Chapter 13
Maeve
I'm drowning in sensations. Lorian's mouth is hot against mine, his hands strong and sure as they pull me closer.
His tall frame towers over me as we stand in his pristine living room, and I feel deliciously small in his embrace.
I have to tilt my head all the way back to reach his lips, my neck straining with the effort.
As if sensing my strain, he cradles the back of my neck in one large hand, supporting me as he bends down to meet me halfway.
Each time we shift, more glitter falls around us like some kind of romantic snow globe scene.
"We're making a mess," I murmur against his lips, not caring in the slightest.
"Yes," he replies, his voice deeper than I've ever heard it. The sound sends shivers down my spine. “And I plan on making a much, much bigger one.”
I pull back just enough to look at him, this beautiful, complicated man who's finally letting me see beneath his perfect facade. His ice-blue eyes are darker now, pupils dilated with arousal. They seem to glow with a light from within, an indication I’m beginning to associate with his heightened emotional state.
Pink glitter clings to his silver-blond hair and dusts his sharp cheekbones and long pointed ears, giving him an otherworldly appearance.
Like some kind of fairy-tale prince who's wandered into the human world. Which he kind of is, of course.
"You're beautiful," I whisper. My fingers trace the elegant point of his ear, and his sharp intake of breath confirms it's a sensitive spot. Interesting.
"Maeve." He says my name like a prayer, his accent more pronounced than usual. "You have no idea what you do to me."
"Show me," I challenge, my heart pounding so hard I'm certain he can hear it.
For a moment, he just looks at me, something vulnerable flashing in his eyes.
Then he lifts me as if I weigh nothing. Instinctively, I wrap my legs around his waist, gasping as he grabs my ass and presses me against his hard cock.
My already throbbing clit shoots sensations all the way into my brain and I grab on to him with desperate fingers.
"Is this okay?" he asks, his voice strained with restraint.
“Bed,” I breathe out. “Now.”
He answers by capturing my mouth and I lose myself in the kiss once more, threading my fingers through his silky hair. More glitter showers down around us as he carries me through his cabin, never breaking our kiss.
His bedroom is as pristine as the rest of his home. White walls, simple furniture arranged with precision, not a personal item in sight. The only color comes from the moonlight streaming through the large windows, bathing everything in silver.
He sets me down beside his bed with such gentleness that my heart squeezes.
His hands cup my face as if I'm something precious, and he studies me with an intensity that makes my heart pitter-patter like a crazed dancer.
His blue eyes shine so much they cast a ghostly shadow over his refined, angular features.
"I need you to understand something," he says softly, his thumbs stroking my cheeks. "This isn't casual for me."
"Good," I reply, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from his face. "Because it isn't casual for me either."
His expression grows even more serious. "Especially with you."
"Why especially with me?"
He takes a deep breath. "In elven culture, there's a concept called True Mates. Not all elves find their True Mate, and most live happy lives and marriages without ever finding the one. But when an elf meets their True Mate, they know. They feel it instinctively."
My heartbeat quickens as the implications of his words settle over me. "What are you saying?"
"From the moment I saw you, I knew." His voice is barely above a whisper. "That's why I tried to keep my distance from you, but in the end, I couldn’t resist it. A True Mate bond, once acknowledged and consummated, is permanent."
"Permanent," I repeat, testing the weight of the word on my tongue.
"If we cross this line, Maeve, there's no going back. Not for me." His eyes search mine, looking for any hint of hesitation. "You would be it for me. Forever."
The enormity of what he's saying should terrify me. We've known each other for such a short time, and yet something deep inside me knows this is real. The real deal. As if some part of me has always known him, has been waiting for him.
"That's why you kept running," I realize aloud. "You were afraid."
"Not afraid," he says quickly. "I know what I feel for you is real. There’s no running from this for me. But I also know you’re human and humans don’t feel the bond as we do."
I reach up and press my palm against his cheek. His skin is warm beneath my touch, and he leans into it like a cat seeking affection.
"Lorian," I say his name softly, making sure he's looking directly into my eyes. "I'm not afraid of forever."
Something shifts in his expression. Surprise, wonder, and then a deep, profound relief that transforms his entire face. The last of his careful reserve crumbles, replaced by such hunger that it takes my breath away.
"Are you certain?" he asks, his voice rough with emotion.
“I may not feel things the way you do, but I know this is real.”
I lift my head and press my lips to his.
His arms encircle me, lifting me again, and this time he lays me down on his bed with such care that tears prick at the corners of my eyes. The white bedsheets will soon be covered in pink glitter, but neither of us cares about that now.
He follows me down, his body covering mine, and I revel in the weight of him, the heat that radiates from his skin through our clothes. His kisses grow more urgent, and my hands find the buttons of his shirt, fumbling in my eagerness.
He pulls away, sitting back on his heels to unbutton his shirt with efficient movements. I watch, transfixed, as he reveals inch after inch of smooth, pale skin. His torso is lean and muscular, like a swimmer's build.
"Your turn," he says, his voice husky as he helps me sit up. “I want to see my True Mate.”
I feel a flash of self-consciousness as he helps me remove my top, but the way he looks at me, like I'm the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, banishes any insecurity.
"You're perfect," he whispers, his fingers tracing the curve of my breast above my bra. "Absolutely perfect."
"You're not so bad yourself, Doctor," I reply, trying for lightness despite the intensity of the moment.
His smile is slow and sensual, transforming his usually stern face into something breathtaking. "I believe I'll need a more thorough examination to confirm that diagnosis, Nurse Callahan."
"Another joke, Doctor Reizenhard?” A startled laugh escapes me. “You impress me.”
"Perhaps you're a bad influence," he murmurs, lowering his head to press a kiss to my collarbone. "I find myself doing all sorts of things I wouldn't normally do around you."
"Like getting covered in pink glitter?" I gasp as his lips move lower.
"Like getting covered in pink glitter," he agrees, his breath hot against my skin. "Like letting myself want things I've denied myself for too long."
Lorian traces kisses down my collarbone all the way to my chest as he reaches behind my back to unhook my bra. He drops the garment on the floor and straightens to look at me, his blue eyes clearly shining in the low light. His gaze fastens on my breasts, erect nipples pebbled to tight little buds.
“Perfect.”
He leans in and takes one nipple between his lips, his tongue flicking the tiny bud as I arch my back and moan involuntarily.
He keeps licking and sucking until I wiggle under the sweet torture, then move his attention to my other breast. My clit pulses between my legs and wetness spreads as his hands and mouth explore me with the same meticulous attention he gives to everything, finding spots that make me gasp and lean against him.
Each touch feels amplified, as if my body is more aware, more alive under his ministrations than it’s ever been.
When his mouth finally leaves me, I’m panting, desperate for more.
“Everything,” he says. “I want to see everything.”
He doesn’t wait for a response from me, his supernatural blue gaze on me as he leans in and grabs the hem of my skirt, then pulls it down my hips.
His gaze never leaves mine, hunger painted in every line of his face.
He tosses the skirt on the floor along with the rest of our clothing and reaches for my panties.
He waits for a moment until I give him a nod of approval.
His lips lift in the sexiest grin I’ve ever seen as he bares me completely.
“Your turn,” I tell him as I lift myself onto my elbows on the bed. “It only seems fair.”
That sexy grin never leaves his face as he stands up beside the bed, then reaches for the waist of his pants. He pulls on his belt in one long gesture, then opens his pants and lets them fall to the ground. I must admit that I’m shocked to see he goes commando under the formal attire.
My gaze latches on his long, hard cock, pointing directly at me. His rigid shaft is wide and the tip glistens lightly with pre-cum. His gaze on me makes more wetness spill between my legs and drip down the sides of my thighs.
I’ve never been this turned on in my life.
For a moment, we just stare at each other, nothing between us but moonlight.
Then he climbs on the bed with the grace of a large cat.
Lorian hovers above me, his hair falling like a silver curtain around his face.
In the moonlight, there's something otherworldly about his beauty, the shine of his blue gaze, the elegant points of his ears, the luminous quality of his skin.
"Your eyes," I whisper in wonder, reaching up to touch his face, “they’re glowing.”
"They’re glowing for you," he replies, his voice filled with awe. “For my True Mate.”