her sides, fingers splayed wide to touch as much of her as possible. Her skin felt softer than the finest silk, warm and alive beneath my palms. Her muscles trembled slightly beneath my fingers, tiny quivers that rippled across her flesh, not with fear, but anticipation, her body responding to mine.
“You smell so delicious, zeihava,” I murmured, my mouth watering at the scent of her arousal. Sweet and musky, with undertones of something floral and feminine that made my head spin. “Can I taste you?”
The blush on her cheeks deepened to a rich crimson, spreading like wildfire across the bridge of her nose and down the column of her throat, staining her collarbones and the upper swells of her breasts. She nodded, the movement jerky and breathless with anticipation.
Spreading her thighs, I settled between them, my shoulders forcing her legs wider as I positioned myself. My tongue traced a deliberate path from the sensitive hollow behind her knee, up along the expanse of her inner thigh, savoring the way her muscles quivered beneath my lips. Her skin was impossibly soft, tasting faintly of salt and her natural sweetness. Her breathing grew heavy and ragged, her hands tangling in my hair, nails scraping against my scalp in a way that sent white-hot electricity racing down my spine and straight to my aching cock.
She smelled so fucking good, something indefinably feminine that made my head spin with want and made my mouth water with anticipation. And then I was tasting her,letting my tongue explore her most intimate flesh with slow, deliberate strokes, savoring her unique flavor coating my tongue like the finest wine.
“Oh shit!” Jolie jerked slightly, a broken moan tearing from her throat as her fingers buried themselves deeper in my hair, her back arching off the moss. She clearly enjoyed this as much as I did.
I indulged myself completely, devouring her with my lips and tongue, exploring every bit of soft, slick flesh with single-minded devotion. The delicate skin at her entrance was impossibly soft and the most beautiful shade of pink, glistening with her arousal. She felt slick and warm against my tongue and let out little gasps and breathy moans as I licked her, my tongue working to gather every bit of the delicious wetness that coated her flesh, not wanting to waste a single drop.
When my tongue dipped into her tight opening, she made another noise—something between a gasp and a whimper—her hips rolling in unmistakable invitation, silently begging for more. Her inner walls were scorching hot and impossibly soft, gripping at my tongue as I explored her, the velvety texture making me dizzy with want.
“Goddess, you’re delicious,” I muttered against her heated flesh. The words vibrated against her sensitive skin, then I plunged my tongue deeper, feeling her inner walls flutter and clench around the intrusion, pulsing rhythmically. My cock jerked violently and throbbed with almost painful intensity, hard as steel and straining against my pants. I could feel myself leaking copious droplets of precum like an untried youth. I didn’t care. All that mattered was feasting on my mate like a man starved, like she was the only sustenance I’d ever need.
Jolie began to move her hips against my face with increasing urgency, grinding herself against my mouth, her heels digging into the muscles of my back hard enough toleave marks. I pulled back reluctantly, allowing myself a gasping breath, my chin and lips slick with her essence, before attacking the small, swollen nub of her clit with renewed focus.
I would admit that out of curiosity, I’d done some research into human female anatomy and sexual practices when I became captain of the Eden. Not from any hope that I would find myself in the wonderful position I currently occupied, but for purely altruistic reasons. Most of the females we rescued had been sex slaves like Jolie, and I wanted to understand their experiences so I could better help them feel safe aboard the ship. Although at the moment, surrounded by her scent and taste, drowning in the sensation of her, I’d never been more grateful for that study.
I ran the tip of my tongue over her clit in a slow, deliberate circle, feeling the tiny bundle of nerves throb and pulse beneath my touch, swollen and sensitive. Then I let my lips surround the sensitive bundle and sucked gently, then with increasing pressure. Jolie jerked violently as she arched into my ministrations, her every muscle drawn taut, a cry of pure, unfiltered pleasure exploding from her lips and echoing through the trees.
I raised my head, letting my gaze travel up the length of her trembling body to meet her eyes, my lips and chin glistening with her arousal, the taste of her coating my tongue. She looked utterly dazed, her honey-colored eyes unfocused and glassy with pleasure, pupils blown wide and dark. Her skin flushed a deep rose from her cheeks down to her heaving breasts, a fine sheen of perspiration making her glow. “Did you like that, my heart?”
