AARYN

He'd spent half of this day and night trembling, but now he shook with something new. Emotions, so raw and overwhelming they threatened to split his skin.

He put a hand to her chin and held her still as he tilted his head to kiss her softly, barely brushing his lips against hers, but mouth open and tongue teasing. Once, again, again. He tasted her so softly it made him shiver. His lips began to tingle, his skin wanting more of her, stretching to find her. But still he held back.

Nothing moved but their heads, their mouths, their breaths fluttering against each other's cheeks.

He kissed his love to her, tasted it, treasured it—treasured her. For a long, silent moment, there was nothing in his world but her lips.

Then her hands appeared on his chest, pressing, sliding, reaching to pull him closer. One hand cupping her head, the other at her waist, he sighed into her mouth and took it.

He turned his head further, deepened the kiss, invaded her, plunging with his tongue, his breath suddenly hot and short—and hers thundering in time.

They clung to each other, bodies pressed together from chest to knees. He lost track of where they were, of what had occurred that day, of everything except the ripple of warmth against his skin that was the water, and her.

He needed her. He yearned for her. He ached to have her—and from the way she raked her hands down his back, he knew she felt the same.

Sucking in a breath he began to kiss his way down, kneeling in the water to bring himself lower, to take the weight of her breasts in his hand, then take one in his mouth while he thumbed the other.

Elreth's head fell back and she made a small cry when he bit down gently on her nipple. Then, before he could lose all control, he pushed himself backwards and away, the water rippling under his hands, against her stomach, as he stroked it with his hands and walked himself backwards to sit on the bench.

Elreth's head came up and she blinked—she'd been as lost as he was. He wanted to growl with pleasure, but he didn't want to break the mood. So he beckoned her towards him without a word and she came, walking slowly like she was waking up from a dream.

As soon as she stood between his knees, he took her hips in his hands and kissed her stomach—softly, but with the flat of his tongue lapping the water from her.

She curled her hands into his hair and sighed—then gasped when he slid a hand down the back of her thick, to cup her knee, and pull it up, urging her to straddle him.

When she understood what he wanted, she smiled and climbed up to sit on his thighs. He grabbed both her hips and pulled her closer, right up against him, until they slid together, so close to being one.

Her mouth fell open, but he took it with his, his hands buried in her hair, his kiss hot and demanding.

She writhed against him, already seeking to join and he ached for it too, but he was so afraid of losing himself, he was careful, so careful, to only slide against her softest skin, to find the pressure, the rhythm that made her jaw go slack, that felt so heavenly she was distracted from the kiss.

Then he leaned her back and pulled her hips against him as they rocked together and she shifted in the water, lifting her slightly, and he found her, right there. And ready.

Her breath caught in anticipation, but Aaryn froze, holding her there, the moment ripe with promise.

She looked down at him, her skin pink and flushed from the warmth of the water, her nipples high and hard and pressing into his chest, and she put a hand in his hair. "Please?"

Aaryn groaned and kissed her, then slid both hands to the backs of her thighs, spread her slightly wider, and plunged in.

They both groaned and the water rippled between them, away from his shudders. He'd take this slowly, but with her over him and around him, he couldn't remain still. He pulled back and pushed into her again, slowly, pulling her in and holding her against him for half a second before pulling out again.

Elreth made a tiny cry and arched back, her hands on his shoulders, fingers digging in. Then she gasped his name and let her head drop back—completely back, until she lay backwards in the water, arched over his hands.

Aaryn's eyes widened at the way she bared her throat—not just offering it, but surrendering fully, arching backwards, opening herself, her body, and her lifeblood.

"Oh, El," he rasped.

"I love you, Aaryn!" she cried quietly. "I love you. I trust you. Only you. I'm yours. Please… please don't stop."

Huffing the mating call, he laid his open mouth over her jugular, flicking it with his tongue.

Elreth jerked like she'd been jolted with electricity, then she went slack, groaning the mating call. So, he did it again.

He shook with impossible pleasure at the sight of her, the feel of her, the surrender of her. He plunged into her, sucked at her neck, teased her nipples, and plunged into her again. She rolled into him, clinging, pulling him in tighter, clenching around him and crying out, keening, her voice high and wailing as she climbed higher and higher.

The water was silk on his skin, and sexy as hell, sluicing over hers. He sat up enough to see her fully, staring open mouthed as she relaxed into his hands and he watched the water ripple over her floating breasts, only the peak of the rounds puckered out of the water, but washed in the silver light of it with each thrust.

Her mouth dropped open, her jaw rolling in time with her hips.

Together, slowly, so slowly, they rocked together and every nerve ending in his body lit up. Despite the heat her skin pebbled everywhere he touched her, or kissed her. And she couldn't stop staying his name, calling to him, pleading with him.

He was suddenly frantic.

As she called his name over and over he sat up, pulling her with him the water sucking at their skins, splashing when he stood to turn them both around. Then, holding her at her back, and one hand cupped under her knee, as lay her down on the stone at the edge of the pool, bracing his hand next to her head and pulling her into him as he thrust again, and again, and again, groaning the mating call, crying her name.

She grabbed at his neck, pulling him down into a kiss, then gasping his name against his lips.

As they both climbed the heights of pleasure, step by step, everything within him called to her. And everything within her answered until they crashed together, their bodies jerking and twitching in ecstasy, clinging to each other, desperate… then finally… sated.

Aaryn, panting heavily, one hand braced on the stone, the other still holding her leg, dropped his forehead against hers. "El, are you okay?"

In answer, she pulled herself up to kiss him again. "I'm amazing," she whispered. "And so are you."

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