Page 10 of Monster's Secret Baby

I stroke my hands down his chest, feeling the lean muscle jump beneath his bronze skin. "Then we should make the most of this one."

With a swift, graceful movement, Adellum tears his tunic over his head, discarding it somewhere in the grass. The sight of him steals my breath—all that power contained in his tall, lean frame, the defined muscles of his abdomen flexing as he moves. His wings, those magnificent gray wings, spread wide behind him like a storm cloud, feathers rustling in the night breeze.

"Come here," I whisper, reaching for him.

Adellum lowers himself over me, the weight of him pressing me into the soft grass. His hands cup my face with devastating gentleness, thumbs stroking my cheekbones as if I'm something infinitely precious. Then he's kissing me again, deep and slow, his tongue sliding against mine in a rhythm that makes heat pool low in my belly.

"Want you," he growls against my mouth. "Need you."

My body arches instinctively toward his, seeking more contact, more friction. "Then take me."

His hands slide down to my hips, positioning me beneath him. I feel him, hard and ready against my entrance, and my body floods with liquid heat. When he pushes inside, slow and deliberate, I can't hold back the moan that escapes me. The stretch and fullness of him is exquisite, familiar yet somehow still astonishing.

"Harmony," he breathes my name like it's sacred. "Look at me."

I open my eyes to find him watching me with such intensity that it almost hurts. The moonlight silvers his white-blond hair, turns his wings to something otherworldly and beautiful. His jaw is tight with restraint, the muscles in his neck corded as he holds himself still within me.

"I need to see your eyes when I move inside you," he says, his voice ragged. "Need to watch what I do to you."

He begins to move then, rolling his hips in a rhythm that's achingly perfect. Each thrust sends sparks of pleasure through my body, building and building like a gathering storm. I wrap my legs around his waist, changing the angle, drawing him deeper.

"That's it," he encourages, his breath hot against my neck. "Take what you need from me."

His wings create a canopy above us, shutting out the world until there's nothing but Adellum, nothing but this moment, this connection. One of his hands slides between us, finding the sensitive bundle of nerves where our bodies join, circling with expert precision.

"Adellum," I gasp, my nails digging into the muscled planes of his back. "Don't stop. Please don't stop."

"Couldn't stop if I wanted to," he confesses, his rhythm growing more urgent, more demanding. "You feel too good. Always so perfect for me."

The coil of pleasure tightens within me, winding tighter and tighter with each thrust. Adellum knows my body so well, knows exactly how to move, where to touch to drive me to the very edge of madness. His own breathing grows ragged, his movements more forceful.

"Come for me," he commands, his voice dark with need. "Let me feel you, little bird."

His words combined with the relentless rhythm of his body against mine sends me spiraling over the edge. Wave after wave of pleasure crashes through me, making me cry out his name. My body tightens around him, pulling him deeper.

"That's it," he groans, his wings trembling with the effort of his restraint. "That's it, Harmony. So beautiful when you come undone for me."

A few more powerful thrusts and he follows me over the edge, his body shuddering above mine, within mine. His wings snap fully open in his release, the sound cutting through the night air. His forehead presses to mine, our breath mingling as we both struggle to return to ourselves.

For a moment, the only sounds are our ragged breathing and the distant songs of night insects. His weight presses me into the earth in the most delicious way, anchoring me when I feel like I might float away.

After a moment, he shifts us, tucking me against him and holding me close. His magic slides against my skin, keeping me warm enough in the cool night air. His magnificent wings are still partially extended, creating a shelter from the world.

"That was..." I struggle to find words adequate enough.

"Mmm," Adellum agrees, his lips brushing my temple. "It always is, with you."

His fingers trace idle patterns on my hip, circling the slight dip where bone meets flesh. The touch isn't demanding anymore, just lazy and content, like a man savoring a particularly fine vintage of wine long after the glass is empty.

"Do you ever wonder," I whisper, tucking myself closer against his chest, "what would happen if someone found out about us?"

Adellum's hand stills momentarily before resuming its gentle exploration. "Is that what you think about after I've thoroughly taken you? The potential social scandal?"

I snort softly against his skin. "Not usually, no."

"Good." His lips find my forehead. "Because I'd rather you think about when I can take you again."

The levity in his voice makes me smile, even as a part of me aches with the reality we both know but rarely speak aloud. A xaphan artist of his stature and a human gardener. I might be fine, but Adellum's reputation would suffer. His manager, Sior, would be furious.

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