Korinn

KORINN

M y breath hitched as Denna's lips crashed into mine, her kiss demanding and fervent. Her mouth was a contradiction, soft yet insistent, her touch sparking lightning through my veins. I was hers to command, to claim, but not without a few preparations.

I grappled with the sodden fabric of her dress, the material clinging stubbornly to her form. "This won't be necessary for now," I murmured against her parted lips, my hands peeling the dress up and over her head, casting it aside toward the shore.

Her gaze followed the arc of the garment before returning to mine, her pupils dilated with desire. "Give me what I crave," she implored, her fingers digging into my shoulders as she pressed her naked form against me.

The shock of skin on skin sent a jolt through me. My hands found her waist, fingers sinking into the pliancy of her flesh as I lifted her, pulling her from the water to meet my eager kiss. Her breasts emerged, water cascading down the pale mounds crowned with rosy peaks, beckoning my worship with hands and mouth until she cried out in rapture.

But Denna's lips were back on mine, her tongue invading my mouth, entwining with my own in a dance of passion. She hitched one leg around my uninjured thigh, climbing me with an urgency that made stars burst behind my eyelids. Feeling her hot center grind against my rigid length, separated by nothing but a thin veil of water, was both exquisite torment and a promise of ecstasy.

"I never thought this would happen," she confessed between panting breaths. "The way we met..."

"Forget that," I growled, a possessive fire burning within me. "It's your quest that's led us here. Right now, I have other, more urgent thoughts." To emphasize my point, I rocked into her, eliciting a sharp intake of breath.

She dragged her teeth along the tendon in my neck, soothing the sting with a languid swipe of her tongue. "Oh? And what might those be?" Her voice was a sultry purr, vibrating through me.

In response, I captured her lips once more, swallowing the moan that escaped her. Our kisses grew in desperation as she undulated against me, the slick friction of her folds against my shaft driving me to the brink. I needed to be inside her. Now.

A metallic clink echoed between us as our pendants bumped together, tangling. Denna reached to separate them, but I intercepted her wrist, guiding her hand to rest over the thunderous beat of my heart. "Leave them," I said, my voice rough with desire. "Take it as a sign."

Understanding flared in her eyes, and then she kissed me again, deep and filthy, as her hand ventured south, encircling my aching shaft with a familiarity that belied the brevity of our acquaintance. I hissed through my teeth as she worked me with confident, firm strokes, from base to tip.

"I want to make love to you," she whispered against my lips. "I want to feel you inside me. Filling me. Stretching me."

Lust surged through me, robbing me of speech. I could only groan in response as she continued to manipulate me with her hand. My hips moved of their own accord, seeking more of her touch.

Taking my wordless sounds as consent, Denna aligned us with her grip on my length. The blunt head of my cock nudged against her slick entrance, and we both trembled with anticipation. Slowly, eyes locked, she sank onto me, enveloping me in her scorching heat inch by delectable inch.

Once fully sheathed, we paused, chests heaving, pulses racing in unison. The only sounds were our ragged breaths and the gentle lapping of the water against our bodies. Then Denna began to move, rocking languidly in my lap, savoring the drag and glide of our connected bodies. "You feel amazing," she sighed, her spine undulating like a serpent. "So hard. So perfect."

"Gods, Denna." My hands flew to her hips, fingers pressing into the taut muscle, urging her to increase her pace. She was so tight, so wet, gripping me like a vice. The slip and catch of her inner walls with every undulation of her hips rapidly frayed my control.

As if sensing my growing desperation, she rode me with increased fervor, rising up until only the tip remained before impaling herself upon me once more. The water churned around us, her breasts bouncing enticingly with every dynamic plunge. Droplets clung to her collarbones, her hair, her eyelashes—she was a wanton river goddess, and I, her willing supplicant.

"Touch me," she demanded, guiding one of my hands to the juncture of her thighs. I groaned at the feel of her, hot and swollen and exquisitely soft. My fingers found her sensitive nub and circled it, applying just the right amount of pressure.

Denna's keening cry filled the air, a sound of pure need that made my balls tighten. She was on the precipice, I felt it in the trembling of her thighs, the erratic tempo of her movements. Determined to push her over the edge, I thrust up into her as I stroked her towards oblivion.

"Yes, yes, yes," she chanted, her voice thin and thready with pleasure. "Korrin, I'm going to—I'm?—"

Her words dissolved into a wordless cry of ecstasy as she shattered in my arms, her body convulsing around mine. Her inner muscles fluttered around me, rippling, milking, coaxing me to join her in bliss. With a hoarse shout, I let go, my release jetting into her in long, hot spurts as I held her flush against me.

As the world slowly came back into focus, Denna collapsed bonelessly onto my chest, and I wrapped my arms around her, marveling at the way our racing hearts gradually synchronized in their deceleration. I never wanted to let her go.

We lay entwined, still joined, as our breathing returned to normal. Finally, Denna lifted her head from where it had been nestled beneath my chin. Her eyes were soft, sated, sparkling with the afterglow of our lovemaking.

"I think we're clean enough now," she said impishly, a satisfied little smile playing about her well-kissed lips.

Tightening my arms around her, I nuzzled into the damp silk of her hair. "Agreed. Let's warm ourselves by the fire."

With that, I scooped her up, ignoring the twinge in my injured leg, and carried her toward our camp on the shore. She nestled into me with a contented sigh, her arms looped lazily around my neck.

"My dress is over there," she commented, though she made no move to retrieve it.

"I'll fetch it for you later. Much later," I promised, my voice a low, suggestive rumble. The heat in her gaze as she looked up at me could have rivaled the glow of the eternal twilight.

After we had loved each other to the point of exhaustion, we lay tangled together on our bedroll. I traced idle patterns on the smooth skin of Denna's side, lost in the play of light across her hair, the sated vulnerability in her eyes.

Until my fingers registered a change in texture. Fine lines marring her skin.

"What is this?" I growled, bending over to examine the white scars, fury rising as I realized they were too carefully placed to be anything but deliberate.

She rolled over and sat up. "Firewhips. I told you things were bad in the Temple, right?

My mind blanked white as the Valti howled. "I'll kill them all. Anyone who ever treated you that way."

"I wouldn't stop you," she shrugged. "But we need to get out of here first."

I tensed as Denna's delicate features flickered with uncertainty. "Korrin...there's something I need to tell you."

Frowning, I cupped her cheek, urging her gaze to meet mine. "Tell me anything. I'll always listen. You know that, don't you?"

Leaning into my touch, she took a deep breath, exhaled shakily. "I discovered remnants of an ancient village, crumbling ruins, yet definite evidence of past inhabitants. And leading away from it, cutting through the shadows...a proper road."

My heart raced at her revelation. A path to the surface world, to sunlight and stars we had forsaken. But why had she concealed this earth-shattering discovery until now?

As if sensing my unvoiced query, Denna hastened to explain. "I knew the moment you learned of a potential exit, you'd insist on venturing forth, injuries be damned."

I started to protest, then chuckled instead. "You perceive me too keenly. You speak true—even now, I yearn to demand you guide me to these ruins."

Relief softened her expression, and she brought my hand to her lips, bestowing a tender kiss. "Your tenacity is admirable. But I would see you fully healed before we embark on such a perilous journey."

I flexed my leg tentatively. The ache had faded to a dull throb, the muscles protesting yet functional. Only a fool would brave the unknown at less than peak condition. And I was no fool.

"The hot springs have worked wonders, but a few more focused soaks certainly couldn't hurt."

Denna pushed to her feet, offering me a hand up with an impish grin. "Then let us not tarry a moment longer! If soaking is what you require, I'm more than happy to assist. Just to ensure your healing progresses apace, you understand."

"Oh, I understand, all right." Smirking, I allowed her to pull me upright before snaking an arm around her waist and hauling her against me. She came willingly, a breathy laugh escaping her as her curves molded to my planes. "I'd be lost without your assistance. Truly."