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Without further ado, Johanna reached for his hose and started to tug at the laces.

“No.” Cadell trapped her wrist before she could free his member. Agony was distorting his handsome features. “No,” he repeated more softly. “If you touch me, it will— I will never last.”

“So? It is what you need. Relief.”

He was in pain, and she wouldn’t be denied, not when she knew what was needed and she was desperate to do it. She had loved pleasuring her husband thus, at the start of their marriage, loved knowing that she could make such a fierce warrior lose control, loved how it made her feel, aroused and powerful.

After Rhun had started to take his distance, she had stopped trying to please him in bed. It didn’t seem as if he deserved it. But she had missed this intimate connection with a man and she wanted to gift Cadell with the release he needed. She was not an inexperienced, frightened virgin who had a virtue to protect, but a woman at the height of her confidence and desperate to see a man come undone under her caresses. Cadell had just told her he’d desired her for years. This was exactly what she’d needed to hear. After Rhun’s abandonment she needed to hear that someone found her beautiful, desirable, and wanted her in his bed.

“Please,” she said, freeing his erection with slow gestures.

Cadell’s hold on her wrists was too slack to stop her from doing anything. He didn’t really want to stop her, he only felt he had to. Finally, he sprang free. Merciful God, he was magnificent, hard and proud, just like she had imagined. Her mouth started to water. He would feel wonderful against her tongue.

“Let me. I want to⁠—”

“Johanna. I can’t.” He sounded almost in pain. “I will come in your mouth as soon as you take me in.”

“And you don’t want to?”

He closed his eyes and a drop of seed appeared at the head of his shaft. Oh, say what he might, he wanted to.

Smiling, she licked the pearl taunting her, catching it before it could drop to the floor. Another one appeared, and she caught it as well, swirling her tongue around the tip of the shaft straining toward her. Mm. Delicious. Cadell’s head rolled back and he let out a groan. She instantly knew that she had won and a rush of moisture flooded her sheath at the thought.

“Let me,” she repeated, licking her lip slowly, hoping to tempt him to overcome the last of his scruples. “I’ve never been able to resist temptation.”

“I know,” he said through gritted teeth. “That is the second thing you ever told me.”

“Is it? What was the first one then?” she hummed, keeping her lips close enough to his shaft that he would be able to feel the vibrations.

If the way he sucked in a breath was any indication, he did feel it. “That you feared…I wouldn’t be…able to understand…you…talking in English.”

Each word seemed to be wrenched out of him. He had started to tremble. Her inner walls rippled in response.

“Well, I do understand you. And you understand me perfectly. So, I repeat: please, let me do this.”

He finally stopped resisting. Her wrists were released and a moment later his fingers grabbed the side of her head, holding her in place. His gaze planted into hers as if to make sure she was still willing, Cadell slid between her parted lips, slowly, checking for signs of discomfort. There were none, now that she was finally allowed what she craved. She moaned, her eyelids fluttering. More. She needed more.

To her delight, he gave her more, feeding her every inch of him with every thrust, before retreating in a slow, torturous glide, giving her time to breathe and get comfortable with his rhythm. Was he teasing her? Seeing if he could make her come just by sliding in and out of her, even if not in the place men usually used for their pleasure? If that were the case, he might well succeed. She had never been so aroused.

His amazing eyes still fastened on her, he started to talk in Welsh, his voice raspy, his expression fierce. Oh, this was intense, so intense that her core started to quiver. Would she reach her own release? He had warned her he wouldn’t last but he was giving a creditable performance, taking it slow and gentle when she had expected a frenzied assault.

“Johanna. I’m⁠—”

She knew what he meant, and she wasn’t going to let him withdraw now, rob her of her reward. To signify her agreement, she moaned low in her throat. It was all that was needed. Buried deep inside her, Cadell stilled.

“Fuck. I love you.”

As soon as the words passed his lips, his seed erupted. Long, scalding, delicious spurts that coated her tongue and warmed her throat. Johanna moaned again and swallowed, feeling the place between her legs spasm a little as she did. Not quite what she would have experienced had she reached her peak with him thrusting inside her but delicious nonetheless.

Perfect.

Head thrown back Cadell stayed panting a long moment, then he grabbed her by the elbows to lift her to her feet. Had he said that he loved her? Just before she had pleasured him he had told her he’d wanted her from the moment he’d seen her. Given his state of arousal, she’d had no choice but to believe him. But now he was telling her he loved her? That was… Well, that was not quite the same at all, and would have a lot more consequences. But perhaps it had been a declaration only brought on by the intensity of the moment and the intimacy of the act, nothing more. Did he regret it?

As if to silence the questions swirling in her mind, he took her mouth in a fierce kiss. That kiss made it clear that she’d heard him right, and he did love her. It hadn’t been a spur of the moment decision destined to thank her for the gift she had offered him. Johanna wasn’t quite sure what to make of the momentous realization. Only a moment ago she’d been told that he’d desired her for years. It had been shocking enough. And now he was telling her that he was in love with her. And it was true, she could tell.

The passion in his kiss couldn’t have been faked.

“What did you tell me,” she started, barely catching her breath, “while I…”