And then his lips were crashing into hers. His earthy smell enveloped her, the firmness of his body touching the center of hers, and the press of his lips soft, yet unyielding, as he demanded every inch of her mouth.
She tried again to pull her arms down, but he tightened his hold, demanding she submit. A sharp pinch had her pulling in a breath as he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, nipping it with his teeth. Her lips opened in surprise, a moan escaping her.
Jaren didn’t miss a second. He thrust his tongue into her mouth like he wanted to taste the sound. His tongue danced with hers, and her mind emptied of everything except the feel of him.
He released her wrists, wrapping one hand around her plait and yanking, bringing her face sharply up as his other hand wrapped around her throat. His thumb pushed her chin up until she was completely at his mercy.
Reaching up, Vera combed her fingers through his dark hair, almost moaning again when she confirmed the strands to be just as soft as she’d imagined. As he continued to kiss and nip at her lips, she curled her fingers, digging her nails into his scalp.
It snapped the restraint he must have been clinging to. Moving the hand at her throat to her jaw, he squeezed, forcing her mouth to open even more for him, and snarling in satisfaction, he consumed her.
She ground against him, the buildup in her core growing. But just as she thought she might break apart, he pulled away, leaving her gasping for breath. She knew she had to look as desperate as she felt, but she couldn’t rein in her emotions. They were too potent.
“Don’t worry, little star, I won’t leave you unfulfilled.” He released her, only to grip her ass, lifting her as easily as if she weighed nothing. He held her pressed against him, wrapping her legs around his waist.
She’d thought he was only going to kiss her. He’d made it clear he wouldn’t have sex with her, but maybe he’d changed his mind? Her confusion must have shown.
“If you think I’m going to stop at just the taste of your lips, you have severely underestimated my intentions.”
Oh gods. She was going to explode into a thousand pieces.
He walked over to the bed and gently lowered them both until she was lying on her back, and he leaned over her shuddering form. His eyes traveled from her face down her body, stopping between her legs as if he could see the wetness now pooling there.
“The desire to bury myself inside of you is destroying me, Veralie. To feel your wet heat clench around me as I pound into you until you can’t remember any name but mine. I want to ruin you, worship you, claim you and make you burn only for me.”
He licked his lips as he began to ease her tunic up her torso. “But until that moment, I will settle for enjoying you another way.”
He pushed the fabric up, halting right below her breasts, and she vocalized her disappointment when he didn’t remove it completely. A smirk—one only an arrogant male could have—appeared on his face. “I don’t plan on indulging in the entire meal during the first course.”
She choked, the sound half laugh and half groan, “You’re trying to kill me.”
Tsking at her, he lowered his face to her stomach, trailing his tongue down the center and swirling it around her navel. “Trust me, my restraint is just as painful for me, if not more.”
“Then why torture yourself?” she breathed. The words came out sounding whiny, but she didn’t care. Her entire focus centered on his tongue now moving below her navel.
“I wouldn’t call it torture. I’d call it…heightening the experience.”
As his fingers twisted in the top of her trousers and began to pull, she tensed, suddenly self-conscious. He’d clearly done this before, and with who knew how many partners. While she had no idea what the fuck she was doing.
Jaren’s movements froze, sensing the change in her body. He lifted his head, staring into her eyes. “Did I ever tell you that you smell like a burning star?”
“What?”
“Your scent, it’s like a burning star. Like your soul itself was made from a swirling storm of fire and iron. It’s intoxicating, Veralie.” He placed a kiss on her stomach, and her heart fluttered.
“There is nothing about you that does not draw me in. You never have to second guess with me. I know intimacy is new for you, and there is not a single part of me that is not aware of how fucking lucky I am to be the one to experience and show you.”
He kissed her, and it was nothing like the clash and pull of their first kiss. This one was slow and deep as if he wanted to pull her heart out of her chest and hold it to his own.
His fingers again began to pull the fabric down her legs, and he left her mouth to kiss along her throat, across the tunic still bunched below her breasts, and down her torso. Vera fisted the blanket on either side of her, still tense but thrumming with anticipation. What would those long, calloused fingers feel like against her? Inside her?
Finally removing the last of her clothing, he flung it across the room. A sound she could only describe as predatory, burst from his chest as he sat back and stared down at the apex of her thighs. His nostrils flared, and she swore his eyes darkened even further, making them seem more black than green, before he gripped her hips with inhuman speed.
Sliding his hands around to cup her ass, he tilted her up to meet his mouth. Before her startled breath could leave her lips, he buried his face between her thighs. Inhaling deeply, he emitted a dark, pleased growl, and it vibrated against her core, drenching her even more.
Her back arched when his tongue began to move, and she reflexively reached up and dug her fingers in his hair, holding his head in place.
Her reaction seemed to encourage him as another sound rumbled through his body, and the licks and thrusts of his tongue became more enthusiastic and determined.
Never pausing his ministrations, he lowered her ass to the mattress, ran his hands down her thighs, and pushed them out. With her legs spread as wide as possible, he continued to devour her completely. She’d never felt more exposed, and the sensation was altogether exquisite and sinful.
“Gods, Jaren, I can’t—”
He paused, lifting his head just enough to look at her. Her heart skipped a beat at the possessive gleam in his eyes. “I could bury my tongue deep inside you every day and still never be satisfied.”
His voice was rough, and the grip on her thighs tightened, his nails biting into her flesh. “I will never not crave the taste of you nor the intoxicating smell of your desire. You are mine, little star. Every inch of you was created for only me.”
His claim should have terrified her, but it didn’t. He didn’t want to own or control her. He just wanted her. The knowledge was freeing, and she couldn’t fight the flare of arousal nor the incoherent words that burst from her lips.