The water had somehow become symbolic of his touch.

Van was not touching me any longer. Merely floating me along the surface of the river and sending warm waves washing over me.

"Open your legs." He gazed at me steadily. Gold eyes vibrant with his arousal.

I obediently parted them. Feeling the warm touch of the water between. It rippled beneath me like some strange, unseen massage.

Van twirled a finger, and it made the water dance against my lower lips. Pressing hard against it then swelling up over it. Perfectly mimicking the motions of Van's mouth and tongue a short time ago.

When he lifted his hand, the water swelled over me. Mimicking its shape and caressing just as tenderly as if he touched me himself. But suddenly it felt like there were hands everywhere. Touching every part of me in erotic caresses. It felt like a dozen hands making me toss my head in pleasure. Confused by the overwhelming sensations.

I moaned and Van smiled fondly at me. His eyes burning that warm gold around the pupils.

His pleasure is mine. I realized.

And in that moment, he seemed as far from a demon as he could've possibly.

***

I felt the slick heat in my core and knew I was ready for him.

"I'm going to make love to you now, Zira. Make you mine." Even as he said it, he made a turning motion with his arm and I levitated vertically. Slipping through the water a few inches until I was in his arms.

His gaze roved my face penetratingly. "Wrap your legs around me, Sweetheart."

I reached up to circle my arms around his neck. Hooking my legs around his hips and linking my ankles.

There was so much hideousness between us. And I knew what he was, but it seemed all I could see right now was the man that'd woke next to me after my suffering and crawled through the mud and leaves. Nearly in tears in his desperation to reach my side. Tending me, healing me and trying to fix all the broken bits that were shattered long before his demon had, had its way with me.

He cupped my ass and slid me up his body.

My breasts dragging along his flat chest until my nipples peaked. Rubbing deliciously along his and feeling every delightful muscle in his abdomen and arms as he moved me along his body.

He flexed his muscles, and his hard cock probed my entrance. He lowered me onto it.

I felt him stretching me inside.

And once he was fully in, he paused to look at me. Studying me as if searching for pain or sadness.

"What?"

"I'd always thought women were beautiful in the heat of their fight. In their frustration and anger. All that passion...Even though it was never toward me. But looking at you now...I see how wrong I was. All that I've missed."

I cocked my head at him in question.

"The passion on your face now is by far the loveliest thing I've ever to witness. And the most erotic." As he was speaking, he was walking from the water with me wrapped around him. Taking me back to lay me along the ground next to the fire.

He positioned over me and dragged a rough palm down the side of my temple and cheek. "You shine so bright. Glistening in all the darkness like a ray of sunlight in my black world. And I'd do anything to keep it."

He ran his hands over my body. Framing my shoulders and caressing down my arms. While he trailed sensual kisses along the shell of my ear. Catching my earlobe between his teeth to tug it slightly. Making me curve my pelvis up to him in offering.

He put a fingertip to my lips as if hushing me would still my body. "Not yet. Just a little longer. Give me just a bit more time..."

And he tipped up to straddle my hips. Framing along the sides of my neck and down to lift my breasts. Rubbing his rough thumb across the nipples until the dusky peaks pebbled into hard little nubs. He caressed down my sides and along the outside of his hips. Then swinging to the front of her to trail his knuckles down the lines of my inner hips to just over my pelvis. Finding the lines of my lower lips and gently stroking them open.

"Mmm...So wet. Ready to for me so soon, Zira?"

***

"I need you, Van. Please..."

"Yes, Zira. As you command."

It's always been his way. Yet he's giving me ground in this?

He tucked his knees between mine and settled his hips between my high inner thighs. And this time when he entered me it was inch by inch until I was so full, I wasn't sure I could possibly stretch any further. Then he pressed in the last couple inches and my body accommodated him. Receiving him like a welcome guest.

He put his palms on the outside of my shoulders and as he stroked into me, he lowered to drag his body along mine. Framing my legs with his so I could feel every angle and plane of his body molded to mine as he sunk into me and withdrew. Again and again.

The friction in me was growing to violent levels.

I reached down and caught his taut buttocks. Yanking him upward, so he stuffed more fully into me.

"Ouch!" I yelped. Startling myself at the sudden strain high in my abdomen.

He stopped and gave me a worried look.

"Don't stop, Van. I'm yours. I want to be sore. I want to feel you tomorrow. To know that I've been truly marked as yours. In and out."

He swallowed. Staring at me stunned.