Page 181 of Unbound

He walks us backward until my spine meets the edge of the pool again. The position gives him better leverage, and he uses it to grind against me, creating delicious friction where I need it most.

"Raith," I gasp, my head falling back against the stone edge.

I feel his struggle for control, his desire to let go warring with his need to make this last. It's intoxicating, knowing how much he wants me, how hard he's fighting to hold back.

"You're so beautiful like this," he says, his voice roughened with need. His hand cradles my face, turning it so I meet his gaze. "Flushed. Breathless. Taking me deeper."

The words send a fresh wave of heat through me. I tighten my legs around his waist, drawing him impossibly closer. "I want all of you," I tell him. "Don't hold back. Not with me."

Thunder cracks from the magical clouds and the rain grows thicker, pouring down harder around us until the steam rising from the water blots out everything but his face. His eyes.

Something flares in his eyes—a wild hunger I've only glimpsed before. "Be careful what you wish for, Nessa."

The rain falling in heavy sheets that plaster my hair to my face, to my neck. Water in the pool around us begins to move with more purpose, following the rhythm of our bodies, responding to my rising pleasure. I can feel myself drawing water essence unconsciously, making the pool swirl and eddy around us, feeding the clouds above until they swirl and churn, pouring water in a deluge that flickers with white light.

His movements grow deeper, more forceful, each thrust hitting a spot inside me that sends sparks shooting up my spine. I cling to him, hands grasping at his shoulders, his back, anywhere I can reach. The tether between us throbs in time with our bodies, channeling his pleasure to me and mine to him, amplifying everything.

"Tell me what you need," he pants against my ear, his hands gripping my hips tightly enough to bruise. "I want to feel you come apart."

"You. You're all I need," I manage, my voice breaking as he shifts angles slightly, hitting even deeper.

He maintains the perfect rhythm, the perfect depth. Water splashes around us, steam billowing as his fire essence responds to his passion.

Raith's pace increases, his thrusts deeper, harder, driving me toward a peak I can already feel building. The water around us bubbles with his heat, adding to the dreamlike quality of everything.

"Touch yourself," he urges, his voice barely recognizable with need. "Let me see you come undone."

I slide a hand between us, finding that sensitive bundle of nerves. The first touch makes me cry out, my inner walls clenching around him. Through the tether, I feel his reaction—a surge of pleasure so intense it nearly sends him over the edge.

"That's it," he encourages, his movements growing more erratic. "Let go, Nessa. I've got you."

The dual sensation of his hardness inside me and my fingers against my clit winds the tension higher and higher. Every nerve ending feels electrified, every stroke pushing me closer to the edge. The pressure builds until it's almost unbearable, a coiled spring ready to snap.

"Raith," I gasp, clinging to him with my free arm. "I'm going to?—"

"Yes," he hisses, his movements growing more urgent. "Come for me. Now."

My release crashes through me like a tidal wave, stealing my breath, my thoughts, leaving only sensation in its wake. My back arches, my head thrown back in abandon as wave after wave of pleasure washes over me. The tether between us magnifies everything, creating a barrage of ecstasy that seems endless.

Dimly, I'm aware of the water responding to my power, creating a vortex around us as if we're in the eye of a storm. But unlike the disaster of my childhood, this power is contained, controlled, never threatening to harm Raith or myself. Never out of control. Not this time.

Raith's rhythm falters as my inner walls pulse around him. With a hoarse shout, he follows me over the edge, his body tensing, his face buried in my neck as his cock throbs and pulses within me, filling me with a fresh wave of subtle warmth. Through the tether, I feel his release as if it were my own, triggering a second, smaller climax that leaves me trembling in his arms.

The water around us has reached near-boiling temperatures, his fire essence completely unchecked in the throes of passion. Steam fills the room, thick enough that I can hardly see anything at all. The rain continues to pour. Compared to the heat Raith is generating, it almost feels cool now.

For long moments, we stay tangled together, our hearts pounding in tandem, our foreheads pressed together. Neither of us speaks—there are no words adequate for what we've just shared. I can feel his wonder, his satisfaction, his lingering desire... and beneath it all, something deeper that neither of us is ready to name.

Finally, reluctantly, he eases me off him, keeping me close as we float in the cooling water. My legs feel boneless, my entire body liquid with satisfaction.

"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice rough.

I nod, too overwhelmed for words. I sense his concern, his fear that he might have hurt me or pushed too hard.

"I'm perfect," I reassure him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "That was..." I trail off, unable to find the right words.

"Yeah," he agrees, understanding completely. "It was."

The rain above us slows to a gentle drizzle, then stops entirely. The enchanted clouds disperse, leaving only moonlight to illuminate the room. I study his face in the silvery glow.

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