Page 127 of Somnium

The sound she made when he kissed her was borderline feral, stoking the white-hot fire that already burned through him. Her tongue swept over his, and she pulled him closer, wrapping her legs around him when he lifted her from the table.

Their bodies formed together perfectly as he carried her down the hall. She clutched his face tightly and kissed him with a desperation that rivaled his own. He never wanted her to stop kissing him, and the instant her back hit the mattress, his hands were moving. Elias slid her shirt up her torso, letting his breath trace a path along her stomach as he eased the sweater over her head before he lowered down again to run his tongue over the lines of his favorite tattoo.

The essence of her that lingered on his taste buds fused with her smell, her warmth, the feel of her beneath him, getting him higher than any drug. He was addicted to everything she was, and he was already craving another hit.

Her hands slid over his back, and he felt her tug at the collar of his shirt, her frustration barely cutting through the lust in her voice.

“Why the fuck are you still dressed?” she asked, bunching up the fabric to yank it over his head. Elias chuckled as he took her wrists and pinned her back to the bed, nuzzling the tip of his nose against hers.

“Feeling a little impatient, are we?” he teased, grinning at the vexation that flashed in her eyes. “Sorry, love,” he said, shifting to cup her breast and tease his thumb over her nipple. Her head tipped back with a muted moan. “But you deserve to be savored.”

He dipped his head to the curve of her neck, committing every tiny twitch and snagged breath to memory. An animalistic drive ignited inside of him when Cadi dug her fingertips into his muscles and dragged them over his back. There was no point in fighting it, so he let it consume him as the tip of his tongue darted out to flick against her hardened nipple before he pulled it between his teeth.

He felt his hips roll forward, almost as if on their own, like every single part of his body was craving hers. And he was done holding back. Releasing her from his hold, he stood straight and began to unhook his belt, then his buttons, freeing himself as he slid his pants down. A ravenous look sparked in Cadi’s eyes when he wrapped his hand around his cock and began pumping slowly, deliberately.

She propped herself up on her hands. A sly grin slid across her face as she reached forward and replaced his hand with her own before she leaned down to wrap her perfect lips around his hard length.

“Fuck,” he hissed, as he watched her take him. Her eyes never left his, holding him in her stare as she moved. If she kept that up, he was going to—holy fuck.

Cadi rolled her tongue against the head of his cock, and a pressure began to build at the base of his spine, creeping higher with each pass she made. He never wanted her to stop. But he didn’t just want to feel this way because of her—he needed to share it with her. So, with what was left of his strength and probably a little bit of his sanity, he reached down and gently touched his fingers to her chin.

She looked up at him, her brows pinched in confusion as he bent forward to kiss her and climb onto the bed. His hands cupped her face, his kiss turning more demanding as the fire between them grew, even though they both knew he would never take from her.

Unless she asked him to.

When Cadi pressed her palms into his chest with a pressure that was light but insistent, it was just enough to send a shockwave of panic into his veins. Elias broke away, frantically searching her face for any hint of distress or uncertainty. But instead, he found her smiling up at him as she lifted her hand to brush a stray lock of hair from his forehead. His eyes drifted closed at the softness of her touch, her fingertips practically igniting his skin.

“I want to do something,” she said, her voice breathless. “But I need you to trust me.”

Elias’s brows drew tight as he tried to decode her meaning, but her expression gave nothing away. In her eyes he only found a familiar determination that he knew meant she had made up her mind. And whatever it was, he would give it to her. He would give her anything.

So he nodded.

Cadi’s smile grew at his agreement, and she pulled him close to kiss him before turning around to frame his legs with hers. So far, he was very much on board with her plan. He ran his hands over her thighs, angling his head to brush his lips to her ear, then the spot just below. The one that always stole her breath.

But when she took his arm and crossed it over her chest, Elias froze. Images flashed through his mind, each one slicing through him as if he were still there living it. Their reflection in his mirror, his complete lack of control, the look of terror in her eyes as he held her pinned to his chest.

No. He couldn’t taint the beauty of this night with the jagged memories of the one that had nearly destroyed them.

“Cadi …” he said, his tone laced with gentle warning.

She twisted to meet his gaze, her palm drifting against his arm in a small gesture of reassurance.

“I know,” she said as she reached back to brush her thumb over his cheek. “But he doesn’t get to take this from us.”

For a moment, Elias didn’t move. He was torn between the desire to give her everything and the cold fear whispering to him that with just one wrong move, they might shatter again.

Cadi held his stare, and beneath her resolve, he saw the brief flicker of something new, and he began to understand. This wasn’t just something she wanted to do. It was something she needed. A way to take back her power, to prove to herself that she wouldn’t be broken so easily. He wanted nothing more than to help her step back into that, so he shoved down his fear, smiled softly, and dipped his chin.

She let out a shaky breath and kissed him again before she turned back around, leaving sparks dancing across his lips. He prayed that this would work and that the memories they were building now in his bed would be powerful enough to break any hold that night still had over them, but his worries were cut short when Cadi leaned forward to lift her hips. Elias hesitated for only a moment before he reached down to align himself with her, then gently guided her down.

The way her body felt when it wrapped around him, welcoming him in, was like coming home. His breath shook as he tried to contain himself while she settled, feeling her muscles relax around him to let him deeper. After a beat of stillness, he angled his hips up to signal to her that he was ready, and she started to move.

The first, smooth roll of her hips had Elias seeing stars. Every thought was stolen from his mind as they moved together, their bodies syncing effortlessly in the dark in a familiar conversation spoken in a language only they knew.

Cadi tipped her head back with a soft moan and threaded her hand to the back of his neck, drawing him closer. He dragged his mouth against her skin in answer, a low growl rumbling free at the salty tang of her sweat that clung to his lips. It was primal and raw, and it completely consumed him as he moved inside her.

“Gods, I missed you,” she breathed, digging her fingernails into his nape. His arm flexed against her, holding firm as he rolled his hips harder to bury himself as deep as she could take him. And fucking hell, the noises she made had his vision going blurry.