“You told me you’d never done anything like this before. Does that mean you haven’t…” Her words trailed off, but her intense gaze didn't waver, and I knew exactly what she was asking about.
Again, heat flooded my cheeks, and I found myself babbling in the wake of her question.
“I… I have studied human anatomy as well as that of the animal kingdoms of several realms, and I'm quite knowledgeable about the physical mechanics of—”
“Liam. That's not what I meant, and you know it. But if you'd rather not talk about—”
“No, it's okay. It's just… I'm not exactly sure how to answer your question. Presumably, you’re wondering as to whether I have ever engaged in sexual intercourse.”
Gray’s tender smile made my heart flutter. “I probably would have chosen to word the question differently,” she said, “but yes, that is what I'm asking.”
I considered her question, uncertainty creeping into my chest. But with Gray, there was no need for shame or nervousness. I’d betrayed her, and somehow she’d seen fit to forgive me. To welcome me back into her life, into her arms. From now on, I would only be open with her. Honest, no matter the topic.
“Perhaps my vessel has,” I said. “And perhaps I, as a human all those eons ago, engaged in such pleasures. The truth is, Gray, I cannot recall much of that time. For all intents and purposes, I suppose I’m what you might consider… inexperienced.”
She trailed her fingers down my arm, her touch sending electric tingles throughout my entire body. In a gentle voice, she asked, “Is that an experience you might like to have? With me, I mean?”
I swallowed hard, my heart trying its best to climb into my throat. “Is that somethingyoumight like? With me, I mean?”
Gray bit her bottom lip and nodded, her cheeks darkening.
I cleared my throat. “How would we… I mean, do we just… I’m sorry. This is… I suppose I am a bit out of my element.” I offered her what I suspected was a rather awkward smile. For all I knew about human anatomy, for all I knew about a great many subjects both large and small, nothing had prepared me for this moment.
“Let’s just figure it out as we go,” she said, wriggling beside me as she stripped away her remaining clothing, and I did the same.
She shifted closer, our bodies touching. A brilliant warmth radiated from deep inside her, the complex magic pulsing like a second heartbeat, calling to me as it always had.
I was instantly erect.
I touched her face, capturing her mouth in another kiss as I shifted to lie on top of her. Gray parted her thighs and arched her hips, reaching for me, guiding me, and suddenly I was inside her, sliding into her wet heat, the feel of it unlocking ripples of pure, exquisite pleasure.
I gasped, unable to hold back, and instinctually, my body moved, faster, deeper, desperate for more of her. For all of her.
“Slow,” she whispered, smiling up at me. “Let’s go slow.”
I did as she suggested and forced myself to slow my movements, though everything inside me was screaming to push harder, faster, to chase this feeling of pure bliss until it exploded inside me like a newborn galaxy.
“Breathe, Liam,” she whispered, the touch of her palm against my cheek bringing my attention back to the moment. Back to my breath, which I now realized I’d been holding for far too long. I exhaled slowly, and I looked into her eyes, letting my gaze wander down the slope of her nose, across the planes of her cheeks, down to her dark pink lips.
I’d seen the sun rise and set upon every country in this realm. I’d seen the very bottom of the deepest part of the sea, and followed the winds across the highest mountain peaks. I’d watched the stars die and be reborn.
Yet I’d ever seen anything so beautiful as the look upon her face as I made love to her.
It was almost too much to bear—the warm silk of her skin, the sweet taste of her kiss, the soft moans escaping her lips, all of it creating a symphony of sensations that conspired to stop my heart. No matter; if this was to be my final hour in this mortal vessel, I could think of no better way to depart from this realm.
Eventually, I relaxed into the rhythm of this divine act, and just as Gray had suggested, we figured it out. Soon I sensed a shift in her demeanor, her hips arching, her own movements quickening.
“We can go fast now?” I asked, hope rising inside.
Gray laughed, soft and sweet, her cheeks flush, her eyes sparkling. “Yes, Liam. We can go fast.”
At her words, I quickened my movements, my body taking over, bringing us closer and closer to the final act in this seductive dance. In so many ways I wanted to prolong that inevitable ending, but the mere idea of it felt like standing in the ocean and trying to hold back the waves with your bare hands.
“Liam,” Gray breathed, her eyelids fluttering closed. I sensed she wanted to be touched, and I slid my hand between us, fingers seeking her most sensitive flesh, knowing we were both mere moments away from letting go.
She moaned softly at my touch, then gasped, her body clenching me in a grip so tight, so perfect, it made the stars dance before my eyes.
No, not the stars,I realized then, but Gray’s eyes, open once again, locking fiercely with mine, her gaze full of love and passion that mirrored my own.
