Chapter 15 #3
Damn, he is chiseled in all the right places. My gaze trails down to the lines near his hips that angle down into the water, hiding what I can feel my body pull towards. He has a large scar on his left peck that I trace with my fingers before looking back up to him with questioning eyes.
“My father,” is all he says in explanation before taking my hand in his and kissing my palm before placing it around his neck.
My breath hitches at the delicate brush of his lips on my hand, an unexpected tenderness from this man of fire.
He trails his hands down the side of my body with a feather light touch that makes me shiver before landing at my hips, all the while holding eye contact.
Shit, that’s hot. Benji was always so bothered by eye contact which made what we did feel wrong, but I won’t lie when I say that this amount of eye gazing is a little bit intimidating. I break, looking down to his chest and swallow, hoping he doesn’t see my insecurity. Are we really doing this?
He leaves one hand on my hip, firmly holding me in place, as his other hand trails back up my spine, before gently grabbing the hair at the nape of my neck to tilt my head up to him, making me meet his eyes once again.
The cool, wet strands of his hair brush my cheek as he leans in, his lips just barely brushing against mine. I close my eyes, waiting.
“We’ve been here before and you denied me. What do you want, Nuria?” He pulls away just a fraction.
I open my eyes to see the flames in his irises burning bright and hot, pleading for my permission, but my words and breath are lost to me at such close contact so I grab onto the back of his neck and pull him down into a burning kiss, answering his plea.
It is a hard, greedy kiss that leaves me feeling engulfed in his flame.
He tightens his grip on my hip and pulls me even closer and I lose all control, twining my hands through his thick locks, pulling him down for more.
Our tongues meet in a searching flicker and I gasp at the ecstasy such a small movement can send through my body, careening down my spine and settling low in my belly.
I can feel him through his trousers but his height has his need pushing into my stomach instead of the spot where I want him most.
As if reading my desires, he hitches my legs around his waist and backs me up against the pool’s edge, giving me the most tantalizing pressure.
“Embrys,” his name escapes my lips, sounding like a prayer.
I slide my hand down his chest, then abs, making my way to his trousers and fumbling for his belt but he grabs my wrist and pulls away from our kiss.
“Not so fast,” he growls, restraining us both. His skin feels almost painfully hot to touch. I am so used to how Benji used to make love to me, hard and fast, taking it slow does not come naturally.
He unhooks my feet from his back and places my legs back down, hiding my sex below the water.
He leans in to kiss me again, but this time much more tenderly, taking his time, as if committing the shape of my mouth to memory.
I nip at his bottom lip trying to coax him back into the all-encompassing fire we had from before, he growls again and rests his forehead on mine, gripping my hips, steadying himself.
I’ve never been thankful for my curves before but the way he grabs hold of me makes me see the soft, sensuality of my body in a new light.
“Patience, Nuria.” I pull away to look in his eyes and give a little nod, panting a bit from my longing but trying to be good and show restraint like he is.
“You won’t burn me. I trust you.”
His gaze ignites. I can feel a tight knot of energy form between my legs that craves release and whimper as he reads my desire again, giving me his knowing half smile.
He slowly trails his hand down the outside of my thigh then torturously brings his fingers back up the inside, making slow, tantalizing circles, until he faintly brushes me where I need him the most. I gasp at the contact and he growls in response, sinking his teeth into my neck as he sweeps his fingers back and forth over my sensitive spot, causing me to cry out at the immense pleasure and contrasting pain.
I bunch my hands in his hair and can’t help my hips from moving in rhythm with his skillful fingers, just as I had dreamed they would be.
He nips his way up my neck, giving my earlobe a little bite before bringing our lips together again in a fiery kiss that burns deliciously.
Our tongues intertwine and he swallows my moans as he brings me to my climax, holding me tightly against his chest as I cascade over in shivering glory.
I break our kiss to cry out at the culminating wave, and take a few deep breaths before opening my eyes.
I feel as though the breath has been stolen out of my lungs as I gasp in the thick, steamy air.
When my vision clears I look over his shoulder and am immediately pulled out of my bubble of ecstasy when I notice three brown ducks floating in the water, looking right at us.
I burst out laughing at the absurdity and the duck in the middle quacks in response, which in my mind, sounded as if it was saying, awkward…
Embrys releases me and whirls around which scares the ducks, causing them to flap away into the tunnel, spraying us as they go.
“Divine Mother!” Embrys shouts, blocking the spray with his arms.
We look at each other and both burst out laughing. Embrys grabs my hand and pulls me back into his arms, looking down at me with an ear to ear grin. I feel all glowy and warm, basking in the light of his smile.
“Will you join me in our bed?” he asks and my heart stutters at the implication of our anything. I can feel my pupils dilate and my pulse quicken again at the suggestion. “We should probably just sleep, Nuria,” he chuckles as he leans in to give me a kiss on the cheek.
Who could sleep after that? I blow a breath through my lips at the suggestion as he steps out of the pool in his soaking clothes and grabs my dress for me, holding it out so I can step out as well.
“How are you going to dry yourself?” I question as I step up and grab my dress to hide my nakedness, even though we just shared such intimacy, I still feel shy.
“Fire wielder, remember.” He opens both palms and steam raises off of him in a sudden cloudburst and he is left with completely dry looking clothes.
“Huh, cool trick,” I say as I lift my chin and walk past him, still holding the dress just against my front and very aware of his perfect view of what I know is a great asset as I walk down the tunnel. Yes, I’m definitely starting to love my curves.
I look over my shoulder to see his eyes widen as he stands in shock with his palms both still open before shaking his head and quickly following me back to our room, his heat dries my hair as we go.
When I turn to enter our room I stop dead in my tracks, locking eyes with the grey wolf who is now lounging on our bed. Embrys bumps into me from behind and places his hand on both of my shoulders to steady us from toppling onto the ground.
“Oh, hello,” Embrys says casually to the wolf as if it is his pal. I can feel myself start to tremble at the memories of the wolf headed man in my visions. “Nuria you’re shaking, let me grab you a blanket,” he says and goes to step around me but I grab his hand to urge him to stay put.
“What’s wrong?” I can feel him looking at me but I don’t dare remove my eyes from the wolf. She yawns; baring her teeth to us then lets out a big sigh before jumping off the bed and sauntering out of the room, brushing my leg with her fur as she goes.
When she is gone I let out the breath I was holding and let my shoulders slump forward.
“Wolves. I don’t trust wolves,” I say and the memory of the vision I had back in the human realm of The Wolf King sitting on his throne flashes in my mind.
Then I remember whose eyes I was seeing through in the first place and whirl around to face Embrys, “you know The King. You’ve spoken to him recently in the Palace!
” I accuse as I back away from him. He puts his hands up and takes a tentative step towards me.
“I am his subject, yes. He called upon me to give reports on the climate events within our lands.” He takes another step closer and I shake my head in warning but I am now against the wall so he has control over coming closer or not. He stays put.
“Nuria, I am not a part of his plotting. Please believe me, I can keep you safe.” He drops his hands and gives me a pleading look. “Come, let’s go to bed. It has been a long night.” He reaches out his hand and I choose to trust him and let him lead me onto the bed.
He is so gentle as he tucks me under the covers, the tender action shocks me and leaves me feeling a strange vulnerability at the tenderness he is showing. He gives me a little smile as he stands and goes to leave the room.
“Wait, where are you going?” I call to him, all tucked in with just my head sticking out of the blankets.
“I’ll stand guard. There does not appear to be a door to this room and I want you to be able to sleep.” He shrugs, walking out into the tunnel. He slides down to sit on the floor and leans on the rock wall beside the door.
“If you really need to fulfil this ‘protector’ role, you know you can do it beside me… in bed. I won’t bite, I swear,” I say, trying to keep the mood light. Judging by the heavy sigh I hear, followed by silence, I gather that he isn’t buying it.
After a few minutes of waiting awkwardly, thinking he is ignoring my last comment, he says “I… I can’t share a bed with you…”
“Oh. That’s fine.” I didn’t want you to anyway. The sting of rejection hurts more than I’d like to admit. I thought he wanted me… in that way.
“I mean… I just can’t. I’m sorry,” his voice is quiet, withdrawn.
“Why? You can talk to me…” He goes silent for a long while. “Is it me, or…”
“No Nuria, I want to be with you. I just… I fear anyone I share a bed with will end up like her. I fear I will do… what my father did.” Oh shit, he thinks he will burn me? Is that why he kept us from going further? I have to tread carefully here.
“Have you ever slept with anyone before?” I never would have expected this cocky man with a protector complex and insanely skillful fingers to be a virgin.
I hear his sigh. “No. I’ve been intimate but never… to the full extent. I couldn't put anyone at risk…” Ok… ok, ok that’s all right, I can work with this…
“Embrys, I’ve said it once before and I will say it again, you are not your father. His power is something to be afraid of because his emotions run rampant and he uses his fire to harm others and gain control, but you aren’t him! Do you wish to harm and control others?”
“No, never… but Nuria, my powers…” he cuts himself off.
“Your powers, what? I’ve only seen you create a flame for light and to dry your clothes. You’re harmless, Embrys!” I so badly want to get up and hold him. This man that I saw as so strong, is scared – of himself.
“I’m not harmless, Nuria! My powers are greater than my father’s.
They started surpassing his when I was a teen.
I tried to hide it but The King himself was even growing suspicious of my abilities.
He would have seen me as a threat had my father not taken control of the House.
” He blows out a breath. “I’m dangerous.
We shouldn’t do… what we did, again. It isn’t safe.
I’m not safe.” His last words are barely more than a whisper.
All right, that’s it. I wrap the blanket around my shoulders and roll out of bed.
“I’m not afraid of you.” I slide down the wall, beside him, “look at me.” He lifts his hanged head to peer at me through his hair. It’s all ruffled, as if he had been running his hands through it.
“You should be, Nuria. I’m not even sure if the feelings we have for each other are real or if we were somehow tethered together.
You shouldn’t waste your time on me. You know what I did to my sister.
For Mother’s sake, I nearly burned your hands off with the handcuffs in the caves, remember?
Why do you care about me?” His eyes darken, not even the slightest flicker of an ember within them. I did forget about the handcuff thing…
“I don’t know if we were somehow connected by my mother or The Mother, but what I do know is that you do care about your sister.
You also care about and fight for your people and that is what I respect.
Let’s just take whatever this is one step at a time.
You don’t have to hop into bed with me but don’t let your fear of harming me be what stops you.
Having power of any kind is a new concept to me but from what little I have seen, even I know that who you are, deep down, governs how your powers show up.
You protect. Your father controls. It’s as simple as that.
” I grab onto his hand and give it a squeeze.
The faintest flicker reignites in his eyes. A good start.
To my surprise, he leans in and brushes a soft kiss on my forehead. “Thank you,” he says, still from that quiet place within himself. I blow out a breath and give him my best interpretation of his cocky half smile.
“Now mister brave protector, would you please guard my door. There is a big bad wolf out there and I am in need of your services.” I manage to get a chuckle out of him as he nods. I shuffle back to the bed and nestle in.
Part of me craves his closeness but I don’t want to push him.
This is enough. I probably wouldn’t sleep if he was next to me anyway if I am honest with myself.
The intimacy of sleeping next to a lover seems too daunting right now and with that wolf lurking out there it is nice to have him guarding me instead.
Wow Nuria, such a damsel in distress, I cringe at my acceptance of protection but I know this is what he is able to give, so I accept it. I suppose I don’t always have to be my own knight in shining armour.
I throw one of the pillows out the door and get a grunt of thanks in response before I nestle down in the surprisingly comfortable bed.