I jostled him. “Who cares if we’re in a cave. I think it’s romantic.”
Wilder chuckled lightly. “On a bedroll, when your friends could come back at any moment. That’s romantic to you?” he asked. His laughter died, leaving him with a relaxed smile.
I reached up and traced the outer corners of his mouth. “Yes.”
Wilder eyed me in wicked amusement. Contemplating.
I waited … In one swift, heart-stopping move, he pulled my top and bra over my head and tossed them aside. He knelt above me and stared and stared. A heat wave swamped me, causing sweat to prickle all over my body.
I almost moved to cover myself when a strange sound had me pausing … Then, blushing. He was purring again. My body relaxed into the bedroll, loosening, melting, a newborn confidence awakening.
Next, he ripped off his leather tunic and black undershirt, being careful to maneuver around those beautiful, fragile wings. Revealing himself.
My breath came in a shudder as he wavered long enough for me to take in the broad shoulders above muscled arms. A sculpted, but scarred torso. Tanned, gleaming; rutting gorgeous. A portrait of a Warrior’s strength. A damned work of art.
Lowering himself over me, his body covering mine, his hand traveled up to find the underside of my breast. A slow, taunting circle around, followed by a thumb pressing against my peaked nipple.
The movement wrung a moan from my parted mouth.
My fingers ran through his hair. “Wilder, please.”
He drew back, looking amused and a touch wicked. Poised over my breast, he asked, “What is it that you want, exactly?”
As if he needed to hear me say it. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. This was so not my territory. Don’t be a coward, don’t be a coward, don’t be a coward.
“I want you to touch me.” I whispered.
A low, velvety purr responded. “I am touching you …”
As if to emphasize the point, he flicked the tip of his tongue against my nipple. That grazing motion made words tumble out before I had time to be embarrassed. “I want more … more of you.”
His body stilled. “Shall I tell you what I want, Serena?” He pulled back so that he could stare, his eyes like two burning stars, drawing me in and drowning me. “I want our first time to be away from everyone, where you’ll be most comfortable. Where I can make love to you.”
The stark intensity there fired my blood, and at the same time, a tiny tremor racked his body. “But, I’m not so cruel as to leave you without release.”
I almost mewled. He moved to lie by my side, dragging the cloak next to us up and over me. Bracing himself on his elbow, he gripped my hand and guided it down, down … “I won’t touch you until you’ve felt for yourself.”
We plunged under my waistband together. And found that sensitive spot. He got me to pause for a heartbeat, brushing, stroking … before continuing down.
Something about that broke the tether on his control. He ripped our hands from my pants and grabbed my chin, yanking me to his mouth. Unleashing himself on me. I couldn’t think past his burning lips and the way his tongue slipped inside, dancing with my own. A mad passion made me bite his lip. He moaned into my mouth and went to grasp my hand, the one that had circled that bundle of nerves. Wilder dragged my fingers to his parted mouth and paused there. He gave me a taunting smirk that had my knees snapping together, clenching hard.
Then I nearly ignited at the sight of him sucking on my fingers. On me. My insides were a molten puddle. It was unbearable. “Stop teasing,” I barked at him.
His eyes flashed for a moment. Shit. He pushed himself up. A tight movement; his back and wings tensed. Staring at me as if … As if he wanted to feast on every inch. He brazenly yanked my leggings, underpants, and socks down and mounted himself between my legs.
Gods. He gripped each knee, spread my legs and lowered himself. I burst from my seams at the first touch of his tongue. My hips bucked, and his hands went to my waist. Pushing down, pinning me to the floor and growling. His tongue swept up and down, circling that burning need. Never letting me fall over the edge—never enough to release me. I moved my hips in time with his movements, begging him silently, fasterfasterfaster.
A long, slow stroke down ended with me arching up. A plea and an offering.
Then, he paused.
I panted softly, gulping in air. “Don’t stop.”
He came to rest back beside me, his head braced against his elbow. “Don’t worry. I just wanted to watch this.”
A lazy, sly smile lit his face as his hand traveled straight down to my core. My patience frayed. I grasped the back of his head and pulled him toward me. Our mouths met in a savage clash. I tasted myself at the exact moment as he pushed up.
I broke our kiss with a moan at the tender soreness. The strokes were gentle, exploratory. I lost all sense of time and space and self as he moved. Once, twice, slow, slow—fast. I bayed as pain and pleasure fought for dominance.
“You’re glorious. You know that?” he whispered.
Moremoremore.
My eyes fluttered, and he ducked his head next to my nape, snarling. Nipping. Loving.
I turned my head toward him, half out of my mind. “Wilder …”
He unleashed a soft snarl that heated the side of my face. “Come home to me, my love.”
My hand drifted to his mouth. To his beautiful, filthy mouth and traced the curve. He caught my forefinger with his canines. The restraint with which his teeth held me combined with the fast, certain sweeps to my core … It was almost too much. My hips bucked as that fire and friction built and built into skin-tingling, fire-breathing pleasure.
His thumb moved up and flicked, pressed—
Seeing stars, flushing with pleasure, I exploded around him. My release charged down my spine. He freed my finger from his fang and bent down, raining light kisses over my face.
Moans turned to whimpers as he gently withdrew from me.
He pulled back a bit to stare. “I’d consider myself a lucky male if I could watch you do that for the rest of my days.”
“Wilder,” I gasped his name.
“Darling,” he purred.
That got me burning again.
Maybe he sensed this because he rolled away. I scowled as he pulled his undershirt back on. He saw and smirked, but his only response was to grab my top and say, “Up.”
I sighed through my nose and rolled my eyes. He just grinned and crooked a finger. “Come on.”
I sat up and let him pull my shirt over my head. At least he hadn’t bothered with the bra. Maybe …
Any thoughts that he’d give in were demolished when he reached out for my pants and leggings. He slid them on one foot at a time and jerked his chin up. An order to buck my hips. I growled, but submitted. When I was fully clothed again, he gently flipped me onto my side and moved behind me.
The sensible part of me knew it was better to take it slow. Frustration still boiled over when he covered us with his cloak and tucked me into the crook of his arm. I let out a little grumble to show my feelings. A rumbling laugh answered back. “Trust me, my love, I’m not happy about this either.”
He landed a quick kiss on my neck and then ran his hand up and down my spine until my frustration left me and a peace descended.
We stayed like that, occasionally breaking the silence with the odd teasing string of words, until the light outside dimmed. As shades of apricot, ruby, and amethyst illuminated the cave, my eyes grew heavy, and I drifted, perfectly content.
Chapter 29
Flying, Falling
Muffled sounds and an absence woke me. I blinked rapidly, adjusting to a weak light flickering against gray rock. I was still buried in the cloak, but that comforting warmth was gone. Wilder stood at the cave opening and fell over the edge. I sat up, my lips parting in a tiny gasp.
“Don’t worry,” Adrianna mumbled behind me.
I twisted to see her dressed in uniform and kneeling on a bedroll which she’d placed at the back of the cave. Frazer looked fast asleep beside her.
“He’s testing his wings,” she murmured.