Chapter 13
ISABEL
There’s no denying the charge of sensual tension in the air as we clean up dinner together. My breath quickens and I can’t stop the pulsating warmth between my thighs. But beyond my physical desire for Gideon rests a yearning from deep within… a need for gentle companionship and shared affection.
I decide to stop fighting the bond. Just for one night. I still won’t surrender my body fully to him, and I know he senses that reluctance, but I also know he won’t force me.
After we’re finished cleaning up dinner, he guides me to the bedroll he prepared.
It’s layered with soft furs and even a few pillows.
He sits beside me and drapes an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close.
For a while, we simply sit and stare at the fire, as well as the darkness beyond the cave.
I note that the smoke from the fire travels outward, but the winter wind that’s roaring outside doesn’t find its way to us.
I can hear it, just as I can hear all the sounds of the night, but I can’t feel it.
Not for the first time, I’m impressed by Gideon’s talent at creating protective wards, even though I hope he never uses such skills to keep me imprisoned.
He brushes his nose along the side of my face, and his winter breath caresses my neck, prompting a rush of goosebumps all over my body. And yet, inside I’m burning. I’m sweltering with desire.
“Does the idea of being my captive truly frighten you so?” he asks, his voice a deep rumble at my ear.
My breath hitches. I almost say yes, but then I quickly realize that’s not quite the truth.
When it comes to Gideon and my feelings for him, it would seem the truth remains.
.. complicated. The truth is, the idea of being his captive does frighten me, but it also excites me. Even though it shouldn’t.
He pulls away slightly and places a finger beneath my chin, forcing me to meet his dark, all-knowing gaze.
The flash of victory in his eyes reveals he’s already sensed the truth through our bond.
He knows how conflicted I am. He knows that I crave him and yearn for him, just as he knows the idea of being his captive isn’t quite so frightening as it once was.
He realizes it also excites me in a way that’s making it impossible for me to think clearly.
A whimper escapes me as I squirm slightly in place. I can’t help it. The ache between my thighs is becoming so intense, I’m no longer able to control my responses to it. I sense Gideon’s immense satisfaction through the bond.
You smell delicious, little moth, he tells me, his voice a deep, comforting murmur in my head.
I whimper again, then I flush. If only I could control my responses to him. If only I were stronger.
You are strong, Isabel. Strong and so very brave, he says through the tether.
Does he really mean it? I stare into his eyes as I lean into the bond, and it only takes me a few seconds to realize that yes, yes, he means it.
He’s not just telling me what he thinks I want to hear.
He’s giving me honesty, just as he promised he always would.
My heart flutters, and my face heats anew.
I lift my chin slightly as I stare at his lips. That’s all it takes to encourage him to kiss me. He cups my face and presses his lips to mine with a feral growl that echoes throughout the cavern.
This kiss is more intense and far hungrier than our first one, and I soon find myself moaning and whimpering into his mouth as his tongue tangles with mine. He tastes like peppermint and winter spices, and gods help me, but I cannot get enough.
Not breaking the kiss, he lifts me briefly and settles me on his lap.
His hands immediately return to my face, his fingers digging into my cheeks, as he holds me in place for more of his expert kisses.
As skilled as he is, I still find it difficult to believe that I’m the first woman he’s ever kissed, and yet I know it is the truth.
I gasp at the feel of his hardness beneath me, the firm evidence of his desire. I squirm on his lap as the achiness in my core builds, and through the layers of our clothing, I swear I feel his cock stiffen further.
He growls and our teeth clash as the kiss turns almost… violent. Yet I’m not scared. I’m ravenous for more, and I trust that he won’t hurt me.
Though I’m eager to claim you, he sends down the bond, I know you think it’s too soon for us to consummate our union, little moth. But I would like to bring you to the heights of pleasure. I would like to feast on your core and feel you shatter against my mouth.
Oh, gods. More waves of heat pulse in my core, and I become almost frantic with need.
He withdraws from the kiss and presses his forehead to mine, waiting for my reply as we both pant breathlessly. I reach out, placing my hands on his bare chest, then slowly caress him. Though his skin is initially cool to the touch, it gradually warms beneath my palms.
A low growl rumbles from his throat, and the sound vibrates through me, causing the pleasure that’s quaking within me to deepen.
I sense he’s waiting. Waiting for my permission.
He won’t guide me down upon the furs and press his mouth to my pussy unless I invite him.
Leaning into the bond, I sense his eagerness to taste me, the carnal hunger that’s making him hot all over.
To my astonishment, perspiration glimmers on his brow.
This fierce, proud commander from the Winter Court is becoming heated inside and out… because of me.
His nostrils flare as he takes a deep breath, and I sense the pleasure that fills him as he savors the scent of my arousal.
Holding his gaze, I slowly push away from him and move back onto the furs.
He watches me intently, his body rigid, his muscles tense, still waiting for my invitation.
There’s a part of me that delights in making him wait, not to be cruel, but because I want to feel the full force of his desire for me.
My entire body trembles with need as I lie back on the furs.
The skirt of my long nightdress has shifted up to my knees, and as I part my legs slightly, it drifts even higher.
Gideon still watches me, tense as ever, though I sense his restraint is crumbling, ready to snap.
Yet he holds on, determined to wait until I beckon him, whether with a thought or a verbal command.
Part of me softens to him at this moment.
Because despite the ferocity of his desires, he’s waiting for my consent.
He wants to prove to me just how much he reveres me, and this realization prompts my throat to tighten with emotion.
“Gideon,” I whisper, and that’s all it takes.
In a rapid blur of movement, he joins me on the furs, stretching his body alongside mine, then leans over me to press his lips to mine again.
Fevered longing sweeps through me, and I whimper and moan as he proceeds to kiss his way down my body.
He doesn’t remove my nightdress, but his winter-cold lips press through the fabric, sending a rush of goosebumps and shivers that draw a series of keening moans from my throat.
That’s it, little moth. Moan for me. Don’t hold back. His voice fills my head, a constant presence that I cannot escape.
Eventually, he reaches my core. He pushes my nightdress up, and I glance down to witness the pleasure that flashes in his eyes.
Ah, no undergarments. Just as I’d hoped.
He flicks a wicked glance my way, then he spreads me wider and studies my aching center.
His eyes darken with lust and… admiration.
I flush because I didn’t expect him to examine me so closely, and I know he can see everything.
The cave is almost fully illuminated by the blazing torches and the fire next to us.
Orange light continually waves over our bodies.
You are beautiful, Isabel, he sends down the tether. And you are perfect.
I flush at his praise, but before I can respond, he lowers his face to my pussy, then glides his tongue directly over my clit. A blast of sensation ripples through me. I gasp and writhe against his mouth, and I hear his pleased chuckle in my head.
Eager little human. You like this, don’t you? You like the feel of my tongue on your gleaming, pink cunny. Gods, you are so wet for me. So wet and swollen.
His crass words are shocking, but they also make me quiver and ache for more. My moans and whimpers echo off the cavern walls as he continues laving at my pulsing button. He pushes my legs wider apart, and I tremble as his horns brush against my inner thighs.
As he circles my clit, applying only the faintest hint of pressure, more of a tease than anything, he presses two fingers to my core. He swirls through my wetness and pushes lightly, as though testing my tightness. I think perhaps only the tips of his fingers are inside me, and it’s not enough.
My head falls back and I clutch the furs, undulating my center against his mouth, secretly hoping he’ll push deeper. I only feel the slightest pressure, the slightest fullness.
But oh, how I want more.
Even if it hurts a little.
Again, I marvel that his tongue is so warm. Yet his breath is a chilled caress. The contrast of hot and cold on my aching parts draws another moan from me, and I tense as the pressure in my core builds.
With careful movements, he pushes his fingers deeper in my pussy, stretching me, filling me.
My insides clamp tightly around his thick digits, but when I try to thrust my center upward, he presses me down, forcing me to remain in place as he continues the blissful torment.
His warm tongue dances over my clit, circling my sensitive bud with increasing pressure, and his fingers penetrate my core just a bit deeper.
Oh, gods.
I’m close.
So close.
Let go, little moth. His deep voice resounds in my head, and his commanding tone sends a thrill through me.
Just as he increases the swirls on my clit, a rush of euphoria thunders over me, a quaking pleasure that steals my breath and makes me feel weightless.
I soar upward, as though he’s flying me through the sky, holding me close as I reach the heights of my desire.
My clit pulses against his tongue, and each time he exhales, the chill of his breath makes me ever aware of the wetness that’s coating my pussy and inner thighs.
As the last quaking wave dissipates, he withdraws his fingers from my core, but he doesn’t retract his tongue from my clit. He circles my swollen button until I whimper and push at his head.
Too sensitive, I send down the bond.
He immediately withdraws from my center and peers up at me, his lips gleaming with my arousal. I flush at the sight, and my face grows even warmer when I glance at my exposed nether area. The firelight reveals the glimmer of arousal coating my pussy and inner thighs.
Gideon stares at me with quiet contentment.
I know his cock remains rock hard, as I can sense his desire, but bringing me to pleasure filled him with immense satisfaction.
Still holding my gaze, he wipes his mouth on the back of his forearm, then he reaches for my nightdress and pulls it down past my knees, covering my nudity.
He settles on the bedroll beside me and pulls me close.
I rest my head on his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart. As he holds me, he keeps sending me waves of affection. I bask in the warmth and the tenderness, and it isn’t long before fatigue starts to weigh me down. Eventually, he pulls one of the fur blankets over our bodies.
But it seems a bit unfair of me to just drift to sleep immediately after he pleasured me.
I mean… shouldn’t I see to his needs? Leaning into the bond, I sense that he’s still as aroused as ever.
He’s holding me in such a way that I can’t feel the hardness of his cock, not physically anyway, but I know he remains at full readiness.
A shaky breath escapes me as I imagine what it might be like to take him in my mouth.
He growls in my ear. Why, little moth, I didn’t know you possessed such a vivid imagination. His teasing voice rumbles in my head, and he presses a kiss on my temple, letting his lips linger.
I can smell my essence on his breath, and gods how it makes me flush. It’s a reminder of the intimacies we just shared… and the line we just crossed. I can’t help but wonder how many more lines we will cross before the night is through.
I try to banish the sensual images from my mind, but they keep coming. I keep picturing myself reaching for the clasp of his pants, drawing his thick appendage out, and taking him in my mouth. I keep wondering what he will taste like and…
He growls again, this time loud enough to make me gasp.
Slowly, I allow my hand to travel down his chest and lower. But just as I’m about to grasp his bulge, he stiffens and looks toward the mouth of the cave. Sensing his sudden alarm, I retract my hand and bolt upward.
“Fucking fires,” he mutters. “It would appear we are about to have company.” He turns me to face him, then I hear his voice in my head. Do not be afraid, little moth. You are safe with me. I will protect you. Always.
Before I have the chance to ask questions, a huge winged fae male lands at the entrance of the cave. He’s quickly followed by four more, all of them massive and fierce looking… and covered in blood.