RUIN ME #2
Without hesitating, I summoned the dagger, sending it through the air from where it lay, aiming it right for Niall’s chiseled abdominal muscles that kept taunting me with each of his breaths.
A shadow swatted the weapon away like it was nothing, but I didn’t fret.
I had already roused my sword from where it lay forgotten about. It flew into my hand, and I lunged.
Niall turned just in time to parry his blade against mine, but unbeknownst to him, the dagger he’d deflected was soaring back at him from behind, on my silent command.
By the time he realized it, he was dodging too late, and the edge sliced his exposed flank as it flew by, embedding itself in a tree trunk on the other side of the ruins.
He hissed, and his eyes widened in disbelief as he lowered his sword. The slight bead of blood along his ribs washed away with the rain, and the shallow gash healed in a blink.
When he angled his head back to me, something in his eyes flickered. A hint of something dark flashed there, but was instantly swept away by desire. He tossed his sword to the side and reached for me, grasping the lapels of my shirt and ripping them apart, exposing my chest.
I gasped, not expecting the movement, but I held his stare.
His lips parted as his gaze dropped to my mouth.
And then, we ignited.
He moved, one hand grabbing my waist, the other wrapping around the back of my neck as he pulled me into him, crushing his lips to mine. My sword clattered to the ground, and my hands dove into his wet hair. He deepened the kiss, and his tongue swept in, tasting me with long, needy strokes.
Lightning flashed, and the rain came down harder as his hands tore at what remained of my shirt. At the same time, his shadows reached out, tugging on the leggings I was wearing, as I frantically toed off my boots.
I stepped out of my pants and reached out to unclasp his.
He broke the kiss to peel the wet fabric down his legs, letting out a growl, as if the momentary separation of our bodies was a major inconvenience.
His passion-heated gaze was hot enough to burn a hole through me as he pulled each pant leg off.
When he stood again, freed of all his clothes, I followed a drop of rain down his chest, past the deep indentations at the edge of his hips, to his thickened length, erect and ready.
Then, he was upon me once more, taking me down to the pavement, grinning against my lips as he kissed me.
“Take what you want, darling,” he breathed.
I gripped his heavy length and guided him to my entrance, lifting my hips to him, not a care in the world about the stone against my spine, or the rain that was falling around us, or the gods that were likely watching.
He pushed inside me, filling and stretching me with each re-entry, and my back arched off the ground. Water trickled over his jawline, dripping onto my neck as he steadied himself above me and groaned with pleasure.
“Take all of me,” he said, pushing in a third time, seating himself to the hilt.
His kiss was devouring, passionately vengeful, like he couldn’t taste enough of me, or be deep enough inside me. I panted between our rain-infused kisses, and moaned without restraint, the sounds drowned out by the roaring of the thunder through the mountains.
The storm raged, but each roll of Niall’s hips had me forgetting anything else even existed.
He dipped his head into my shoulder and grunted as he drove into me, harder, faster, holding my waist up off the stone and pulling me to him with each thrust. “I want every god to watch how thoroughly I’m about to ruin you,” he said, his voice so rough and raspy that I moaned just from the sound of it.
I didn’t care that I was splayed out beneath him, on top of the mountain, in the pouring rain, for all the gods to see. All I wanted was his thick length so deep inside me, that I wouldn’t be able to tell where he ended, and I began.
“Ruin me,” I said, my nails digging into his back.
His groan sent chills over my body. He slid his hand around the back of my thigh, gripping my flesh and bending my knee at his side as he slung his hips into mine, hitting every delicious pleasure point.
Lightning flashed, a deafening clap of thunder following immediately on its heels.
I let my head fall back to the pavement, arching my back, taking all that he gave me, my release building so fast and so potent that I cried out as it shattered through me.
Niall met me with a roar of his own that rivaled the storm, burying his head into my neck and holding me to him as he pumped his release inside me.
His body sank onto mine, and we caught our breaths.
“I love you,” he said into my neck. “You have no idea how much.”
I squeezed him tighter. “I love you too.”
When he pushed up onto his hands, I stared at him through the pelting rain. His wet hair hung forward over his handsome face, framed against the backdrop of the swirling gray sky above. A thin ring of gold circled his irises, pulsing with his heartbeat and the remnants of his ecstasy.
He pushed out his shield, encasing us both within it as he retrieved a towel from his magical pocket of space. Our clothes, or what was left of them—in my case—were too soaked to try to put back on.
“Sorry about the shirt,” he said with a grin.
I wrapped the towel around my shoulders and laughed. “No you’re not.”
He laughed as well, offering a hand to help me stand.
“I’m sorry for making you bleed,” I said, taking his hand and getting to my feet.
“No you’re not,” he echoed back.
“You’re right.” I smiled proudly.
Another laugh rumbled in his chest while he retrieved a second towel for himself. Then, his expression turned serious. He brought his free hand up to cup the side of my face. “I will gladly bleed for you. My life is yours to command.”
“I don’t want you to ever bleed for me though. I never want to see you hurt or injured.”
His thumb caressed my cheek. “Your life means more to me than my own, Auren. If that means I bleed in your stead, I will do it. Over and over again, I will sacrifice myself.”
The rain eased, as if it recognized the intensity of the moment and wanted to allow us a sliver of peace.
“I don’t think I could bear to watch you bleed again. Not like that,” I said, recalling the state I’d found him in just days ago. “I never want—”
“Shhh,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you never have to.”