Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
RAOUL
Ilifted her into my arms, and she wrapped her legs around my waist like she’d always belonged there.
The bed was only a few steps away, but I took my time crossing the small space, kissing her the entire way. Her mouth was sweet and hungry, and every small sound she made shot straight to my groin.
When I reached the bed, I set her on her feet and stepped back enough to see her face in the moonlight.
“I want to see you,” I said, my voice rough. “All of you.”
Her breath hitched, and snow began falling around us again, soft flakes that melted against our heated skin.
When she nodded, I reached for the hem of her tunic. She raised her arms, and I pulled the fabric up and over her head, tossing it aside.
She stood wearing a simple undergarment covering her breasts and her fitted pants. I’d never seen anyone more beautiful.
“You’re lovely,” I said, trailing my fingers down her throat, across her collarbone, watching goosebumps rise. “Do you know that? Simply lovely.”
“Raoul—”
“I’ve wanted this.” I pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Wanted you.” Another kiss to the hollow of her throat. “Since the moment you stormed up to me dressed in your wedding gown and started talking about thermal air currents.”
Her laugh turned into a gasp as I slipped off her undergarment. The moonlight painted her skin silver, and I could only stare.
“Beautiful,” I said, cupping her breasts, feeling her nipples harden against my palms. “So damn beautiful.”
I lowered my head and took one peaked nipple into my mouth. She cried out, her hands flying to my hair, gripping hard. I lavished attention on first one breast, then the other, using my tongue and teeth until she was trembling.
“I love the sounds you make,” I said against her skin. “I want to hear every single one.”
I knelt, pressing kisses down her belly as I worked on the fastenings of her pants. She steadied herself with hands on my shoulders, her breathing coming fast and shallow.
“Step out,” I said, holding the waistband as she did like I’d asked.
Now she wore only a thin undergarment with a bit of lace at the top, and I could see dampness between her legs, evidence of her desire. My dragon side rumbled with satisfaction.
I hooked my fingers in the fabric. “We’re taking off these too.”
“I need you.”
“I know, sweet. I know. And I’m going to give myself to you.” I helped her out of her undergarment and tossed it aside. “I need to taste you.”
I kissed one hip, then the other. Her hands tightened on my shoulders, her nails digging in as I kissed my way across her lower belly.
“Spread your legs for me,” I said.
She trembled as she did it, and I groaned at the sight of her. Perfect and pink and already glistening with want.
I slid one hand up the inside of her thigh, watching her face as I got closer to where she needed me. Her eyes widened, her lips parted, and her chest rose and fell fast.
When I finally touched her, just one finger stroking through her wetness, she gasped and her knees nearly buckled.
“Wet,” I said. “Is this all for me?”
“Yes.” The word came out breathless. “Yes, all for you.”
I stroked her again, learning her, finding the small bundle of nerves that made her jolt. “And this? What happens if I touch you here?”
“Oh fates—”
“Tell me what you like.” I circled her clit with gentle pressure. “I want to make you feel good.”
“That.” She could barely get the word out. “That feels—Oh…”
I kept touching her, kept circling and stroking her clit, watching the pleasure build on her face. Her magic swirled around us, the temperature fluctuating wildly, wind and snow and heat all tangling together.
“I love how you show your emotions.” I slid one finger inside her while my thumb maintained pressure on her clit. “How you show how much you’re enjoying this.”
She cried out, rocking against my hand, chasing the pleasure. I added a second finger, stretching her, pumping them in and out of her, and her head fell back.
“Look at me,” I said.
Her eyes met mine, glazed with desire, and I nearly lost control right then.
“I want to watch you come apart. Want to see your face when you fall.”
“I’m close.” Her voice came out thin, desperate. “So close—”
“Then let go, sweet. Let go for me.”
I pressed harder with my thumb, pumping my fingers inside her, and she shattered. Her inner walls clenched around my fingers, her whole body tensing and shaking as bliss washed over her. Lightning cracked overhead, illuminating her face in stark detail.
I worked her through it, gentling my touches as the aftershocks rolled through her, until she was boneless and swaying on her feet.
Straightening, I gathered her against me and kissed her. Her hands slid under my tunic to touch bare skin.
“Your turn,” she murmured against my mouth.
“Not yet.” I walked her backward toward the bed. “I’m not anywhere near done with you.”
Lifting her, I gently laid her on the bed, and while she watched, her tongue teasing her lower lip, I pulled my tunic over my head and tossed it aside. I made quick work of my pants and loincloth. Her eyes widened as she took in my naked body, lingering on my stiff cock.
“See what you do to me?” I said, wrapping one hand around my length and stroking. “I’m so hard it hurts.”
I followed her down onto the bed, caging her with my body. The feel of her bare skin against mine was almost too much to bear. I had to pause, had to breathe, had to remember that I wanted this to last.
“I’m going to kiss every bit of you,” I said. “I’m going to learn what makes you gasp.” I kissed her jaw. “What makes you moan.” Kissed her throat. “What makes you scream my name.”
I worked my way down her body, giving her breasts attention again until she was squirming beneath me. Then lower, across her belly, the fullness of her hips.
“Raoul.” She tried to pull me back up. “You don’t have to—”
“I want to.” I settled between her thighs, spreading them wider with my shoulders. “I’ve been thinking about tasting you for days.”
The scent of her arousal made my dragon side snarl with possession. Mine. She was mine.
I started with gentle kisses to her inner thighs, teasing, making her wait. She made a frustrated sound that turned into a moan when I finally licked a long stripe through her wetness.
She tasted wonderful.
I groaned against her, the vibration making her jolt. Then I got to work in earnest, using my tongue to explore every sensitive spot. I sought her clit and circled it with the tip of my tongue, light and teasing at first, then with more pressure.
Her hands tangled in my hair, pulling, and her hips lifted off the bed. I held her steady with an arm across her thighs and kept going, alternating between broad strokes and focused attention on her bundle of nerves.
“Oh fates, oh fates, oh—”
I loved how she could lose herself in this moment.
I slid two fingers inside her again, pumping while flicking my tongue across her clit. Her inner walls were already fluttering, still sensitive from her first orgasm.
“That’s it,” I said against her clit. “Give me another one.”
I twisted my fingers, finding a spot inside her that made her cry out, and sucked on her clit.
She came with a scream, her whole body arching off the bed. Lightning flashed across the ceiling and snow drifted around us. The temperature plunged to freezing, then spiked to a near boil, then back to normal.
I carried her through it all, wringing every last bit of pleasure from her body until she was pushing at my head, oversensitive and trembling.
When I finally lifted my head, my own need was a living thing, demanding satisfaction. Just the sight of her, flushed and sated and beautiful, combined with the taste of her on my tongue was pushing me to the edge.
I rose to my knees between her thighs, wrapped my hand around my length, and stroked once, twice, three times. That was all it took. My orgasm hit like a lightning strike, pleasure exploding through every nerve. I came hard, spilling onto her stomach and thighs, marking her with my release.
The groan that tore from my throat was more dragon than man.
When I could think again, I found her watching me with heavy-lidded eyes, a satisfied smile on her lips.
“I love watching you do that,” she said with a mischievous look in her eyes. “Maybe you’ll do it again sometime soon.”
“Maybe I will, but not right now. I’ve got other plans for you, sweet.” I climbed off the bed and lifted her into my arms, striding toward the door.
“What are you doing?”
“Shh. Don’t make a sound or someone will see you naked, and I’ll have to kill them.”
Her breath caught.
“Only kidding.” Mostly. She was mine, and I wasn’t sharing one bit of her with anyone else.
I slipped through the door and into the cool night air, scanning the square. Empty. Everyone had gone to bed after the celebration, leaving the village silent and dark except for the dying embers of the bonfire.
Perfect.
I carried Adele along the back of the cottages, keeping to the shadows. She pressed her face against my neck, her breath warm on my skin.
“Where are we going?” she whispered.
“To get you clean.” I kissed her temple. “And make you dirty again.”
Her laugh came out soft and wicked, and it did things to my already recovering body.
The cave entrance sat at the far edge of the village, a dark opening in the mountainside. I ducked inside, my dragon vision adjusting to the darkness. The passage sloped downward, the air growing warmer with each step.
“I can’t see anything,” Adele said.
“I’ve got you. Trust me.”
“I do.”
Those two words settled into my chest, simmering like the brightest flame.
The passage opened into a series of chambers, each one containing pools of varying sizes fed by underground hot springs.
Steam rose in ghostly wisps, carrying the scent of heated stone and clean water.
During the day, villagers would gather here to bathe and socialize, but at this hour, we appeared to be alone.