Chapter 369 - Love In The Quiet

ELRETH

Elreth's stomach dropped at the husky drawl in her mate's voice—while that tingle low her belly rose, fizzing out through her veins and giving her a jolt that left her trembling.

"I think… that would be, um, great," she breathed.

Aaryn's smile was wicked and promising and her heart began to race.

She stood in the Great Room, her left arm extended and held gently in his hands. That side of her body bare, her leathers open and her shirt falling from her opposite shoulder. She looked like… like…

She didn't give a flying fuck what she looked like. It was the look burning in Aaryn's eyes that was thrilling.

He'd dragged his fingers up the underside of her arm and that entire side of her body prickled with desire, as if everything under her skin rushed out to try to meet him. Now his eyes dragged down from hers, back to that arm and he shifted to stand behind her, his hand still gentle on her arm, lowering it to her side.

"Don't move," he breathed.

Elreth swallowed and nodded. She should have been embarrassed by how her heart raced, but instead all she could think was… more.

More please.

She could feel his warmth behind her from her waist to her shoulders. He stood so close his chest brushed her when he breathed. His breath fluttered in her braid. But he moved so slowly… Elreth closed her eyes and gave herself up to the sensation of it.

One hand resting gently at her waist, Aaryn's fingers brushed the collar of her shirt, pushing it slowly off her shoulder, kissing open-mouthed and softly along her shoulder as the skin was revealed, until the fabric gathered on the point of her shoulder.

She still had that hand on her hip and she relaxed it as the shirt slid down her arm, revealing her to the lantern light from the waist up.

Elreth swallowed hard, but didn't open her eyes. Let him look. Let him hum his approval as he stared over her shoulder, his hands teasing, fingers so lightly drawn up her sides and flinched and almost giggled. But then he slid them to her stomach, then up, both hands coming up to take the weight of her breasts and test them.

A tiny whine rose in his throat and his chin dropped, his stubbled jaw scratching lightly on hers as his breath came faster.

"So fucking beautiful, Elreth," he whispered, then dipped his head to kiss the side of her neck. She stretched away from him to give him more room and he growled quietly, his chest vibrating against her back as he played his thumbs over the peaks of her breasts, sending jolts of electricity to the apex of her thighs that had Elreth squirming.

"Oh, that's wonderful," she said, letting her body go loose and her head sink back against his shoulder.

"I love the way you give yourself to me," he whispered against her neck, letting his teeth graze down the line to her shoulder. "I love the way you trust me."

"I don't trust anyone the way I trust you," she breathed.

The mating call broke from Aaryn's throat and he pulled her back tight against his chest, nipping her earlobe, kissing the corner of her jaw.

Elreth sighed with pleasure and lifted one hand to cup his face and hold him against her.

These were the moments when everything was right. It didn't matter what they faced, or what had happened. It didn't matter who had let them down, or what problems they had to solve.

When he touched her like this, kissed her like this—worshiped her body—the world disappeared and she was free of it all.

"Never stop kissing me that way, Aaryn. Ever."

"Yes, Sire," he whispered back, then pushed her braid over the other shoulder and kissed the nape of her neck, so softly. Opening his mouth and laying the flat of his tongue on the skin there.

Elreth shivered and her breath caught.

*****

AARYN

His breath thundered, his chest heaving as if he'd run for miles. But he knew as soon as he turned her around it would be over. He'd take her and she'd let him and… he wanted to savor this moment.

So, sucking in a hard breath, he pushed her braid over her shoulder and started at the tender skin that was usually hidden by her hair, licking, kissing, teasing with his teeth until she stopped breathing.

Finally letting go of her breasts, grieving their soft warmth, he let his hands slide down her sides, feeling every curve until his fingers dipped under the sagging waistband of her leathers, but still he kept stroking, down, down, down, drawing the pants with him as he traced the line of her hips, then to the sides of her thighs.

The leathers slumped to ankles and she rocked from foot to foot, freeing herself and kicking them aside. She lifted both hands then, elbows up, reaching back to find him, fisting his hair and holding his kiss against the back of her neck, a soft moan echoing through the Great Room.

Hard as a rock and his body trembling with need, Aaryn wanted to take her. To turn her in his arms and lift her leg and possess her. But he forced himself to slow, to stroke every inch of her stomach and sides, her breasts and arms. Then, as she began to ripple under his touch, he lowered himself, kissing his way softly, slowly down her spine, inch-by-inch, telling her with each open mouthed kiss why she was so beautiful, what she did to his heart, to his body, how much he wanted her.

Elreth's breath came faster and faster, but she dropped her arms to her sides when he lowered himself to one knee behind her, out of reach. She didn't turn, but her head sagged back.

Then he reached the base of her spine and, gripping her hips, then down, dragging his hands down the outsides of her legs, then back up the insides of her thighs.. She trembled as he laid his tongue in the hollow of her back and reached between her legs to find her.