His words involuntarily clench the muscles of my stomach, and I tighten around him.
When the bottom of my thighs rests on the top of his, I still. Allowing myself time to adjust to the fullness of him. He leans towards me, brushing a tender kiss on my lips.
“Ye feel like heaven,” he whispers. I smile, kiss him back, and raise myself up his length.
A hollowness is left behind.
His head drops back against the rim of the copper tub, his fingers digging into the flesh of my thighs.
“Gods…” he hisses.
I slam myself back down, and he lurches off the side of the tub, his eyes flaring.
Water sloshes over the edge, splashing on the surrounding tiled floor.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he growls into my ear.
Rising and falling, I gain momentum, working into a delicious rhythm. Drawing curses and moans from his lips before he is arrests control and pounds into me. Water splashes all around us, muting the sounds of pleasure that slip from us.
I can’t get enough of him.
The feel of him plunging into me over and over, brushing against my clit, builds like a wave racing toward the shore again.
He groans low and deep in the back of his throat, licking up the side of my neck, tipping me over the edge. Passion winds under my skin, locking my muscles into place as it seizes control.
The wave inside me crashes loudly against the shore.
The heat from Lachlan’s bare flesh keeps the chill away from me in the wee hours of the morning. I watch the light as it dances across his face, trying to memorize every line. My fingertips trace up his neck, then his jaw, before brushing across the fullness of his lips. Every moment, every touch, I fall deeper—and harder.
Would he still want me though if it turns out we’re not mates?
The thought has me shivering, a coldness creeping over me like a darkened cloud over the sun. Lachlan tucks me in deeper into his body, his brow furrowing in his sleep.
I pry myself out of his arms and slip quietly off the bed. Rifling through the fully stocked armoire, I pull out two of the same flowing skirts and cropped tops most of the women in this district wear.
One is a similar lilac shade to what Neva wore yesterday, and the other is a familiar shade of green that reminds me ofLachlan’s eyes. But mating bonds still niggle at my mind. I sigh to myself.
We have enough to worry about without me adding more to the mix. We’ll destroy the fake moonstone and restore magic across this island before heading to Olundy to do the same there. And last, we’ll return to the capital to see if it is our allies coming to see us or if it is something—worse.
But with magic restored throughout the realm, I can finally make it back to the human realm and bring back Gran and Torin. If we’re not already too late.
The light sound of my clothing dropping to the floor and the armoire door shutting has Lachlan stirring.
“Is it morning already?” His voice is deep and gravelly, the sound of it a balm to my rapidly fraying nerves.
“Aye it is,” I mock him.
He cracks an eye open before sitting up fully, his mouth parting in surprise. “Ye are stunning.”
I bite back my smile. “I’m going to go track down some breakfast…” I sling my thumb towards the door and tug at the chiffon of the skirt.
Lachlan pulls the sheets down and slings his legs over the side. “I’ll go with ye.” His smile is pure mischief and satisfaction, as he notices me appreciating his naked body. But he makes no move to stand.
I roll my eyes, stepping up to his side of the bed and in between his legs. “I don’t need an escort.”
“Aye. But I don’t want ye going anywhere without me looking like that,” he grumbles, before grabbing my arm and pulling me on top of him. After some passionate discussions on the merits of low-rise skirts and visible flesh, I drag him from our room to feed me.
Ashur’s palace is empty as we make our way through the breezeways, following the smell of food.
