Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
ADELE
Raoul carried me across the room, his amber eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made my pulse sing.
The air in our suite felt charged, the fire’s crackle the only sound besides our breathing.
He’d just confessed everything, and my heart was still catching up, fluttering like a storm cloud ready to burst.
He set me down gently beside the bed, his hands lingering on my hips.
“You’re mine now, sweet,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “And I’m yours. Let me show you.”
I nodded, words escaping me because fates, this was happening.
Our first time. He reached for the laces of my tunic, his fingers deft and unhurried.
The fabric whispered against my skin as he tugged it open, exposing my shoulders, then my breasts.
Cool air hit me, but his gaze burned, making my nipples tighten.
“Beautiful,” he said, sliding the tunic down my arms and letting it pool at my feet. His hands skimmed my sides, his fingertips brushing the undersides of my breasts. “Every bit of you.”
In no time, I stood naked while he remained fully clothed.
Heat flooded my cheeks—and lower. I wasn’t used to this kind of attention, not from someone who looked at me like I was everything he needed.
I pulled his shirt over his head, revealing the hard planes of his chest, the ridges of muscle that spoke of his dragon strength. I traced the lines of his abs, feeling him shiver under my touch.
“Keep that up, and we’ll never make it to the bath,” he teased, his voice low and gravelly.
“Bath?” I blinked, distracted by the heat radiating from him.
His wicked grin rose. “I want you relaxed for what’s next.” He made quick work of his pants, kicking them aside, and there he was, fully naked, his arousal evident and making my mouth go dry. Thick, hard, and all for me. My practical mind short-circuited for a second, replaced by pure want.
He scooped me up again, cradling me against his chest, and carried me to the adjoining bathing chamber.
Glowing stones embedded in the walls gave the room a warm feel, and steam rose from the pool in the center.
The water shimmered, inviting, scented faintly with minerals that reminded me of rain on stone.
Raoul stepped down into the pool, water lapping at our bodies as he lowered us both in.
I gasped at the heat enveloping me, contrasting deliciously with the slight chill still clinging to my skin.
He settled on a submerged ledge, positioning me on his lap, my back to his chest, the water up to our shoulders.
“Perfect,” he whispered, nuzzling my neck. His hands roamed, not hurried, just exploring. He reached for a cloth and soap from the edge, lathering it up. “Let me wash away the past few days.”
I leaned into him, trusting him completely.
This was Raoul, my fated mate, the dragon king who’d fallen for me as hard as I had for him.
He started with my arms, the soapy cloth gliding over my skin, rinsing away the grime of travel and dispelled magic.
His lips followed, kissing along my shoulder, my collarbone.
“You smell like wind and power,” he said. “My favorite scent.”
A laugh bubbled out of me. “Better than sweat and exhaustion?”
“Much.” He washed my back, trailing kisses down my spine. Each one sent sparks through me, building the anticipation.
Turning me, he lathered my front, paying particular attention to my breasts. He remained gentle, the cloth circling, teasing, before his mouth replaced it. He kissed the swell of one, then the other, his tongue flicking out to taste. My nipples.
I arched into him, heat pooling between my legs.
He hummed in approval, moving lower. His hands dipped under the water, washing my stomach, my hips, then between my thighs. The cloth slipped away, and he used his fingers.
He kissed my neck as he worked. “So soft here.” His fingers slid across my clit. “And here. I can’t wait to drive my cock inside you and feel your body tremble around me.”
My breath hitched, his words stoking the fire inside me. He wasn’t making demands, just being honest, and that made everything more intimate. Once he’d washed himself quickly, he pulled me close for deep kisses that kept me breathless.
He stood, water cascading off his body, and lifted me out, setting me on the warm stone floor. But instead of drying off, he pressed me against the wall, his body covering mine, his erection hot and insistent against my belly.
“Now,” I said, my voice a growl. “I need you now.”
“Soon, mate. Soon.”
Our mouths met, hungry and desperate, our tongues tangling as the slow burn ignited into something fierce inside me.
This felt like a claiming, like we’d been building to this since the day we first met.
His hands roamed my body, while mine explored him, feeling the shift of muscle under skin, the heat of him.
He broke the kiss, trailing his mouth down my neck, sucking lightly at the pulse point. His hand slipped between my legs, his fingers stroking. “Fates, Adele, you’re so wet for me already. This pretty pussy is mine now.”
His words sent a thrill through me, making me clench around his fingers. “Raoul, please…”
He chuckled. “Patience, sweet. I want to savor you.” But his fingers didn’t stop, circling my clit with just the right amount of pressure, making me buck my hips toward his hand. “Look at you, riding my fingers like you can’t wait for my cock.”
I gasped, heat flooding my face, but I didn’t deny it. I was vulnerable with him, trusting him with this side of me. The witch who usually controlled everything was unraveling under his touch. “I need you inside me.”
“Not yet.” He kissed my breasts, sucking one nipple, then the other, his tongue swirling while his fingers kept up their rhythm below. Pleasure built, sharp and sweet, and I threaded my fingers through his hair, holding him there.
“Raoul, I’m close…”
“Come for me,” he said against my skin. “Let me feel it.”
An orgasm crashed through me, my body shaking as I cried out his name.
He caught me as my knees weakened, his kiss tasting of satisfaction. “That’s my girl. So fucking responsive.”
I laughed breathlessly, feeling bold. “Your turn to fall apart.”
His eyes darkened with heat. “Is that a challenge?”
“Absolutely.” I pushed him back toward the pool’s edge, where a wider ledge sat just above the water. He sat, legs spread, his cock hard and curving up toward his stomach. I straddled him, the steam rising around us like a veil, water lapping at our calves.
He gripped my hips, guiding me down, but let me set the pace. “Ride me, Adele. Take what you need.”
I lowered myself slowly, feeling him stretch me, bit by delicious bit. Thick and long, he filled me completely, and I paused when he was fully seated, adjusting to the feel. “Fates, this is good.”
He groaned, his hands sliding up to cup my breasts, his fingertips teasing my nipples. “Your tight, wet heat was made for me.”
I started moving, rocking my hips, finding a rhythm that made us both gasp. He whispered praises in my ear that made me hotter. “Look at you, bouncing on my cock like a queen claiming her throne. Fuck, your breasts are amazing. So full, so sensitive.”
His words fueled me, making me grind harder, chasing the building pleasure. One hand stayed on my breast, pinching lightly, while the other drifted down to where we joined, his thumb circling my clit. “Let me feel you squeeze me. I want to hear you scream my name again.”
The friction inside, the pressure on my clit, and his hands everywhere was almost too much.
I felt our bond snap into place, a warm, golden thread weaving through our minds, our souls.
“Mine. Always,” he growled in my ear.
“Yours,” I gasped, the emotional wave hitting as hard as the physical. Tears pricked my eyes from feeling so connected, so loved.
He surged up, pounding into me, capturing my mouth in a kiss that tasted of forever.
“I love you,” he said, his voice breaking. “Feel that? We’re bonded now.”
Lifting me off his cock, he leaned me on my belly against the side of the pool and centered his cock at my entrance. One thrust seated him fully, and we both went wild, me panting and pushing back to meet him, him pulling out and driving himself back inside.
He leaned over and stroked my clit, and my orgasm ripped through me, my body clenching around his. He followed, groaning my name, his hips bucking up as he spilled inside me.
We stayed like that, locked together, our hearts pounding.
“Fates, Adele,” he said, pressing his forehead against the back of my head. “That was everything.”
He pulled out and lifted me, carrying me back into the pool where he gently washed me. After, he dried us both. His touches were tender now, no longer hurried, each pat and rub a silent I love you.
“You’re shivering,” he said, wrapping a dry towel around me.
“Aftershocks,” I teased.
He pulled me close, his body heat chasing away any chill.
After tossing aside the cloths, he scooped me up again, taking me to the bedroom.
The bed was a welcome sight, sheets turned down, pillows fluffed.
He laid me down, sliding in beside me, pulling the covers over us.
His arms came around me, holding me close, my head on his chest where I could hear his heartbeat.
“Mine,” I whispered.
He kissed the top of my head. “Always yours.”
We lay tangled together, the fire popping softly nearby.
As I drifted to sleep in his arms, I knew this was just the beginning.
I was fated, loved, and utterly content.