A Whisper in the Woods (Fated Folktales #1)

20. Chapter 20

Chapter twenty

Leena

W e burst through the door, Bratan’s hands groping my back. Lifting me by the backside, he pulled me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. His fingernails dug through the lace of my dress, tearing apart the bodice and strings in one flawless sweep. I grabbed his face and sunk deeper into his kiss. He staggered forward, finding his footing, then moved with precision, eyes closed as he kissed me. He moved around a chair and pressed my back hard against the wall.

My head fell to one side, welcoming his lips as he kissed my neck. I let out a sound as his tongue slid over my collarbone, and gently, he bit it, sucking on it until thoughts of him and his touch muddled and melted into a dizzy haze in the back of my mind. He trailed his tongue up my throat until he was kissing me again. His fingers tangled into my hair, ripping out the ornaments with insatiable hunger, then cradled my head and pulled me harder against him .

I clawed at him, just as voracious, my skin hot, my desires wildly aflame. One of his hands hooked into the neckline of my dress until it split down the middle. Immediately, as the cloth ripped, his lips found the top of my chest, and he kissed it before licking back up to my mouth. I let out a shaky breath, muttering his name as my fingernails scraped down his flesh. He let out a low growl, ripped off the bodice of my dress, and flipped me around, throwing me on the table.

I watched him prowl over me, his eyes dark and primal in the dimness of our cabin. I sucked in what little breath I had and let my eyes close as his hands roamed up my legs. First, he pulled off my stockings, then my dress, and then my underthings. He was so strong he only needed one hand to tear off every piece of clothing. He kissed my hip bone, biting it and sucking on it before pressing a kiss on the soft crease of my inner thigh. I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed him. I wanted to submit to him in every way.

I clawed his back, pulling him on top of me. Leaning up, I kissed him, insatiable, and we moved together without skipping a beat. He kissed down my body until I was in a flurry of sparks.

“I want you,” I breathed, and he snarled, climbing back on top of me and pulling off his clothes. I helped him rip off his shirt while he did the rest, and then, before I could think, his body weaved into mine. I let out a sound, my eyes rolling back. At first, there was a flash of pain, and then my mind danced with stars .

“Open your eyes,” he purred. “I want to see you as I take you.” I did as I was told. The look in his eyes was filled with overwhelming heat and yearning, and he kept me there, locked in a trance. He lifted my wrists and pinned them above my head. The aching sparks continued blazing between us with each movement. I gasped, and my eyes were about to flutter closed when he grabbed my face. “You’re a flawless creature, Leena.” He raked his teeth against my chin. “I want to devour you whole.” I couldn’t speak, and my eyes couldn’t stay open anymore. The feeling was too great—the pleasure too intense. But along with the fire in my blood was a softness in my chest—a warmth that pooled through me.

A sudden burst overtook me, a force beyond mortality. A power we shared—something that bound us beyond our bodies. My mind went numb. I lived by feeling. The more heightened the sensation became, the more the power surged through my veins. His fingers and body moved in a way that made me experience something beyond comprehension. My hand gripped the edge of the table, the other clawing at the slick, wooden surface until I had no choice but to grab hold of him. My nails scraped hard into his back, maybe a little too hard. I felt a trickle of blood beneath my fingertips.

He hissed in delight. “My little lightning bolt.” He bit my neck and touched every inch of me as I ebbed against him like a thrashing wave.

I wanted him more than I wanted anything, and when another burst of light bloomed through me, all I could do was gasp and open my eyes, gazing at him as he watched me, his hair lined with sweat. Then he, too, let out a sound, and together, we caught our breath as the world around us came back, and time began to tick again. Slightly panting, he trailed a finger from my forehead to my lips. “Oh, little dove.”

“What?” My chest heaved as I leaned into his touch. “Are you going to say I can never escape you now?”

“No.” His voice was molten honey. He lifted one hand to grip the side of my hair, then let it fall down my arm. He entwined his fingers in mine. “I’m the one who could never escape you.” My chest was still quick with rapid breaths, but emotion swelled within it. His forehead fell softly against mine. “I am wholly and completely yours.” He kissed the bridge of my nose. “Will you have me?”

I didn’t want to fight it anymore. Something between us was too real to ignore—a power beyond anything that seemed possible.

“Yes, Bratan. I am yours.”

A satisfied sound rumbled from his throat. “I’m so glad to hear those words on your lips.” The sultry lilt in his voice warmed me from the stomach down, and my lungs stopped pumping. “Nothing can stop us now. Together, we will light this world on fire and make love in the flames.”

** *

The fire crackled as Bratan drew circles on my bare back. The fire’s gentle heat kissed my misty skin, adding to the flush that already dusted my face and chest. I was on my stomach, my cheek rested on my folded arms. My eyes were closed as I soaked in the pure contentment of this moment.

I let out a blissful, easy sigh, reveling in the happiness I was allowing myself to have.

“What are you thinking, little dove?” His voice was soothing as it reached my ears.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Absolutely nothing.”

He let out a low chuckle. “Then I’ve done my job.” His hand sprawled over my back before sliding around me and tucking me into an embrace. I turned around, facing him as he held me; I listened to his heartbeat as my hands danced along his chest.

“You certainly did.” I flashed him a sultry look beneath my lashes, and something lit in his eyes.

“Good.” Embers snapped in the hearth behind our tangled bodies. The rug was divinely soft, especially in Bratan’s embrace; I could fall asleep here and now, completely serene. But I didn’t want this moment to end. I studied the lines of his face; they were usually hard and tight, all taut skin and jagged edges. But now, they were relaxed. He looked just as content as I felt.

He smiled, his eyes trailing to my neck before giving it a quick kiss. “You have a little love bite,” he said, pleased with himself.

My fingers found the place that he kissed. “ I do?”

He traced it, catching my fingers in his and kissing the tips. “I guess I bit a little too hard.” His hot breath soaked into my palm as he slowly kissed it, dragging his bottom lip over the lines of my flesh. “You’re so delicious. I can’t help myself.”

A hot wave fizzed through me. Even though we’d just made love, I wanted him again. Something about him made me ravenous. I raked my fingers through his hair, lifting myself up to kiss him, and he hungrily received it.

He pinned my wrists at my sides and pressed against me, pushing me into the plush rug. He always kept his weight controlled; if he placed his full weight on me, he’d probably crush my bones. Our kissing grew more feverish. He sucked on my tongue. I scratched up his back. We were lost in a flurry of each other. Pleasure and pain, heat and bliss.

He licked down my legs, biting hard on my inner thigh. The sensation was so darkly pleasant I cried out, which made him growl. “I must have you,” he said, breathing against my flesh in a way that made me ache; then he wove himself in me again, and that ecstasy returned.

I could taste the feeling. How was that possible? It was like we were one in every way. Body, soul, blood. He was in my veins like roots spreading and spiraling around my bones, power pulsing and capturing me in a place that transcended reality. We were heat and sweat and feverish movement until that flurry of sparks and blinding cluster of stars shone beneath my eyelids. His body and fingers found all the right places until my hands dug hard into his back, and I was nothing but liquid heat.

Our bodies slowed, our hearts pounding against each other, desperately wanting to burst through our skin and become as one as the rest of us. His cheek pressed against mine as he rested his head beside me; I could hear his heavy breathing as we once again returned to earth.

“I’m never letting you go,” he whispered.

I nipped at his lips, still buzzing from our uninhibited intimacy.

“I wouldn’t let you if you tried.”