CHAPTER
9
GODS, HE WANTED TO
RESIST HER. HE’D THOUGHT to say no, to refuse to have sex with her.
But more than anything, he wanted her to want him. And only
him.
One last time. One
chance to make her his. After that . . .
To hell with ‘after.’
All he really had was now.
He crushed her in his
arms, kissing her, and curled his hand up into her hair, pulling it
loose of its bun. As desperate as he was, he forced himself to slow
down, easing up on his hold. He concentrated on Atira’s mouth, all
its textures and tastes. He felt her sigh, felt her arms go around
him, felt her warm hands spread out to caress his upper
back.
Heath moaned softly,
drawing her closer, letting his hands drift down to cup her ass.
Atira bucked into his groin and groaned into his mouth. “Heath . .
.” she whispered.
Heath broke the kiss
and buried his face in her neck. They both breathed deeply, wrapped
in each other’s arms.
Atira broke the
silence first. “Want this. So much. Your arms, your mouth. Heath, I
just want you.”
Heath drew a breath.
“You have me.”
“Want more.” Atira
reached for the bottom of his chain shirt.
Armor melted away,
weapons carefully placed within reach, as they took their time to
stroke and caress each other’s skin. When they were finally naked,
Atira lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, which
brought more of her skin in contact with his. She rubbed herself
against him like a cat, almost purring.
Heath hummed in
satisfaction and brought his hand up to caress one of her breasts.
Her nipple hardened against his palm. Atira melted against him,
pressing herself closer, spreading her legs. Heath used his free
hand to pull her close and let her feel the extent of his
desire.
Atira gasped at the
contact.
Heath chuckled and
pulled back slightly. “Perhaps I should stop?”
“Skies, no.” Atira
tightened her grip on his neck. “Feels so good.” She drew in a
ragged breath. “Please, Heath.” She moved closer, trying to rub
against him.
“Not yet,” Heath
murmured. He pulled back slightly, letting his hands rest on the
upper swell of Atira’s ass, using his thumbs to brush lightly at
the base of her spine.
“Please.” Atira
lowered one hand and reached for him, to take him in.
Heath turned her in
his arms and wrapped one strong arm around her chest. With his
other hand, he reached down and circled her heat with a gentle
touch. Atira moaned and arched back, pushing against Heath’s
hardness.
Heath nuzzled the
spot behind Atira’s ear and started to play with her nipples. “I
love that I can do this to you. That my touch affects you this
way.”
Atira leaned back
against him, rubbing her ass against his groin. She covered his
hand with her own, trying to increase the pressure. “Please, Heath.
I want—”
“Tell me. Tell me
what you want.”
“Skies, please,
stroke me again. Here.” Atira took his hand and guided it down to
her depths.
With a gentle touch,
Heath grasped her wrists, pinning them against her body. Attira
struggled, but Heath tightened his grip. “My way, my
beloved.”
Atira put her head
back and moaned.
Heath allowed his
touch to deepen as his fingers explored her. Atira jerked her hips,
trembling in his arms. She shifted slightly, spreading her legs.
“Deeper, lover. Go deeper.”
Heath paused, holding
his hand still.
Atira pushed against
him, trying to drive his fingers further into her slick, wet
heat.
“I’m not just any
lover, Atira.” Heath held perfectly still as Atira writhed in his
arms. “Say my name,” he demanded.
Atira tried to get
her hands free, but Heath resisted. “Say my name, Atira of the
Bear.” He whispered the words against her skin, placing soft kisses
on her neck and shoulders.
“Heath,” Atira
whispered. “Please, Heath. Your hands, your touch. Skies, please, I
need—”
He answered her need,
pushing in deep and brushing her nub.
Atira grabbed his arm
and came with a shout before melting into his arms. She was
boneless, sweaty and sticky, and the scent of sex hung heavy in the
air. He lowered her to the bedrolls, watching her breathe. He was
still hard. Still aching. But that was all right.
The night was not
over.
ATIRA AWOKE TO BLINK
SLEEPILY AT HER LOVER. She could just see the outline of his head
against the sky. “Heath,” she whispered.
“Beloved.”
“Such a city-dweller
you are, lover.” Atira lifted her arms over her head and stretched.
Heath watched as she eased out of her stance, his eyes hooded and
intent. Atira gave him a soft, sultry look. “Something I want,
Heath.”
“Anything.” Heath
whispered the word, then said it again. “Anything,
Atira.”
Atira attacked then,
pulling him down, wrestling around so that he was flat on his back,
and she was astride him. He was hard between her thighs. Atira
smiled down, shaking her hair out so that it formed a curtain
around them. “Oh no, city-dweller. You have to tell me that you
want this.” She put her hands on the blankets by Heath’s shoulders
and leaned down, letting her nipples graze his skin. “On my
terms.”
Heath blinked up at
her.
“You’d bind me to
you, possess me, yes?” Atira shifted slightly, increasing the
pressure on Heath’s groin. “You’d try to use our pleasure for that
purpose. Well, I want you, Heath of Xy. Want you bad.” Atira kissed
him, then pulled back. “Do you want me?”
Heath swallowed hard,
shuddering beneath her. All he seemed able to manage was a
nod.
Atira shook her head,
making sure the tips of her hair brushed his chest. “Say it, Heath.
Say it, for all the skies to hear.”
Heath had to moisten
his lips to get the words out. “Yes.” He cleared his throat,
putting his hands on Atira’s hips. “Gods help me,
yes.”
Atira eased back, a
satisfied smile on her lips. Then she lifted up slightly, and
reached between her legs, taking Heath in her hand—
HE’D FORGOTTEN THAT
SHE WAS A WARRIOR, almost as strong as he was, truth be
known.
Now she was poised
above him, having taken the upper hand, and damned if he was
willing to fight her. He wanted her on any terms. His, hers,
whatever, his body knew nothing more than want . . . and
desire.
She eased back,
smiling that triumphant smile, and then reached between, taking him
into her hand, positioning herself.
She eased down, and
there was pressure and heat. Atira gasped, suddenly stiff and
rigid.
“Atira?” Heath
managed to stay still as she braced herself on his chest, and
panted. He moved his hands up to cover hers. “Did I hurt
you?”
Atira shook her head,
her eyes closed. “Just been so long.” She swallowed, drawing in
deep breaths.
“We can stop,
if—”
“No,” Atira drew
another breath, slower this time. She moved back, and Heath felt
himself slide deeper into her heat and pressure. He gasped,
fighting the urge to buck his hips up, to move into that
pleasure.
Atira eased up and
then sank down a bit more. “Ah, so damn good,” she panted again.
“Just don’t move, Heath. Give me some time.” She opened those
beautiful eyes to grin wickedly into his. “You’re so big,
warrior.”
Heath drew in a deep
breath, forcing himself to hold still. But the sensation was
amazing. “There are no words,” he gasped, hoping she would
understand.
Atira’s eyes were
half closed as she breathed, “There aren’t supposed to
be.”
She sat up then,
bracing herself with her thighs. Heath moved his hands up to stroke
her, but she caught them and brought them up to her breasts. “Not .
. . yet.” She bit her lip and allowed herself to sink down a bit
more.
Heath moaned, and
Atira joined him, each lost in their own sensation. Heath managed
to force his eyes open, only to see Atira, her thighs trembling,
raise up slightly. The sensation was incredible, and he had to
fight the urge to move.
Atira rocked
slightly, then sank down again. “So powerful.” She pressed his
hands over her breasts. “I want it all. All of you. On my terms.”
She sat up again, and then impaled herself again, taking more of
him each time. “Want to feel you deep within me.”
Heath kneaded her
breasts, urging her on. He shuddered again and watched Atira, her
skin gleaming in the fading starlight. Hot, sweaty, and
beautiful.
Atira cried out and
threw her head back, using her nails to scratch at Heath’s skin as
she sank down until she had all of Heath.
They froze, each
breathing hard. Atira opened her eyes to gaze at Heath with such a
look of desire that he groaned at the sight. For one moment, he
lost control and bucked up into the heat.
Atira cried out with
the pleasure.
Heath froze, afraid
that he’d hurt her, but Atira glared at him. “Move, Heath, damn it.
Take me,” she growled.
Heath moved then,
grasping her thighs to control her movements. Atira threw her head
back, her breasts swaying to the movement of their
bodies.
Heath focused on his
lover, controlling his moves and thrusts, being careful not to hurt
her. It was a pleasure to watch Atira respond to him, watch her
lift her hands to her own breasts and pull at her
nipples.
She came without
warning, and slumped with a sigh, pulsing all around him as she
rode her pleasure. She fell forward, shifting slightly, but bracing
herself with her hands on Heath’s chest. For long moments she
stayed that way, and Heath was content to watch her as he tried to
slow the beating of his heart.
Until she stirred and
opened dazed eyes. “Heath. You’re still hard?”
Heath nodded, unable
to answer.
Atira chuckled, a
deep and delicious sound. She leaned over just far enough to kiss
him. “You don’t have to think this through, Heath. Just feel
it.”
Heath gasped as Atira
squeezed down with her heat.
She started rocking
back and forward, a gentle pace at first. But each time she moved
back, she added a grinding action, driving Heath deeper and
deeper.
Heath moaned, amazed
at the sensations. “Atira . . .”
“Let it go, Heath.”
Atira crooned the words, increasing the speed of her movements.
“Surrender yourself to me.”
But he wasn’t content
with that. With a swift surge, Heath flipped her over, pinning her
to the blanket below him.
“Heath,” Atira said,
her eyes wide open with astonishment.
“Not surrendering,”
Heath growled. “This isn’t over between us, Atira.”
Atira cried out as he
drove into her deep and hard, driving them both higher and higher.
Atira reached the pinnacle first. Heath thrust up for a final time,
following her into the hot, white light.
HEATH AWOKE AS FIRST
LIGHT WAS JUST BREAKING through the trees.
Atira was next to
him, under the same blankets, but not touching him.
Heath sighed. That
had not gone as he’d planned, exactly. Oh, they’d achieved
something memorable, all right. It was not a night that would fade
from memory. But he’d wanted to make it clear that if she wouldn’t
bond with him, they were done. Over.
But in his heart of
hearts, he could not do that, for fear that she would shrug and
walk away. Out of his life, but never out of his heart. Heath
swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. He hoped . . . he prayed she’d
be impressed by Water’s Fall. By the castle. By his home. But she
was of the Plains, and he feared . . .
Atira opened her eyes
and blinked a bit before she smiled at him. A lover’s
smile.
He reached for her,
but she sat up abruptly. “Best be on our way,” was all she said as
she reached for her clothing.
Heath sighed and did
the same.