Rin’s breath hitched as his teeth grazed her palm. "I missed you."
The space between her thighs clenched in sudden need as his lips traced over the veins on the inside of her wrist, chasing after water droplets that slid down to her elbow.
It had been so long since they’d had each other—since they’d done more than kiss. She constantly thought about the day he’d had her in truth. When she’d found him after a nightmare, and he had found solace inside her.
"I missed you, too, my V girl."
The space beneath his eyes was darkened with exhaustion. She knew he stayed here sometimes at Rhyden’s penthouse, when the nights were too long, and he was too tired to bringhimself to drive to his apartment. Sometimes, she liked to think he stayed here in one of the guest rooms because it was closer to her…
"Have you been sleeping, Lucien?"
He sighed, and she felt it against her palm. "No, I have been having nightmares still. I thought they would stop, but they’ve been plaguing me." His brows furrowed, glasses slipping down his nose.
She reached up with her other hand, water trickling between them, as she slowly righted his glasses, her fingertip lingering on the tip of his nose, then dropping to the bow of his lips. Her heart sped up, and it wasn’t from exertion.
"I’m sorry—I wish I could take them from you." Rin let her feet lift from the water as she wrapped her ankles around his calves to stay afloat.
"You’re like a siren, calling to me." As Lucien spoke, her finger slipped inside his mouth. "When I’m with you, I forget about my dreams. I never want you to feel the burden of such nightmares, Vesperin. They are not for you." His words were slightly mumbled with her finger in his mouth. His teeth grazed her knuckle, and she gave a stuttered exhale.
In this moment, in the coolness of the water with the slumbering city outside the large window, she wanted him. She grew emboldened by the heat in his eyes, a twin to her own. "If you don’t want me to feel burdened by them, then use me to forget."
His lips wrapped around her finger. As he groaned, she felt the vibrations shiver up her finger bone to her wrist.
Lucien reached down to place a palm on her thigh, lifting her until her legs were wrapped around his waist, her ankles locked at his back. The curved sides of the pool hugged her back as he pressed her against the tile.
From this angle, she could only see the sparkling city lights beyond his wide shoulders.
Lucien grabbed her wrist so gently, tugging her finger free from his lips. "I do not wish to be intimate with you if you’re tired. I know your training has been exhausting for you." He placed a hand flat on her chest. "The last thing I want is to put a strain on your delicate heart."
She pushed her chest up into his hand, wondering if he couldfeelthe beats. "Use me to forget, Lucien. I’m not as delicate as you may think," she lied, because even now, she felt worn-thin, like she could fall asleep at this very moment. The only thing that kept her wide awake was the desire burning in his green eyes.
His finger skimmed beneath her swimsuit top. He let her thigh go, reaching to cradle her cheek. His hips pressed her into the side of the pool, holding her aloft. The water lapped at her collarbones.
Lucien tilted her face up to kiss her, and she melted into him, sighing as he parted her lips with his, tongue seeking entry. He swept inside her mouth and tasted every inch of her. When he pulled away, she gasped, breathless, and he groaned raggedly.
"You don’t know how much I needed that—to feel you, my V girl. To feel you are here, and this is real."
Something about his words sounded strange. She was too overcome to care.
This time, it was she who kissed him. Her teeth dug into his lower lip, then gentled at his masculine sound of surprise. His fingers pushed down the straps of her swimsuit. The wet material clung to her chest, and he grumbled into her mouth, hooking his fingers in the elastic band as he rolled it down beneath her breasts.
Lucien pulled away from her, chasing after the water dripping down her exposed breasts. His mouth enclosed around her nipple, and she groaned at the feeling, fingernails biting intohis bare shoulder. She tried to push at him, wanting his lips on hers again, wanting him inside her already, but his palm landed on the side of her thigh in reprimand, forcing a gasp from her swollen lips.
"When I say, Vesperin. Remember who it is that leads this." Lucien’s wet hand cupped her cheek, and her mouth was open, blowing air against his palm. "Answer me."
Her mind struggled to untangle the meaning of his words. All she knew was him.
"You. You lead," Rin whispered.
Satisfaction fell over his features, loosening the tautness of his shoulders. It was as though her obedience was all he wanted, but not in a roughly commanding way like Rhyden, or playful like Cyrus—more like he loved her so much he just wanted what was best for her, yet couldn’t imagine anyone knowing what was best for her more than he could. Like every bit of control she willingly gave him only made him want more and more.
Dazed with lust, she wondered what else he’d want from her. To choose what she ate? He already did that. Remind her of her medicines? He did that, too—sending her messages if he wasn’t around, or staring at her as she drank water to chase her pills down, even making her open her mouth and show her tongue so he’d see she swallowed it. Monitor her sleep and exercise? He did those things as well. The data gathered from her watch synced to his phone, so he always knew what her heart rate was or how many hours she slept. She could hide nothing from him, and she didn’t want to.
Lucien pinched her nipple between his fingers to distract her from his other hand as it swept down her middle, pushing down her bathing suit until she was bare. It drifted to the pool floor.
She waited, entirely exposed, pushed against the tiles, breasts just peeking above the water line, as her hot, dripping core pressed into his hip.
"Good girl," Lucien murmured.
