Chapter 46
Chapter Forty-Six
His hands clenched into fists at the whoosh of fabric that fell to the floor. Breath spilled from his lips when he heard her step into the water. He should leave, but he couldn’t. She had bidden him to wait, and he could do nothing else.
Water rippled softly as she moved. He was attuned to every sound as he battled the desire running rampant through his body.
“The water feels nice.”
Marcus squeezed his eyes closed, imagining how her skin glistened from the heat and beads of water.
“You could join me,” she added.
Walking away from her was already hard, and he only had so much control. If he took her offer, if he turned around, he wouldn’t be able to let her go.
Or was that a lie he had told himself? Could he really say goodbye?
He had set everything up for her in the palace so she could live comfortably for as long as she wanted to remain. He hadn’t needed to linger, but he had found excuse after excuse to wait for her to wake.
So many obstacles had been placed between them. Time, fate, enemies. All of them had been overcome. The future could be problematic.
He had fought to become the King of his clan. He had battled numerous enemies. He had crossed the universe to fight on another realm for the dragons. What wouldn’t he do for the woman who had wormed her way into his heart?
The last thread of his control snapped. Marcus turned around.
His gaze locked on her in the tub, the tops of her shoulders out of the water.
The hunger, the soul-deep yearning, was intense and persuasive.
The desire was inescapable. It consumed him, enveloping him in a cocoon of lust that drowned out everything but her.
If he gave in, there would be no turning back. But he didn’t care. He had to have her, needed to taste her, hold her.
Claim her.
There was a question in her gaze—and a longing that propelled him forward. He tore off his shirt as he headed toward the tub. Within seconds, he had stripped out of his clothes and stepped into the water. Steam rose around him, but he paid it no heed as he headed toward her.
She didn’t move. Nor did she take her eyes from him. He was drawn to her, as if some invisible hand pulled on the thread that bound them. And this time, Marcus didn’t care. He silently thanked fate for putting her in his path.
Suddenly, her lungs wouldn’t work. Fedra could only stare at the magnificent man in front of her.
Candlelight flickered over his sculpted body as the water reached the tops of his thighs.
Her stomach fluttered at the sight of him nude.
He was utter perfection. It was the sight of the dragon tattooed across his torso in red and black ink that drew her up short.
The head rested just below Marcus’s left collarbone, angled toward his throat. The dragon’s body curved across Marcus’s chest and under his pec toward his right ribs. The wings were semi-spread while the tail disappeared down the side of Marcus’s body.
Fedra didn’t attempt to deny the desire that swelled hot and urgent inside her at the sight of him. It had already been there, swirling and tightening. Now, it demanded release.
It demanded him.
She lifted her gaze to his face. Their eyes clashed.
Desire burned in his expression, leaving her no doubt that he wanted her, too.
He lowered himself into the water once he reached her.
He was right before her now, yet she was afraid to touch him, scared it was all a dream. If it was, she never wanted to wake up.
Her heart skipped a beat when his gaze dropped to her mouth. She wanted his kiss, needed it. To taste him, to feel his tongue against hers. For their bodies to be skin-to-skin.
His hands slid to either side of her face as he searched her eyes.
His thumbs moved gently across her cheeks.
Then, he lowered his head. She closed her eyes as his mouth drew near.
She waited, her breath locked in her lungs as she anticipated the feel of his lips against hers.
Time stretched, her heart thudding expectantly.
Then, finally, his mouth was on hers. She sighed in contentment even as flames of need licked at her skin.
His lips moved over hers with practiced ease. The instant his tongue slid into her mouth, his arms went around her, bringing her closer. She melted against him, her hands lifting to hold on to him as their tongues danced, heightening the desire in her already heated body.
He deepened the kiss and moaned, making chills race over her skin.
She held nothing back, giving as much as he did.
One of his hands fisted a handful of her hair while the other pressed against her lower back, bringing her against his arousal.
She dug her nails into his skin as she groaned in response.
The next instant, she was plastered against his muscular body. And this time, the kiss was molten-hot. It scorched her, leaving her body quivering for more.
Marcus rested his hands on her hips as she kissed him. Then he slid his hands upward, over the indent of her waist, until his thumbs touched the undersides of her breasts. His balls tightened when he felt her hard-tipped nipples against his chest.
Unable to hold off another moment, he cupped her full breasts, one in each hand, and ran his thumbs over her turgid peaks. She gasped and ended the kiss. Her moan, low and throaty, making him want to sink into her in that very instant.
Somehow, he managed to stay in control, but it was fast slipping away. He’d never felt such longing, such craving before. He wanted to experience pleasure with her because he knew it would be something spectacular and special.
He drank in her exquisiteness. From her pale skin that felt as soft as silk to the way the candlelight shone upon her. The inky black strands of her hair floated like ribbons stretching across the night sky.
He rolled her nipples between his fingers, his breathing coming faster as her nails sank deeper into his arms. Her lips were parted, the pulse at her throat rapid and erratic. He ground his aching rod against her and heard her answering moan.
As much as he loved her breasts, he wanted more.
He bent his legs and moved his hands below her shapely behind before lifting her.
Her legs came around him at the same time she looked at him.
Her eyes darkened, her need so flagrant that her gaze burned with it.
His heart raced, knowing she craved him as much as he wanted her.
No matter who they were, no matter what sides they were on, passion didn’t know or care. They were proof of that.
“Marcus,” she whispered, her hands caressing his shoulders.
He lifted her, setting her so she straddled his lap. He ran a hand down her side to her hip, then lower to her thigh, all the way to her calf. She had long, lean legs that he couldn’t wait to have wrapped around him as he plunged deep inside her.
Slowly, he glided his fingers up her inner thigh and kissed down her neck. When his hand neared her sex, he paused and looked at her. She was breathless, her eyes half-closed, watching him expectantly. When he didn’t move, she lifted her hips, causing her body to touch his hand.
He groaned when he felt her, his cock jumping. He cupped her lightly before his fingers found her swollen clit. The moment he began teasing the tiny bud, her body stiffened.
Knowing she was already on the verge of an orgasm made him smile. He held her on the brink, keeping her teetering on the edge. Her low moans turned to cries of pleasure. She was beautiful. So much so that he could watch her for eternity.
He bent and drew a nipple into his mouth. As he suckled, he slid a finger inside her. Her back arched, and she groaned in response. Her wet heat called to him, but he managed to hold himself in check for a little longer.
He knew the moment her climax claimed her. Her body went taut, her mouth open on a silent scream. He watched the ecstasy overtake her as he continued teasing her body, giving her more and more pleasure until she went limp.
Fedra thought she knew what pleasure was. The truth was that she had no idea until she was in Marcus’s arms. He pushed her past boundaries she hadn’t known she had, crushing them as he urged her to give more of herself.
And she did it without hesitation.
Her body still pulsed with utter bliss. It felt so good that she wanted another orgasm. But not before she got her fill of his body.
His smile was one of triumph and satisfaction.
When he cupped her bottom to lift her again, she stopped him.
He’d had his fun. It was her turn now. She flattened her hands on his chest and smoothed them over the wide expanse, feeling the bulges of sinew as she did.
The way he watched her with such craving made her grind herself against his cock.
It would take nothing to move him inside her, and she wanted that desperately.
But since he had teased her, she would do the same to him.
Fedra leaned forward and gave him a long, slow kiss.
Then she placed small licks along his neck, over his shoulders, pausing to gently touch the head of the dragon tattoo.
Her hands dipped into the water, caressing lower over his abdomen.
His breath caught when she wrapped her fingers around his arousal.
His nostrils flared, and his hands clenched into fists, but otherwise, he didn’t move.
She held his gaze as she slowly moved her hand up and down his length, her finger swirling over the head of his cock. He hissed in a breath, his hips rising slightly. She moved her hand faster. He called her name in a low whisper full of such desire that it made her stomach flutter.
She intended to make him climax, but her body had other demands.
Fedra rose up on her knees and brought him to her entrance.
He grabbed her hips, holding her for a heartbeat before lowering her at the same time he thrust upward.
In one move, he was inside her. He filled her, stretching her as he thrust deep.
Then he held still as if to give them both a moment to relish the feeling of being together.
She started rocking back and forth and glanced up at him to find him staring at her.
Her gaze became trapped, just as her body was.
She knew in that instant that she would be Marcus’s for as long as he wanted her.
Without knowing how or why, she recognized the feel of him.
His hands, his mouth, his tongue. His cock.
And his soul.
If she believed in destiny, she would think they had been meant for each other.
She forgot all about that as they moved together, sending her spiraling into pleasure.
Desire tightened low in her belly as he brought her closer to release.
She both wanted it and wanted to hold off to enjoy the moment longer.
Before she could tell him, he thrust harder, deeper, and she was flung once more into the bliss of orgasm.
She grabbed hold of him, wanting him to feel what she experienced.
She heard her name as if from a great distance.
As her body drummed with the aftershocks of the intense climax, she realized that he was nearing his own.
Fedra forced her eyes open and saw his neck muscles straining as he thrust faster until his seed poured into her womb.
She wrapped her arms around him and held tight as he backed up until his back touched the edge of the tub. They remained like that for several minutes. She couldn’t believe what she had felt. Nothing before had ever come close to such…ecstasy. This had been mind-blowing, heart-stopping.
Eye-opening.
It had been utterly sublime.