Page 39 of Victoria's Embrace

Coming to a stop, Victoria gaped. “Oh my gosh, Erlain! This is incredible!”

Ahead of her, illuminated in pinkish-purple light from beautiful, frilled, glowing mushrooms covering nearly the entire floor, was a cave, but that wasn’t what had her jaw dropping. Running through the center of the cave was a fifteen-foot-wide, gently flowing river with crystal clear, turquoise water.

Glancing at her self-appointed assistant excitedly, she asked. “It’s safe?”

“Yes, Mistress Victoria,” he grinned, showing off his shark teeth. “I will fetch your mate. You bathe. You are welcome! Graciously said!”

As soon as the sound of his footsteps faded away, she quickly tore off the black, sprayed-on bodysuit, walked to the edge, and cannonballed in.

She heard a masculine chuckle from the entrance when she resurfaced and whipped around to find Thegan staring at her from across the cave.

Wordlessly, he held her gaze as he set the food pouches down and toed off his boots. Unlike her, who’d been spray painted, her guys had transferred their clothes from their originals to their clones. When she’d asked why, she’d gotten a shrug from Thorn, a smirk from Vi’kail, and an honest, “You like them,” from Thegan.

He was right. She did like them. But she liked even more seeing him take them off. Victoria watched on breathlessly as he pulled his shirt over his head and let it fall forgotten to the ground, revealing the deliciously cut eight-pack of his abs.

Clenching her thighs together under the water, she bit her lip when he reached down and undid his jeans, eyes wide and entranced.

He wasn’t wearing underwear. When he pushed them down his hips, his cock, a darker blue than the rest of him and already half hard, bounced free.

Lips parting on a shuddering sigh, she traced her gaze up his body.

“God, he’s beautiful.”

His silvery blue eyes sparkled and a low chuckle that had her nipples tightening to hard points echoed softly in the cave.

Blinking, she met his gaze and grimaced wryly. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

“You did,” he grinned, stalking closer.

Victoria stood perfectly still as he waded into the water, never once taking his eyes off her. Her heart was pounding, her nipples tight, anticipation and a flicker of nervousness making everything feel heightened.

A soft gasp escaped her when she felt his big hands slide around her hips under the water. He pulled her closer, lifting her until they were chest to chest, her breasts brushing his slick skin.

“Are you tired, my mate?” he asked, his usually smooth voice husky, his gaze intense as he stared down at her.

“Not right now.”

“Hungry?” he whispered, his eyes falling to her lips.

“Mm-mm.”

“Thirsty?”

Chuckling softly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her.

“Kiss me.”

He groaned, lifting her higher even as he bent to take her lips, devouring her mouth in a hard, hungry kiss. Coiling her arms tighter around his neck and her legs around his waist, Victoria fisted his hair, sharp-edged need and yearning flooding her in a wave the second his tongues drove past her lips to coil and twist around hers.

Without lifting his mouth from hers, she felt him turn and wade through the water then kneel, so the waves lapped at her ass. Nipping her lip, he pulled back and sat her on the mossy ledge.

“Lay back,” he growled, panting, his eyes dark, his features tight with need.

Stomach tightening, surprised and surprisingly turned on at the unexpected note of command in his voice, she did as he directed and leaned back so she was propped up on her elbows.

Tense with anticipation, she bit her lip when he lifted her legs out of the water and hooked them over his shoulders, her chest rising and falling with her rapid breaths.

She expected to feel at least a little shy, being that this was the first time Thegan had ever seen her, but there was no room for shyness, only lust and urgency and need.

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