Page 27 of Fury of Affliction

“You feel good.”

“You feel better.”

She smiled against his mouth. “I’m here now. Take what you need, Sveld. All you need.”

Fingers playing in the long strands of her red hair, he kissed her. Soft. Sweet. With so much feeling, he made her love him more, then said, “It’s gonna be rough. Waited too long. I can’t?—”

“Good.” Pausing for effect, she nipped his bottom lip. He tensed. She licked over the sting. “Fuck me hard. Fuck me quick. We’ll save slow for another time.”

He didn’t hesitate to swing her around.

Her back touched down on the floor of the airlock.

Holding on tight, she opened for him. He found her fast and thrust deep. Pleasure spiked. Bliss spiraled. Ecstasy stole her mind, arching her spine, tilting her hips as he powered in, retreated and came back to her. Skin sliding over skin. Heat meeting heat. Mind-blowing beauty. Perfection made manifest. Exactly how she wanted to be ridden by him—hard and fast, the power of their connection blazing as he loved her tough, making her beg for more.

7

Floating inside an air bubble at the bottom of the ocean, Hamersveld tried to lift his head. A no-go. He was too relaxed. Body lax. Magic humming. Muscles and limbs uncooperative, so sated his mind refused to come back online.

Content to stay right where he was, he burrowed deeper, maintaining the connection, determined to stay buried inside his female for as long as possible. Sprawled on top of him, head tucked beneath his chin, knees bent, thighs snug against his hips, Natalie mumbled something incoherent and snuggled closer. He tightened his arms around her, cuddling her back as pleasure rose in the drift.

Gratitude followed, tightening his throat.

Two months without her. Eight weeks plagued by regret. Long days filled with heartache. Longer nights as he went nine rounds with self-loathing, unable to believe he’d let her go. He spent those desperate hours replaying the reasons—her safety first among them.

Selfish to keep her.

Devastating to let her leave.

Most males would’ve gone the selfish route, refusing to release her into the wilds of human society. No matter the pain, he’d put her first, forced her to go, unable cage and keep her. He hadn’t been able to live with the consequences. Then and now. Couldn’t watch her suffer under the yoke of Dragonkind—a culture that was often cruel to women. Especially ones of Natalie’s caliber, a high-energy female with an unprecedented connection to the Meridian.

Plugged directly into the source that nourished all living things, Natalie was unique. A rare pearl hidden in the midst of precious gems.

Males of his kind would kill to meet her, never mind mate her. The fact she trusted him enough to rest easy in his arms humbled him. She should be miles away. Safe from him and the curse of his kind. He’d suffered to make sure it happened, except…

She’d come back. Driven straight into his territory knowing he’d sensed her. Doing the one thing he warned her never to do. And yet here she lay, flying in the face of his need to protect her.

The turn of events baffled him. Her actions made little sense. She should be miles away. Building a good life for herself far from Seattle. Not here, in his arms, lazing about with him on the bottom of the ocean floor.

She needed her ass tanned…and her head examined.

It wasn’t safe. The world he inhabited would use her for its own purposes. Chew her up, then spit her out.

“Stop it,” she whispered, interrupting his turbulent thoughts. “I’m fine. We’re good. Don’t go catastrophizing.”

He frowned. “Catastrophizing? Is that even a word?”

“Do you understand what I mean?”

“Yeah.”

“Then who cares.”

He huffed in amusement.

Setting her small hands on his chest, she pushed upright. Still buried inside her, he hummed and palmed her hips as she settled astride him. With a practiced move, she brushed her hair over her shoulders, gifting him with the sight of her beauty, and looked at him. “You done freaking out?”

“Not freaking out,shaleima.”

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