Page 65 of The Sea-Ogre's Eager Bride

I have to think about it for a moment. Do I like these new sensations? The strangeness of it is melting away, and I’m left with trembling, breathless enjoyment. Of my body stretched taut. Of being pierced doubly by the man I just married. It’s the most wicked and fascinating sensation.

Aye, I’m enjoying it. I manage a nod.

And when Ranan slides a hand along my front to gently rub at my clit while he pumps into me with short, shallow thrusts, I come undone. I float on a sea of sensation, climaxing again as he thrusts into me twice over.

I’m dimly aware of his movements growing erratic, his hips jerking and his control shattering, and when he comes, his entire body quakes over mine. Ranan falls over me, caging my body in his arms even as he continues to work my clit. I have to grab his hand and twine his fingers with mine to get him to stop.

“I…came…” he announces, breathless. He sounds as dazed as I feel. “That was…amazing, Vali. You are incredible.” He squeezes my fingers. “You…did you enjoy that?”

Did I enjoy that? “I think at one point I came so hard I nearly blacked out, so aye, I enjoyed it.”

He chuckles and squeezes me tighter. Then he sighs and gently eases off of me from where I’m collapsed in the blankets. When his body leaves mine, I feel a little raw, a little achy, and used. A good used, I decide. I roll onto my back, trying to find the strength to get up and clean off after sex. To my surprise, Ranan brings a towel and water to me. “I’ll take care of you, my bride. Let me tend to you.”

He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I relax back, spreading my thighs obediently so he can clean away the mess of our lovemaking. “We should do that again,” I say. “Maybe not every time, because I won’t be able to walk straight, but we’ll definitely need to do it more.”

Ranan’s sail flicks and he’s quiet. Feeling shy again. He brushes his fingers over my ear, and that small touch tells me everything.

I curl up on the blankets and turn towards him, hands under my cheek. He puts away the water and towels, then approaches the pallet of blankets and joins me on it. I smile when he lies down and faces me. “How’s your leg?”

“Better every day.”

That’s the same answer he gives every time I ask. “I mean right now. Does it hurt?”

“No.” His gaze roams over me. “Do you have regrets?”

“Why would I have regrets?”

His expression turns solemn. “Because now you’re stuck with me.”

I reach out and flick his nose. “Don’t be silly. I’m here because I want to be. Or is this you fishing for compliments? If you are, I am happy to reassure you that the sex was incredible and I want to do all of that over and over again.”

Ranan’s hard mouth curves into a wry smile. He brushes a lock of tangled hair back from my brow. “I am not fishing for compliments. I just…want this to work. It feels too good to be true.”

“You won’t be saying that when I get cranky over eating fish every day,” I joke.

“Yes, I will.”

Gods, he’s making me want to kiss him all over again. Then again, there’s nothing stopping me from doing so. I lean in and press a kiss to his mouth, touching his chin as I do. “Don’t worry so much. I’m happy to be your wife.” I brush my fingers over his jaw and trace the lines of it. “So what happens now? Is this our new home?”

He pauses. “Do you want to stay with the flotilla?”

“I don’t know. Do you?”

“I want what will make you happy.”

By Belara, we’re still dancing around each other’s feelings, aren’t we? I move a little closer to him, until our noses touch and our breaths mingle as we lie down and gaze at each other. “I want us to be honest with each other.”

Ranan thinks for a moment and then says, “My mother would like for us to stay with the flotilla, but I’m not sure I’m ready to abandon Akara. She’s too young to join the flotilla.”

“I don’t want to abandon Akara either,” I tell him. “And I don’t mind going around on her back, but it’s nice to have a permanent home. We can’t stay at the grotto?”

He shakes his head slightly. “Not with a sea dragon in the area. It’ll chase off most of the larger fish—or devour them—and it’ll be dangerous for swimming. But there are plenty of other grottos along the coast. We can pick a new one and make it a home.”

“What about the stuff you have in your old one?” It seems so strange to me to just abandon it. I think of all the statues he has there, the trunks full of goods, the jewelry, the coin, the delicate dishware…

He moves closer, his nose rubbing against mine, as if he just wants to be that much closer to me. “We can retrieve what we need as long as we are quick and stay in the shallower waters. There’s nothing I require from there. If you want anything specific, we can always get it later.”

I consider that, running my fingers along his smooth jaw and stroking his skin. “I suppose we can always get that stuff later. There’s nothing I wanted. It’s just that it seems like a lot of treasure to abandon.”

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