Page 29 of Guardian's Destiny

I took a deep breath in, though, and let it out. "There, happy?"

He didn't reply. Instead, I felt his fingers—his very large, strong fingers—dig into my shoulders. His thumbs moved in circles underneath my shoulder blades, finding a tender spot that had me moan as he applied more pressure.

"So frygging tense," he mumbled.

Shit, oh shit, oh shit, he straddled me. Oh, what new hell was he bringing up on me?

He leaned forward, putting more elbow grease into his hands and fingers, as they massaged up and down my back, finding knots and pushing on them until my toes curled. I bit into the pillow to quieten my moans of pleasure and tried hard to ignore his hardening center pressing into the small of my back.

I would have never allowed any other man to touch me like this, and I wasn't sure why I was letting him, but I was glad I did because, good grief, this man was a god with his fingers. The way he massaged all the knots out of my back created an avalanche of naughty thoughts in my head as I wondered what else his fingers might be good at.

My back was beginning to relax and feel better, but the rest of my body was on high alert, all too aware of his closeness. I didn't think I would ever be able to sleep unless I either took matters into my own hands or seduced the devil sitting on me. Neither option appealed to me because it meant giving in, giving in to him.

But then his fingers moved up to the nape of my neck, his thumbs rested, right there, applying light pressure, while his other fingers began to circle up and down my neck slowly. Oh shit, that felt good.

My entire body began to relax. Even my teeth let go of the pillow. I took a deep, shuddering breath and felt my mind relax. Letting go…

VRAAX

I wasn'tsure what idiotic part of me decided it was a good idea to sit on top of her and massage her back, but it was the worst kind of torture I had ever experienced.

My ass rested right on the swell of hers, hardening my already stiff cock to a painful level as I gently massaged her back. No wonder she was so uppity all the time; the muscles in her back were nothing but one giant knot. No, strike that, an assortment of knots making one big one.

Her soft little groans didn't help matters with my cock whenever they moved through her body. I imagined how it would feel like being buried deep inside her pussy having her scream my name in pleasure. Frygg, my hard-on was on the verge of exploding; already I felt precum leak down my shaft. This female would be the death of me. I was sure of it.

Finally, I moved to her neck and used the soothing rhythm a Hettita had used on me once after an especially arduous criminal hunt. I was glad I had memorized her moves even after all these years. Even Sloane had to give up her stubborn tenseness, and it didn't take long until I felt her body relaxing under my ministrations. Soon, her breathing evened out as she fell into a deep sleep. I didn't stop yet, though. I enjoyed thefeel of her soft flesh under my fingers; her hair was just as silky as I had imagined it would be. No matter how torturous it was feeling her luscious ass so close to mine, I wasn't ready to leave the warmth of her body between my thighs.

Not until my cock started complaining more vigorously, only then, with a hesitant sigh, I moved carefully off her. It wasn't easy, given my condition, my dick screamed with every motion and wouldn't even allow me to walk straight to the bathroom, where in the cleansing chamber I took care of it. Faster than I would have liked, but the relief was worth it despite knowing that it would be short-lived. Nothing short of having her body would fully satisfy me.

Unfortunately, with every passing day, my suspicion grew that even once she surrendered her body to me, it would never be enough. She had burrowed under my skin, taken root in my mind, and no amount of touch or taste would ever satisfy the craving she had awakened in me. Every other female would have been lying at my feet by now, eager for my claim. But not her. Sloane was fire and steel, a force entirely her own, and I couldn’t help but be captivated by the way she met me head-on, never yielding, never breaking.

Her strength and resilience didn’t just command my respect—they ensnared me, pulled me in deeper with every sharp retort, every challenge in those fierce eyes. She wasn’t just another conquest, another fleeting indulgence. She was the first person—male or female—who had ever trulyimpressedme, who made mewantmore than just submission. I wantedher, all of her, the fire and the fight, the softness she kept so carefully hidden. And that realization hit me harder than any wound ever had.

I wasn’t just obsessed with her. I wasfalling—and for the first time in my life, I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to land.

I contemplated lying back down on the padded chair, but the bed and her were calling to me. I was fairly certain that shewould be pissed in the morning, when she found me sleeping on the bed, but it would be worth it. Any attention from her was worth it.

She had passed out in the middle of the bed. Even when I scooted to the furthest edge, our bodies were still touching, and it felt so frygging good. I turned my back to her, felt her knee pressing into my kidney, and it was the most erogenous touch in the universe. She would be beyond pissed, but this was worth her fury. I closed my eyes and fell instantly asleep.

It started like all the other dreams. I was running through the forest while a red sun sat high in the sky. I wasn't afraid; I was furious. I didn't recognize the blade in my hand, a long, broad sword. It was alien to me, but I was ready to impale whoever was attacking my village.Myvillage. I didn't simply just live there; I was the Primarch of our town—a title that was earned, not inherited. It was my responsibility to keep our people safe. Whoever was attacking us, and I had a pretty good idea who, was going to regret it.

The forest seemed never-ending as screams grew louder. A male rushed by me, his face contorted in grief, but I still recognized Tharaax. Part of my conscious mind wanted to stop and stare, but my dream body kept moving. Or was it a dream? It felt more like a memory.

A disc-like thing followed Tharaax as he weaved his way through the trees, carrying his new mate, Suahanna, in his arms. A loud droning sound gained in intensity, so much so that I wanted to press my hands to my ears. I looked back over my shoulder and watched Tharaax falter as I pushed on, away from the sound, but I did catch a glimpse of a drone hovering above him.

For a moment, I was torn between going back and helping him or making my way to the town, where it sounded like hundreds were in danger.

The sound was getting deeper; my knees were giving in as a weight settled on my back, pushing me down. I flung my sword uselessly as my legs gave out under me.

"Vraax!" Hands shook me awake.

Disoriented, I stared at Sloane. A headache so strong I feared it would crack my skull tore through me, hard enough to bring up bile through my esophagus. I leaned over the bed and heaved, which only aggravated the pain.

"Vraax?" This time, her voice sounded more concerned, but still, it pierced my head.

I hardly realized Sloane jumping off the bed as I curled into a ball, holding my head in both hands. I did feel her soft hands pressing a cool piece of cloth against my throbbing forehead, and it felt amazing.

I could still see myself running, saw Tharaax's face in front of me as clear as I had in the dream, which only intensified the pain. Was my mind conjuring Tharaax's face up for me because it was familiar? Or was this some kind of memory where we had actually known each other? More bile rose in my throat. I barely pushed Sloane out of the way before I vomited all over the side of the bed.

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