Page 60 of Ballad of Sea and Sky

I laughed as Caspian’s hands went to my hips. “Lie down, Marina.”

The command was a sensual purr, and I shivered as I obeyed, Caspian folding himself in behind me. We faced the cold, stone wall, but the heat of him at my back was enough to stave off the chill.

“I wish I’d known sooner that this is what it takes to get you to obey me,” he quipped, his mouth hot against my neck as he settled his arms around me. The one beneath my torso curved up to tease my breast, while the other trailed lazily over my stomach.

I squirmed against him, making him hiss with a mixture of pleasure and pain as I found him granite hard behind me. “Likewise,” I said cheekily, earning a nip on my ear for my sass. “Won’t your wings—

“They’re fine,” Caspian assured me, his hands beginning a slow exploration of my body in a way I knew he was doing to punish me. “The most important thing,” he rumbled, his voice shivering over me in a silvery wave, “is communication. Sometimes, it will be obvious to me what you like.” He squeezed my full breast, making me gasp out a moan. “Like this,” he said against my neck. “But you may need to direct me as well. The more vocal you are, the better I can make it for you.”

“I don’t know if I can do that,” I breathed, another gasp escaping me as his hand trailed toward my inner thigh.

Caspian chuckled. “You’ve never struggled to order me around before,” he noted, earning another squirming brush of my backside that made him grunt in pleasure. “But your commands need not be verbal.”

“What do you mean—oh!” I threw my head back against his chest as his fingers slid between my thighs, brushing the center of me which was very hot and very wet.

“That will suffice,” he said, his approval a growl against my throat as he repeated the movement. “Just like that.”

I let out a mewling sort of noise that would have been horribly embarrassing had I not at that moment been experiencing a great deal of pleasure. Caspian’s hands were clearly both talented and experienced, his fingers teasing and pressing in places I didn’t know could make me feel tight and loose and hot and cold, all at the same time.

“Breathe, Marina,” he teased, my breath hitching as he pinched my nipple in tandem with a sweeping stroke of his fingers between my legs. “Breathe, and tell me where you like it.”

“There is good,” I got out, the words coming in a rush of breath and moaning. “Or a little higher.”

“Here?” Caspian asked, his fingers brushing gently over a spot that had me arching into him with another moan. “Ah yes, definitely here.”

“You’re a scoundrel,” I panted, feeling both too much and not enough as he teased me gently, rather than pressing down hard where I wanted him.

“Pirate,” he reminded me, another circling sweep of his fingers making me shudder against him. “I will take great pleasure in wringingyourpleasure out of you drop by drop.”

“What about you?” I breathed, feeling too much to be overly concerned with the injustice of his attention on me. He could always have a turn after, I supposed.

“I’m perfect,” he growled, pressing his hard length into my backside. “Now let me focus.”

His hands played me like they played his lyre, skating delicately and expertly over every chord until I was humming with desire, the pressure building inexorably toward release. I wanted more of him, on me and in me, but he was doing a damned good job even with his refusal to bed me properly.

“Marina,” he rasped as he slipped a finger inside me, the slick heat of me offering no resistance as he mapped my body. A second finger followed, and I cried out, the beginning of release starting to spiral out in a glorious crescendo.

“More,” I begged, thrusting my hips shamelessly against his hand, where he obliged by making small circles with his thumb as he worked me with his fingers. “Gods!”

I shuddered against him, my body spasming helplessly as he continued to press into me guiding me through the throes of my orgasm. He groaned against my neck, something damp coming between us, and I blushed.

“Did you—”

“I did,” he murmured sheepishly. “Like an inexperienced fledgling. Hold on and I’ll clean this up.”

“No,” I said, my breath still coming in shallow pants as the fire between my legs died to a dull aching throb. “Let me.”

I turned, pulling one of the seal skins between us to wipe away the evidence of what we had just done. I felt odd, like I’d drunk too much wine, but that I could finally see clearly for the first time. I shook my head, trying to dislodge the euphoria and remain reasonable.

“There,” I said, tossing the skin to the floor. It would need to be cleaned, but my brain was too tired and filled with pleasure to worry about that now.

I folded myself back into him, reveling in the warmth of his bare skin against mine and he folded his arms protectively around me.

“This doesn’t mean I like you, you know,” I said as his wings cocooned us in feathery softness.

Caspian rumbled a laugh. “I think you do like me, Urchin,” he argued, nipping my ear once more before settling back on the pillow. “But probably not as much as I like you.”

Chapter 23