16. Arrick

Chapter sixteen

Arrick

H er hand sits so small and soft in mine that I take it from its hold on my arm and put it to my lips. I kiss the pads of her fingers, taking this moment for myself, acting with nothing but selfish intent. I want every part of her on my lips, and this seems like a good place to start.

She scans my body for a while. If she finds a particular ring of spells interesting, she asks me their purpose.

We go back to washing after a while. She scrubs at her clothes so hard I'm concerned they will fall apart at the seams. Then she cleans her dark hair, now weighed down by the water. She works her hair into a thick lather and completely submerges it, washing the soap away.

I could watch her all night .

She looks relaxed for the first time since I found her, letting the hot water sink into her skin and muscles.

I desperately want her. Since the moment I found this curious, beautiful, fascinating woman, I have craved her. Even if I didn't fully realize it.

Looking over at her wet hair and exposed skin reminds me of something, a conversation I should have already had with her. "Yera" I say, my voice low.

She barely hears me while wiping the water and soap from her eyes and face. "Yeah, what's up?"

She's casual, and I hope what I'm about to say doesn't keep her from my arms tonight.

"About last night." Her arms drop to her sides. I have her full attention. This will not be easy. "I wanted to clarify some things before, you know, we did anything else. If we do anything else," I correct. Now she looks scared.

"You're not going to tell me you can get STIs from fingers, are you?" she says, almost wincing.

"What's an STI?"

This conversation is getting away from me.

"It's a sickness you get or give from sexual encounters. Do you have those here?"

I'm shocked. I guess the magic protects us from much more than aging. "No, we don't have any of that here, to my knowledge. Sorry, I'm getting off track. I meant to tell you that what we do here in this forest isn't exactly private."

I hold one eye closed in a mock shield from the wrath I expect to receive. A moment passes, and she hasn't struck me yet, so that's a good sign.

"If something isn't exactly private, that would mean it's public. Did I interpret correctly?" she says.

Oh shit, she's mad.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think about it at the moment. How could I? Nothing else was going on in my brain other than how excited I was to have my hands on you."

A small smile jerks in the corner of her mouth when she hears that, and I'm hoping I can salvage things. I take a deep breath and continue. "This morning, I was obviously thinking about touching you, and it occurred to me I'm not completely in the dark when it comes to pleasing a woman because I've seen it many times."

"Are you spying on people fucking in the woods?"

Now she's mad. Her mouth twists, and she moves from my side, cutting through the hot water to the steps.

"No. I mean, yes. Kind of. Fuck, this is hard to explain."

I move after her, silently begging her not to leave.

"Every creature of magic in the forest is connected to the other. They share images along with conversations. So if one creature stumbles upon a couple having sex in the woods, we usually see it."

Her body halts before moving up the rocky steps, water dripping from her dark hair down her curved frame.

She looks so stunning that I'll tell her anything she wants to know to keep her here. She turns back to look at me.

"So this is just a forest of perverts, is that what you're telling me?"

Her slight hint of sarcasm gives me all the hope in the world. "I can't honestly say if someone were to send me an image of a couple fucking in the woods that I wouldn't watch it." I breathe a heavy sigh of relief.

"Do people know they are being watched?" she asks.

"Yes, unless someone brought them here from another realm like you. Everyone knows the creatures are connected, and what they see, we all see."

"Then why does it happen so often?" She thinks about it momentarily, and a large, bright smile blooms. A laugh hitches in her throat as the realization takes full effect. "I guess this is the land of perverts, not just the forest." She steps back into the water and swims toward me. "I mean, I don't want to yuck someone's yum. Getting pleasure from being watched is also a thing where I'm from. Not exactly my thing, but I'm not opposed to the idea."

We're face-to-face now. I tuck a wet strand of hair behind her ear, exposing the soft slope from neck to shoulder. She looks up at me doe-eyed, her full mouth slightly parted. I feel the trace of her hands over the small of my back, and I snap.

I take her face with both hands and bring her mouth to mine. Her supple lips part gently under the pressure of my heated kiss. I rake my fingers from her jawline to the back of her head, twining my hands in her hair. I kiss her fiercely, and she kisses back, our lips perfectly locked with one another. I take her bottom lip, sucking it into my mouth and biting it slightly. She moans and presses her bared flesh to mine.

Our kiss is deep and frantic. Our tongues lap and tease while her hard nipples rub against my chest. I pull her closer, lifting her slightly so she hitches a leg around my waist. I stop for a moment, just a moment, when I realize my hard length is pressing against the apex of her thighs.

Her hips rock when she feels the friction of my intrusion, and then she moans. She moans so fucking loud it takes everything I have not to push into her right now.

And then she moans louder. Wait. We both stop. That's not her. Fuck .

The shrieks ring into the night air, intensifying as the creatures cover more distance. Again, three distinctive bellows rock everything under their path. Their forms reflect as shadowed shapes flying past the full moon.

I grab Yera by the hand and pull her out of the water. The cries are still in the distance, so we have a chance. Naked and barefoot, we launch onto the path. Rocks and hard dirt scratch at the pads of our feet while we thunder to where the exposed trail meets back with the forest.

Unfortunately, the tree cover is sparse, so I need to find something else to block out our forms from view. We reach the line where the rocky water-tumbled moonscape crosses into scattered pine trees and small shrubs.

Panic rises when the calls get closer, and we can feel the vibration in the ground strengthening. I wish to vaporize the beasts when I see Yera's panicked face, but I'm helpless to make a difference.

A large rhododendron bush just ahead eats up much of its surroundings. It stands at least five feet tall and is almost twenty feet wide. We will get scratched to hell, but it's worth it if it keeps Yera safe.

I plow us headfirst into the bush, ripping away stems and branches, trying to hollow out a path and make the entrance easier for her. She is making small wincing noises behind me when a sapling breaks from me and smacks her soft skin.

This is as good a spot as any. I duck down to check if the night sky is visible through the dense leaves. I lay down on my side and gesture for Yera to do the same.

The ground shakes more violently under us now as the harpies grow close. My stomach churns after each passing shriek, a sound so wretched men have popped their eardrums to rid their heads of the incessant pounding .

Yera and I are lying next to one another, face-to-face. I take her into my arms and hold her tight to my body. Her skin is cold and clammy, and she is heaving for breath. I take her face in my hands, examining it, using every perception skill to determine if she will be okay and check that she's not shutting down completely.

She is smudged with dirt and has light scratches but looks relatively unharmed. I wish we could speak, if only to ensure she's not collapsing in on herself. I want to let her know that I'll do anything in my power to keep her safe.

Another quake and ear-shattering bellow sounds. This time, I can see it—her panic. Her eyes go wide and watery when harpies continue to circle. Her fingers dig into my skin, and she shakes next to me. I look at her as intensely as possible. What do you need? What can I do for you? I will my thoughts to hers. Please show me what you need. I project as much into my stare as I can. I want to know how to help keep her calm, how to help the fear rising in her like a storm surge.

Her body trembles next to mine, shaking under the pressure of the surrounding violence. I turn her entirely on her back to cover her quaking frame with mine.

She trembles under me, tears resting in the corners of her wild eyes. My hands rub gently over her hair and face. I wait for her to calm down and melt into my warmth, letting her know she's safe and that I will let nothing happen to her.

The screams come again. This time, they are directly overhead. Trees start to groan in protest. Debris falls all around us, the refuse of withered leaves sticking to our fear-streaked skin.

Yera's breathing becomes ragged, and her eyes roll under her hooded lids. Stay with me, beautiful; don't descend into your fear .

I feel so helpless. How can I distract her and pull her from her mind momentarily? I press a small, heated kiss on her lips, and her eyes snap to attention.

That got a reaction. I give her another soft-tasting kiss and watch her face as I do. Her open, alert stare softens, and her hand moves up to brace on my back.

Her shaking eases as she leans further into the kiss, mouth parting, allowing me access. My tongue quickly sweeps through her mouth, tempting and tasting. Her face is rested in both of my hands, and I take her lips and tongue with all the tenderness and passion in my being.

The earth still falls apart, but we are no longer on it. I am entirely focused on her lips and soft body under mine. I realize now that we're both naked, and I'm between her legs, and the apex of her thighs is growing hotter by the minute.

My mouth is on hers, but I don't push or grind up against her. I wait for her to signal to let me know she wants this.

Fuck, I want this.

I break the kiss, still holding her head in my hands. She looks dazed with lust, as I imagine I do.

My lips meet hers once again before I nuzzle at her neck, trailing teasing, biting kisses down her collarbone.

Down to her beautiful full breasts. I have been salivating at the thought of putting them in my mouth, and now nothing stops me. I kiss her softness and move to where she curves into her fullness, licking and nibbling as I do. I tease the skin around the nipple because I know that's where she wants me to go.

A hand cups over her mouth, silencing her panting. This gives me leave to pull her peaked nipple into my mouth and suck on her tender skin, hardening the nipple under my ministration. Her skin tastes like sweat and the forest, and I could lick and suck every part of her body for the rest of my life.

She is fully panting when I pull her other breast into my mouth and roll a long, languid swirl with my tongue. My hand moves to the place between her thighs she so graciously directed me to last night. Fuck, she is already wet. Her skin is so warm and supple that it makes my mouth water. Then, to my surprise, her finger goes under my chin and pulls me back up to meet her eyes with mine.

She moves my hand, letting my hard cock fall back into place, brushing up against her wetness. She rocks her hips at that contact, giving me a heated stare. My cock brushes against her again, and I throw a hand over my own mouth, stifling a groan. She nods.

I wonder if she is asking me if I want this or if she is telling me she wants this. If she is asking me, it is an enthusiastic yes!

I move her hand to my mouth, kissing the pads of her fingers, and nod back in approval. She smiles at me and clasps my jaw, holding me there momentarily, just gazing up, looking vulnerable and heated all at once.

Then she pulls my mouth back to hers, this time kissing me intensely. Our lips and tongues are clashing with one another desperately. With so much need behind every lick, every nibble, it sends shock waves through my body. My cock is so hard now that I grind it into the heat of her thighs, holding back a hiss because she is so wet for me, I want to lap it up with my tongue, want to taste her again.

She grinds back against me, seeking the friction we both desperately need. Then, the little minx moves her hand between us and seats my cock at her entrance, showing me exactly where to go.

I wish I could groan. I'm going to do this; I'm really going to do this. Sex is something curious to me but never a craving. Now, I fear I'll shatter into a million pieces if I can't have this woman—this beautiful, sumptuous creature below me. I've never wanted anything more in my life.

I don't squander the opportunity. My hips push up, and the head of my cock slides into her. She is so tight and hot, as if the spirits themselves made her for me. Oh, this feels so good. This feels fucking amazing. What have I been doing with my life?

She is round and supple, sure, but she's very patient compared to me. I hold back the urge to drive inside her like a daemon, instead taking my time inch by agonizing inch and letting her adjust to my length.

Our foreheads press against each other as we watch her body take me in. A shudder rocks through her when I'm seated to the hilt. Her body is gripping me so tight. It's a wonder I haven't come from just being inside her once. My eyes go dark at the corners from the sheer pleasure of it.

She rolls her hips again, lighting up every nerve ending in my body. I pull back just a bit and then thrust my cock back into her as deep as her body will allow. Her head goes back, and she covers her mouth again, stifling a moan. She likes that. Fantastic. I pull out a bit and then thrust back in. Her hands are now clawing at my back, and I work in a slow rhythm.

I want to tell her how fucking good she feels. I want to hear her cry out and say my name. I want to ask her to say my name. Is that wrong? All in good time.

After tonight, I will take her repeatedly until she can't see straight until I have marked her so thoroughly that everyone will know she's mine.

These dirty thoughts have me working her faster, thrusting harder and deeper, her hips moving to meet me at every intense joining .

I am ravenous for her. I pump in and out like I've lost my mind, like I have been starving my entire life and now get to feast.

She moves her mouth to my ear and whispers as quietly as she can manage, "You're going to make me come," snapping something inside me I didn't even know had pulled tight. Like a madman, I'm hammering into her, my cock grinding, touching all the hard-to-reach places.

She is biting into my shoulder, and I don't give a fuck if she draws blood. Mark me, year. Claim me as your own.

Her pussy starts to clench and shudder, so I grind into her deeper. Her body is grasping me so tight I'm about to come, too, but she needs to get there first.

It takes all my willpower to hoist her hips up for a deeper angle and start pistoning her again. I won't last long like this, but her pussy milks my cock, and I know she's done for. I thrust my length in and out so fast and deep that she quakes under me.

Her legs clasp around my hips, quiver, and then fall away as if her muscles suddenly gave way. Wet heat floods our joined bodies with her orgasm, and she has a hand clasped over her mouth to muffle the sounds of her release.

My peak builds, and the head of my cock swells. I burst inside her, spilling hot ropes of cum into her tight body. It's the most beautiful, intense thing I've ever felt.

I finish with long, torturous strokes as my orgasm wanes. Her walls are still clenching and pulsing with her release. I collapse on top of her, wanting to be inside of her for as long as I can. For…forever.