Page 88 of A War of Ruin and Reckoning

She licked her lips and taunted him. “I know you want to show me all the clever things you’ve learned as a big boy, so do it.”

“Big boy?” Heat flashed in that lazy blue-eyed stare. “I don’t need to boast, Estrella. But I do need to know you’ll trust me when this battle comes.”

Her gaze softened. “Of course I will.”

His grunt was noncommittal, perhaps unimpressed with her answer, but then he steered his gaze between her open thighs. “Wet already?”

“You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see that,” she teased him again.

When he didn’t answer, she tried to wrap her legs around his waist, but he quickly snapped his hands over her ankles, pinning her down with aNo-Noglance.

As she sensed his need to command rise, so did the wind through the grotto. Reeds undulated. Foliage whipped. Heat baked down on her, but the sun was still in the same low position. Her breathing grew ragged. Sweat prickled her scalp. The icy water ribbon soothed her parched skin. Steam curled in its wake, arousing her to the point of insanity.

“Leaf,” she begged, twisting and writhing. “I need you.”

“Yes, you do.”

She yanked on her icy restraints and kicked against his hands.

“Not yet,” he teased.

“When?” she whined out.

His lips curved. “First, tell me how you need me. Rough? Slow? Passionate?”

Looming over her, with the sun haloing his hair and baking his muscular torso, she glimpsed a flash of Jace. She frowned, urging her thoughts out of the way, and said, “Anything but soft.”

Because gentle and loving was Jace. Gentle and loving would hurt her too much.

“I want to feel your power,” she continued. “I want to feel your muscles roll under my hands.”

He gave another unreadable grunt, almost like a CEO who’d taken a suggestion on board but committed to nothing because he would do whatever the fuck he wanted.

“Hurry,” she begged.

The water ribbon stopped circling her belly button and moved down her hot skin. She groaned at the tingling relief. The cool, slick sensation slid through her folds, stroking her like a finger—or a tongue.Oh, God, that felt good.Nova’s eyes rolled back as the leisurely pace became ripples and hard pulses. She cried out and met his satisfied gaze.

“Like that?” he murmured.

Unable to form words, she couldn’t answer. At his command, the pulsing vibrated faster and then slowed and teased.

“Oh my God,” she breathed. “Fine. I admit it. You’re—fuck. Oh, my God. Like that. Don’t stop!”

Before she threw her head back and gave herself to his sweet assault, his lazy look became volcanic. Pleasure coiled through her body, lighting up every nerve ending.

She vaguely felt her lips move and her voice box tremble. Maybe she teased him or cursed him, but whatever it was, her voice triggered his loss of control. He snapped and let the ribbon go. Water and tiny shards of ice splashed down her thighs.

“I was almost there,” she complained—well, she’d intended to complain, but Leaf buried his face between her thighs. He proved he was just as talented with that cocky mouth as he was with his magic. His kisses became ferocious as he growled against her sensitive flesh. He gripped her bottom and pulled her pussy to his lips. He feasted until she was back at that impossible place, begging, twisting, and squirming with the need to finish.

“Leaf,” she begged. “I—”

“Come for me,” he demanded.

Stars exploded behind her eyelids. Pleasure cascaded through her loins and curled her toes. Leaf lapped at her orgasm with as much desire as he’d started, touching and feasting with insatiable craving. Nova struggled to catch her breath. Her body felt flayed. Her nerves were raw.

He lovingly kissed his way up her stomach, crooning platitudes and praise to her flesh. The ice around her wrists melted, and he pulled them to his mouth. The rough pad of his tongue lapped the last vestiges of water from her skin, and then he inspected her for damage. A pleasant, energizing feeling rolled through her veins, healing the tiniest cramp with his magic.

“Are you healing me,Papi?”

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