Eventually, her questions died.
He found her searching hands at the hem of his shirt. Cool air rushed over his bare chest. Her fingertips traced his abdomen, pushing down the waistband until it settled dangerously low on his hips. She ghosted a finger over the line of hair beneath his navel, stopping right where the fabric started.
Her nipples brushed his chest with every breath. Slowly, holding eye contact with him, she reached beneath the fabric. He held his breath as her knuckles grazed his cock. His stomach muscles jumped from the soft, teasing touch.
"What, no underwear?"
"Don’t complain when it makes this easier for you, my V girl. Are you sure you want this?"
"Yes," she said achingly soft.
So, Lucien took her wrist and removed her hand from inside his pants, reaching for her own. His movements were sure yet slow. When they were both entirely nude, clothes thrown somewhere on the floor, she sat astride his lap, hot core wet and parted from the position of her thighs, pressing against the jut of his cock. They gasped in tandem at the raw feel of it.
His knuckles brushed down the line of her stomach, until pressing beneath her navel—then lower. He traced the seam of her warmth. She shuddered against him.
He murmured praises to her, skipping over the bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs, as he sank a finger deep inside her. She clenched around the digit, her hands tightening against his shoulders.
He groaned. "Finally." And she echoed the sound, echoed the word.
"More," she gasped, flexing her hips.
He added another finger, feeling her constrict around him.
His control threatened to snap. He couldn’t let that happen—not when he had someone as precious as her in his arms.
Lucien allowed himself one weakness. His finger crooked up, feeling her tight heat, like silk. Then he stilled, and she huffed in indignation.
"Have you been with anyone?" She was silent, so he continued, "You don’t have to be embarrassed with me. I’m your doctor. Iwasthe one who prescribed your birth control, after all."
He pulled back enough to see deep red on her cheeks. She fluttered around his fingers.
"I lost my virginity to Cyrus."
"So, this is still new to you," Lucien said absentmindedly. "Was he good to you?"
She shrugged a shoulder, jostling them closer.
"Vesperin." Lucien forced his voice to be firm.
She melted at the dominance in his tone—something to play with later. Not when she was still experiencing the after-effects of harmony.
"He was. It was a lot. Um. He thought I knew who he was, so he…" A mussed strand of hair brushed his shoulder as she shook her head. "It was right after Kit—I wanted to forget. Cyrus helped."
"Anyone else?" Lucien was curious forother reasons, but he kept his tone calm, professional, hoping she’d think he was still playing doctor—which was strange, considering his fingers were inside her.
"Almost with Rhyden." Her voice trembled, and when he tried to press for more, she remained tight-lipped.
He let it lie. For now.
Lucien kissed the corner of her mouth. "I’ll be gentle with you. I think you deserve gentle."
Vesperin made a noise of protest, but he swallowed it.
"We have all the time in the—" Lucien’s words faltered. Did they have all the time in the world? He shoved his nightmares down. There was no place for ash and blood here. Only her.
In a swift move, he shifted them both until she was on her back, and his body covered hers. Her thighs were splayed, a cradle for his hips. His cock rested against her core, and he gripped himself, lining up to press into her. She was tight, rippling around him. When her breath turned labored, hitched with pain, he stilled, giving her time. He would give her all the time he had.
When he sank all the way inside her—after minutes or hours of trying—they both breathed a sigh of relief.
