Finally, when he had wrung every drop of sensation, he rose above her, need and desperation on his face. He pulled her legs up and pressed her knees to her chest before fisting himself in one hand, pumping once then twice. Fallon guided himself inside her, filling her up until she was almost too full.
His gaze was too intimate like this. It made Shea feel like he saw inside her in a way nobody had before. Like he could reach out and touch her inner most self.
He began moving in her, each thrust sending need spiking through her. Her head fell back as it threatened to send her crashing back into the deeps. He grabbed her chin, pulling it down and meeting her eyes with his own. His hand was a searing brand against her skin. It slid down until it lightly circled her neck before coming to rest on her chest. He tweaked one of her nipples and added a twist to his thrust, reaching a new spot inside her.
She jerked, one hand pressing against his chest, her nails digging in just slightly.
He grunted as his thrusts picked up pace. He reached, down circling her clit.
“I’m close. Get there.” Fallon’s voice was rough with desire.
Breathy sounds escaped Shea as sensation quickened and the wave rolled back, bigger than before. Her skin pulled tight, as if the faintest brush of air against it would send her catapulting out of this world.
He thrust deep one last time with a long groan. The wave crested and she gave a strangled shriek as she slid down that deep tunnel of feeling with him.
Spent, he collapsed on top of her, his weight a welcome feeling as they came down from the high. Both panted with the intensity of the experience.
Shea brushed her fingers up and down Fallon’s back in a relaxing caress as she stared up at the ceiling of the tent.
He slipped out of her though he didn’t move from his position, just shifting slightly so his weight didn’t crush her. He turned his head to look at her from where he had buried it in the pillow. “What are you thinking?”
She threaded her fingers through his hair, letting the strands slide against her skin. “That as good as you are at that, it doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for sneaking out of camp when you left.”
His grin was slow in coming as she turned to face him. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
“I’m serious. Once I’ve had a chance to sleep and recover from this escapade, we’re going to have a talk.”
He pressed a kiss against her nose. “Later.”
She made a small sound of assent. Yes. Later. When they weren’t in the postcoital glow. She wanted clothes and plenty of space between them when they had that talk so he couldn’t distract her.
He pushed up, holding his weight above her with just his arms. She looked down his body and smirked. He did look nice like that, all firm and hard—the ridges and planes of his chest and abs on display.
Noticing her glance, he tweaked a nipple as he shifted to the side. She slapped his hand away even as she giggled, a sound she only seemed to make around him when he brought out her playful side.
He drew her into his arms, wrapping her tight. With anyone else she would have felt constricted, but with him she’d never felt so safe or cherished. This was what she’d missed when he’d been gone. The weight of him, the warmth of his body in their bed and the wordless comfort a simple embrace could offer.
Fallon pressed a kiss to the top of her head as he drew meaningless designs on her back. She shivered, the sensation threatening to spark another conflagration, before she settled again.
“I have missed you,” he said.
She shifted against him. She was glad to hear that, even if that was entirely his fault.
“I’ve missed you too.”
“Have you been up to anything interesting while I’ve been gone?”
She frowned against his shoulder before tilting her head back and attempting to pierce him with her best glare. It was missing a huge component since she was currently pressed naked against him, but she tried anyway.
“No, actually, I haven’t because you assigned a woman to me with all the sticking power of a burr. She’s been relentless in trying to train me to be the perfect Trateri woman.”
Fallon stared down at her with a rare expression for him—surprise. It helped allay the worst of Shea’s ire. Until right then, she hadn’t fully believed Daere when she said that Fallon hadn’t planned to change her into a Trateri woman.
“What are you talking about?”
“She’s spent the last few months trying to drill me in the etiquette and behavior befitting the Telroi of the Trateri Warlord. She’s lucky I didn’t feed her to any sleeper vines.”
“Sleeper vines?” he asked in a curious voice.
Ah, that’s right he probably hadn’t been acquainted with them before he headed out.
“They’re a carnivorous plant that camouflages itself among regular vines. When its prey comes near, it snatches the prey and drops it into its flower where it can digest and break the meat down into nutrients for the rest of the plant.”
He moved his head to look down at her in disbelief. She hid a smile in his chest. “Really? You’re not making that up, are you?”
“It’s all true. I swear. I had to save two of your men from one when they wouldn’t listen to reason.”
He settled back. “Next time just let the plant have them. It’ll save me from having to weed the idiots from my ranks.”
Shea made a sound of agreement. Sleep had latched its tentacles around her and was fast dragging her down. Her eyes closed as she relaxed into Fallon, the feel of his hands rubbing her back lulling her further into sleep.
“Wait, where were your guards?”
Exhaustion stole the filter from her mouth. “You didn’t actually think I would listen to that order, did you?”
His chest tensed under her. She opened one eye to peer up at a set of whiskey colored eyes glaring down at her. She closed the eye and snuggled back into him. She was too tired for this conversation.
“Maybe not you, but them, definitely.”
She patted his stomach. “It’s cute how you think they could stop me.”
There was an angry huff above her head. This time she didn’t open her eyes, letting sleep pull her under. A kiss pressed against her ear and then Fallon pulled the covers up over her shoulder.
“You know that’s not why I left Daere with you?”
“What is?” her question was a drowsy murmur.
“I never wanted you to act as a normal Trateri woman. She’s there to provide guidance when you need it—to ease your path when possible.”
“Hmm,” was her only response.
“Sleep, Shea. We can discuss this when you’ve rested.” A short time later she thought she heard him whisper, “What am I going to do with you?”
She had no answer for him as she lost the battle against her exhaustion and fell into sleep’s embrace.
CHAPTER SIX
VOICES WOKE her, the partition doing little to shield her from the sound. Shea blinked sleepily at the empty pillow beside her. She stretched, sending one arm questing through the covers, already knowing she would find no warm body next to hers. The sheets still held a hint of his heat, meaning he hadn’t been gone long.