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Then his mouth covered mine again, and there was nothing slow about the way he kissed me. I felt the water churning around us, mirroring the ebb and flow of our rising passion. Our lips moved together, exploring and tasting until I was breathless with need.
Then, things became wonderfully chaotic.
His hands went to the clasps down the back of my gown, but he grew impatient before the first was undone. “I’m going to apologize ahead of time.”
“Wha—?” I gasped as Ash gripped the back of the gown and tore the material straight down the middle. My eyes widened. “I really liked this gown.”
“I’ll have Erlina make you another,” he promised, claiming my mouth once more.
The gown slipped down my hips and legs and then floated away in the water. I tugged at his shirt, hearing the soft cloth tear. He laughed roughly, ducking his head. His shirt joined the gown somewhere in the pool, his wet, cool hands slipping over my breasts. His tongue danced with mine, and I felt his hands slide to my hips. His fingers made their way under the band of the silky undergarments as mine slipped over his wet breeches. He shoved the scrap of lace down, helping me step free of it, continuing to kiss me.
His hands replaced mine, shoving his breeches down. He pulled me against him, and I gasped into his kiss as I felt him thick and hard against my belly.
“Ash,” I moaned, his hand finding its way between my legs. His fingers traced delicate circles around my sensitive flesh, teasing and taunting me. My hips bucked against him instinctively, craving more of his touch. “I need you inside me.” Heat surged between my thighs. “Now.”
His answering groan sent a rush of hot pleasure through me. He lifted me, and I wrapped my legs around him once more. The arm at my waist shifted me until I felt the head of his cock at my entrance.
“I love you,” he said, cradling the back of my head.
Ash thrust into me as he drew me down, filling me with one deep, startling thrust. My breath hitched at the feeling.
“Gods, liessa…” Ash panted, his eyes locked on mine. He began moving within me. “You feel perfect.”
My nails dug into his shoulders, clinging to him as we picked up the pace. The water churned wildly around us, crashing against the sides of the pool. Waves of pleasure spun through my body, building and intensifying. Our moans and gasps echoed across the water, lost in the hum of the mills.
“This feels…it feels different.” He groaned, and I tightened around him. “You. Us. Everything.”
My mind raced, trying to process the myriad sensations—the pressure of Ash inside me, the water swirling around us, the sound of our mingled breathing and moans. It was overwhelming and intoxicating all at once.
“Hold on to me,” he said against my lips.
“Always,” I promised as he began walking us backward.
As we reached the steps, Ash lowered us so he was sitting and I was straddling him, my knees resting against the slick, smooth step. The change of position drew a ragged moan from me, and I let my forehead rest against his. Neither of us moved for several long moments. The water calmed, but our hearts didn’t.
With one hand on my hip, Ash lifted me until only the tip of his cock remained inside me, and then he stilled.
I whimpered against his mouth, wiggling against him, but he held me in place. “Ash.”
He chuckled, the sound husky and rough. “Fuck me, liessa.”
The wicked demand ignited a fire. My blood burned, and my skin tingled. But his command did more. Gave more. He was freely handing over control.
And giving it to me.
Gods, I was so in love with him.
Muscles low in my stomach clenched. Our eyes locked. “Yes, my King.”
His irises flashed silver when starlight filled them.
Pressing my hands against his chest, I slid down his length. The feel of him now was like a jolt of pure eather flooding my veins, making my heart race and my breathing shallow.
Our mouths came together once more, my body moving in a slow and sensuous dance. He held himself still, all but his hands. They roamed and explored, skating over the curves of my hips, the dip of my waist, and then the swells of my breasts as I rode him.
That deep, carnal sound came from him again. His hands slid to my bottom, his long fingers pressing into the flesh and squeezing. Every inch of my being ignited with pleasure, each stroke of his cock coaxing moans from my lips.
Moving up and down, I ran my hands over the muscles of his shoulders and traced my way down his chest, the coolness of his flesh under mine intensifying every ripple of sensation. I could feel power radiating off him as he restrained himself, and it caressed the same raw energy inside me, sending my desire soaring even higher.
His back bowed, and then his mouth replaced his fingers. I cried out when he sucked the hardened peak of my breast into his mouth. I gripped the back of his head, eyes closed and panting as I ground down on him, moving my hips in tight, almost frantic circles. I rocked against him, letting my head fall back and surrendering to the sensation—to the need. To him. Water whipped around us, splashing across the floor. I could feel myself tightening, rushing toward release, and in the back of my mind, it seemed almost impossible that the pleasure could feel this intense and stu
“I could stay like this forever.” Ash’s parted lips touched mine. “Feeling myself deep inside you. Feeling you begi
With each word, each powerful thrust, the tension increased to new heights. “I love you.”
Ash groaned, his arms encircling me as he pulled me down and against him, holding me tightly to his body. That rope broke, taking him with me. Waves of pleasure flooded me, and I cried out his name. I shook as the release continued spi
Ash’s chest rose against mine in a ragged inhale. “Fates,” he rasped.
My breath caught as I felt him jerk one last time inside me. “Same.”
Silence fell between us, and he dragged his hand up under my hair in slow, soothing strokes. I couldn’t help but think of all we’d had to overcome to get to this moment and the…the lives growing inside me. They felt like a testament to our love. A miracle.
Quite some time later, Ash and I lay in bed. I was on my back, my head resting on his chest. His head was propped up on the pillows, one hand in my hair and the other on my lower stomach. We were both naked, our bellies full of the di
We’d made love again upon returning to the chamber, and then again after di
It was for the babes.
But…but what about him?
I sat up, facing him. Our eyes met. My heart began to race, but I wanted to do the same for him, even though my anxiety rose. I wanted to get over the fear. I needed to. “Ash, do you need—?”
“No. I fed from Rhain earlier.” He guided my head back to his chest, and I fought to quell the rising disappointment. “I don’t even know if I should be feeding from you now.”
“Really?” The vadentia was quiet, and my stomach sank a little. “That could be a problem. If you can’t take my blood, if nobody can, how will I Ascend others? That’s the crux of our plan.”
He was quiet for a moment. “We’ll have to ask Kye.”
I’d finally agreed to have the Healer come in the morning. Ash had wanted to summon him while we ate, but it was night, and nothing was going to change between now and tomorrow.
I thought about the whole process of exchanging blood—eather. “I Ascended Penellaphe, and it didn’t cause any problems.”
“We don’t know that.” His thumb moved in a slow circle under my navel. “It may explain why the last of the bruises haven’t healed.”
My chest clenched. Damn. That could explain it. I looked down at my stomach. The contrast of his golden-bronze hand against my paler skin was stark. “You know, I had bruises almost everywhere after fighting Kolis.”
“I know,” he growled.
Placing my hand over his, I tipped my head back to look up at him. “But I didn’t have any on my stomach—on my lower stomach. It was almost like…”
“What?”
I lowered my gaze. “Like the essence was protecting that area—them.” I let out a low laugh. “That sounds kind of ridiculous.”
“I don’t think it does,” he said. “The essence is an extension of your will. Perhaps even on a subconscious level.”
I nodded, falling quiet. He continued tracing circles over my belly, and I realized I had so many questions and thoughts.
“Do you want anything else to eat?” he asked.
I laughed and turned my head to the side. “If you have me eat anything else tonight, I think I’ll burst.”
He gri
“No, it would be gross.”
He chuckled, and for a little bit, a companionable silence descended between us as I watched his hand on my stomach. From the moment we’d lay down, his hand hadn’t strayed far from that area, and that was…that was sweet.
Gods, we were going to have a babe. Two of them. My breath caught like it had every time that nugget of realization formed. What would Ezra—?
My heart twisted. I couldn’t tell Ezra. Or my mother. Sorrow rose as I pressed my lips together. Ezra would’ve been happy—shocked but thrilled for me. My mother? I didn’t know how she would’ve responded, but I would’ve liked to have the chance to learn.
I had to think of something else because I didn’t think that kind of pain was good for the babes or me. Gods, a lot of things wouldn’t be good.
It was quiet, but Ash knew my mind wasn’t. “What are you thinking?”
I dragged my fangs over my lower lip. “Random stuff.”
His thumb swept back and forth, just below my navel. “Like?”
“I was just wondering if shifting into my nota will affect them,” I admitted. “I mean, I assume not since it hasn’t yet, and instinct tells me no.”
“But you’re still worried?”
“Me? Never.”
He laughed again, and gods, it was so rare to hear him laugh so deeply and freely. “Well, we’re adding that to the list of things to ask Kye.”
“It’s going to be a long list,” I murmured, thinking about tomorrow. I had no idea what would be involved when it came to that kind of checkup, and I wasn’t even going to think about it because it would probably stress me out.