Page 45 of Premonition of Peace

I hesitated, uncertainty igniting in my chest as I pulled my hand away from her. “It’s not pretty, sunling.”

“Let me be the judge of that.” She pulled my hand back to her, pressing her lips to my upturned palm.

“You’re sure?”

She nodded sternly.

With a sigh, I lifted the glamour, the magic sliding away from my face like fabric slipping over my skin. Her eyes took me in, and I knew what she saw. The stones themselves were a deep, shimmering blue, nestled securely within the hollows of my eye sockets. The bumpy scarred skin where my eyes once existed peeked out behind the stones. I braced myself for her reaction, expecting shock or revulsion.

Instead, Nathalie leaned forward and kissed me softly, her lips warm as she pressed them against mine. Her kiss was soft and tender, and completely took me by surprise. I pulled back my hand moving up to cup her face.

“You continuously surprise me,” I murmured.

She grinned. “I like variety,” she quipped echoing her words from the first time we slept together.

I pulled her back toward me, and she met me halfway, her fingers curling into my hair, her body pressing against mine over the console. There was no urgency between us, even though there was a distinct need that had been simmering as we dealt with the fallout of everything around us. Instead, our movements were intentional and slow, as if we were both savoring the time we were able to steal together.

Fire licked at my skin, and I groaned into her mouth. It wasn’t the fervor, not quite. But I know that moment was building, and this was just the appetizer. One of her hands left my hair and a second later, she leaned into me before she braced her hands on my shoulders and slid herself over my lap.

“I have this distinct feeling of déjà vu,” I said, recalling a similar position in her car once.

“Me too.” She smiled, warmth heating her cheeks to a light shade of pink. Toying with a button on my shirt, she added, “I also remember we didn’t finish what we started.”

I paused. We didn’t. We had things to talk about. Discussions we hadn’t yet made the time for.

“Nathalie . . .”

“Leave it. Not now.” She placed my hands on her bare thighs, and leaned in, kissing me deeply and murmuring, “Touch me, August.”

A growl rumbled in my chest, and I dragged my fingertips over her delicious body, memorizing every inch of her as I shoved her sweater dress up and over her thighs, letting it pool at her waist. My mouth still moving against hers, I put a finger between us and began teasing her clit through the lace of her underwear.

She moaned, moving against my hand for friction, grinding with abandon. I could feel how wet she was. A jolt of pleasure shot through me, settling over my skin. Her scent was suddenly stronger, and I froze, pulling my hand away.

“Nathalie, wait,” I said through gritted teeth, trying to regain my composure. “The bond . . .”

“I know,” she breathed against my lips, nodding her head.

Gods, I wanted her, but I needed to know she truly understood. We were on the cusp of the fervor as it was. This could push her straight in.

“What do you remember?”

Taking my hands in hers, she brought them down her body slowly, then she leaned into me. “It strengthens. If you feed from me”—she bit her bottom lip, glancing down at my mouth before returning her gaze to meet mine. “If you fuck me”—she rocked her hips, grinding against me, then pushed my hand to cup her heated center. “Anything we do will strengthen it.”

“Is that what you want?” I looked at her intently, needing to hear the words.

“I know what I’m doing. Stop talking and fuck me, August.”

This woman. Gods. That was all it took to undo me. I reached between us, forcefully ripping the lacey underwear.

She gasped, pulling back, and raising a brow. “Those were my favorite.”

“It’s cute when you pretend to by angry.” Weaving my fingers in her hair, I tugged sharply at the strands, just enough to make her eyes glaze over. I was going to take my moment with her however I could get it.

She lifted enough to unbutton with my pants, making quick work of lowering my zipper and pulling my cock free.

I grasped her hips, positioning myself at her entrance.

I groaned as she lowered herself, slowly inching down my length. “I want you to take all of me, sunling.” Bracing my feeton the floor, I angled my hips, thrusting upward while pulling her down, burying my cock inside her in one swift motion. Her inner walls stretched to accommodate me. She cried out, arching her back and clutching at my shoulders as we began to move. “So fucking tight,” I ground out, pumping slowly as she whimpered. “So wet.”

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