Page 50 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

He knew she was referring to the storm. “I’m not sure. The storm raged for at least three days. The last thing I remember was the ship running aground…or maybe into a huge rock? —and then I woke up on a strange island.”

“That must have been terrible.”

“I was alone for two weeks before I was found.”

“Oh, Triston.” He felt a tear drop down his cheek, and it took a second for him to realize it wasn’t his own. Julietta was crying for him. “What happened on the island?”

He tried to remember. So much of it he had buried deep down, locked tightly in the recesses of his mind. “I was lucky that it was a tropical island. There was plenty of fruit to eat. But early on, I drank from a pond that wasn’t fresh. I should have known better, but at eight years old…I was hardly a trained soldier. Within a few days, I was utterly ill. If I hadn’t been found when I was….” he drifted off, knowing that he would have been dead if it hadn’t been for the search party from their kingdom that had located him.

More wetness against his cheek. Triston finally opened his eyes, moving out of her embrace. Her eyes were red and brimmed with moisture. He leaned in and kissed away the tears that had fallen down her cheek, and the salty taste instantly reminded him of home and the feel of the misty saltwater against his face.

Julietta moaned as Triston continued to kiss a trail down her neck, nipping the skin near her collarbone. What was he thinking? Did he honestly believe he could share a bed with his fated mate and not act on it? He could barely handle it when the healer had touched her. He didn’t want anyone else to ever touch her or even look at her again.

She was his.

His mouth met hers again, and they were lost in each other, touching, caressing, and kissing. He moved his hand between her legs, and she jolted upright, her forehead wrinkled with confusion.

“Have you ever been touched before?” he whispered, teasing a circle along her thighs.

“No…” she whimpered, squirming at his light touches. Her chest rose and fell with each deep breath.

“I…I want to touch you. Is that okay?”

Julietta nodded wordlessly, and that was all the encouragement he needed. He slowly pushed her nightgown up her legs, his fingers dancing along her supple skin. She moaned, and the sound went straight to his groin. He had never been so hard before, never wanted a woman more.

He wanted to peel away her undergarments and sink his fingers inside of her, but some tiny part of his brain managed to resist. Instead, he rubbed her gently, feather light touches against her center that made her gasp.

“What…I don’t…”

“Shhhhhh…it’s okay, sweetheart. I’m going to give you some relief. It’ll make it more…bearable for you until we can break the bond. I’ll take care of you, Julietta.”

He would handle himself later in private, but he knew she was innocent enough that she would suffer until they could break the bond. Triston had been relieving himself a few times a day since their bond first became active, so he couldn’t imagine the sexual tension she must be feeling.

Triston slipped a finger inside her undergarment, and shuddered as soon as he felt her slickness. His poor, dear mate. She was suffering just as much as he was. Probably worse. He was angry at himself for not realizing the physical pain she must be in, along with the confusion she felt.

He vowed then to make it an amazing experience for her, to leave her completely and utterly satisfied. He tried to remember what women liked, but he realized he was so selfish in bed that his cheeks burned with shame. He wasn’t sure how to please her. He knew females like to be touched in a certain way…that there was a special spot that felt particularly amazing for them.

He slipped his finger deep inside her folds, feeling the moisture coating his fingers. He moved them upwards, spreading her slightly apart and exploring her folds. When he reached the top of her sex, she suddenly let out a loud, startled sound.

“Did I hurt you?”

“No….just…it…feels…feels so good.”

Ah, he had found that spot that was pleasurable for women. He concentrated on it again, and watched her reaction. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. Instead, she closed her eyes, and her hips lifted off the bed slightly.

This was the right way. He continued to touch and rub, watching carefully to figure out just what she liked. When he found a spot that made her legs shake, he kept going, harder and faster, whispering words of tenderness and praising her beauty.

“I…don’t…What’s happening—Triston!

She fell apart under his hands.

Then he embarrassingly came right behind her, unable to control himself.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Julietta didn't know what to think. On one hand, this was the man who was usually cold and calculating and didn't want a mate. But over the last few days...she thought about how he called her sweetheart, and what he had just done to her...

Her arms and legs felt limp, and her heart was beating so hard she worried her chest would burst open. She stared up at the thatched ceiling, stars dancing behind her eyes and her thoughts swirling at a mile a minute. She wasn't sure...but they must have sealed their bond? Surely that was the case, because she felt absolute perfection course through her body when Triston touched her the way that he did.

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