Page 64 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

He crossed to the desk in the corner, as far away from the bed as he could get. She followed, the pull towards him strong. She sighed, and finally poured out her heart to him.

“Triston…I can’t fight this anymore. I’m…I’m so tired. I know you don’t desire to have me as your wife, but—”

“I do.”

She stopped, sure she had misheard him. There was no way he changed his mind; she was sure of it.

“What?”

He got up from his desk, padding over to her. His feet were bare, and it was the first time she’d seen him in such a state of undress. When he was a foot away, he stopped, towering over her.

“I want you. I can’t deny it anymore. I feel as you do. Perhaps…even more. I want to have you, claim you for myself. I want to devour you, explore every inch of your body until I know it better than my own. I want…I want you, Julietta.”

His words sank in, and she felt a peace wash over her body. He wanted her, and she wanted him. She wasn’t sure if it was their bond that had made her more in tune with his good qualities, or if it was getting to know him better that made her want him, but she no longer cared.

Before she could utter another word, he was on her, his fingers pulling at the ribbon in her hair, letting her curls fall freely.

“I love these curls. I love the way they bounce when you walk, I love the way they feel under my fingertips.” He ran his fingers through her hair, and her entire body flushed with heat. She pressed her palms against his chest, sighing softly as she felt his hard muscles.

“I like this,” she said shyly, suddenly even more nervous. But Triston gave a pleased growl, and then eased her backwards towards his bed.

She took a deep breath, suddenly very aware of how large he looked, his trousers bulging in front. How was that supposed to fit in her? She wished she could talk to Renya…but she would have probably been too embarrassed to anyways.

Triston seemed to sense her fear.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. We don’t need to do anything you’re not ready for. I’ll make sure you’re ready when we finally seal our bond. Whether that’s tonight or a month from now.”

Seal their bond. That was what they had to do. Her mind fluttered with the knowledge that once they completed it, it would be even harder to separate. She couldn’t imagine that, because it was so hard for her to stay away from him now.

“I’m scared, Triston,” she confessed, as she lay back against his soft sheets, shivering slightly.

Instead of getting on top of her, he rolled her on her side, looking at her face and slowly stroking her arm. “Shhhhhh, my sweet mate. Nothing will ever hurt you while I’m here. You don’t need to be afraid of anything anymore. And as far as being afraid of what’s happening between us, I promise you, I will bring you nothing but pleasure.”

He leaned in and kissed her jaw, and then pulled her close to him. His fingers grabbed the hem of her dress, raising it to her thighs. She whimpered, and he stopped.

“Is this okay?”

She nodded, her voice now lost to her. Instead of moving his fingers on top of her undergarments, like before, he grabbed the waist of them and tugged, moving them down gently. She gasped, suddenly feeling so bare and exposed, even with her gown still on.

“I want to touch you,” he said, tracing soft patterns against her thighs. “I want to feel your bare skin, feel how much you want me.”

She slowly moved her legs, allowing him a small bit of access. He groaned, and his fingers slid in between her thighs.

“You’re already ready for me,” he praised, and she could feel how slick his fingers were against her.

“I…the…wetness?”

He looked at her, a soft grin pulling at his lips. “Your innocence…it makes me even more eager to have you. Yes. It helps you to…be more comfortable when I enter you and stretch you.”

She was scared, but the little bit he had done with his fingers a few evenings before felt good, so she nodded, widening her legs even more.

“Good girl,” he said, and she trembled, not sure why the phrase was so intoxicating. He moved one finger inside of her, and she bucked her hips.

He smiled again. “I’m glad you’re enjoying this. I won’t lie, before you, I had little desire to pleasure a woman. Now I can’t stop. All I want is for you to come apart in my arms.”

And she did.

How could she have possibly denied herself this? With this man?

---