Page 63 of Ecliptic

I must have dozed off because I woke to Rowen’s head in between my thighs, licking and kissing me. He thrust his tongueinside my walls, and I moaned as I threaded my fingers through his hair.

Rowen had taken punishing me very seriously, making me come for hours. I didn’t know how, but he managed to awaken my exhausted body and drown me in pleasure once again.

This man had a skillful tongue.

Rowen claimed me in position after position. I had no idea just how thoroughly my body could be used and claimed.

He’d promised me he would fill me in every way possible, and he had. I was deliciously sore but already aching for more.

All night, he had taken me ruthlessly, forcing me to come again and again. But now he took his time, languidly kissing and making love to me with his tongue.

As Rowen brought me higher and higher, my body coiled tighter and tighter, and I pressed my palms against his broad shoulders. He plunged a finger inside me, and I hissed as the sharp sting morphed into delicious pleasure.

His tongue found the perfect rhythm on my clit as his finger slowly plunged in and out of me.

“Harder,” I desperately panted, and Rowen chuckled against me. He slipped in another finger, his gentle ministrations turning into a brutal surrender of my command. He knew I was no fragile thing. “Yes. Yes. I’m going to come for you.”

Suddenly, I saw stars upon stars as I came on his tongue, my head tilted toward the sky. I clamped my thighs around him as I rode his head, wanting to keep him there forever as he rolled my clit in his mouth.

“I’m still coming. Don’t stop,” I moaned as my orgasm stretched on and on. Rowen drew out every second of my release and groaned as if my pleasure were his pleasure. The heavens passed over me, and I finally released my shaking thighs, worried that it had been some time since his last breath.

“Always such a good girl for me,” Rowen breathed betweenmy legs, his lips glistening. Our eye contact was unflinching as he lapped up every morsel of my release.

I arched back as he lowered his mouth to me again, concentrating his tongue on my swollen bundle of nerves, ready to do it all over again.

I let out a delusional giggle as he continued to lick me. I had my doubts about camping, but who knew it could be this fun?

24

Rowen and I would never be able to make up for the agonizing months, days, and seconds of being apart, but we certainly tried. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other as we journeyed back to the village.

Rowen scooped me up in his arms and spun me around until we were dizzy with laughter. We walked a bit more before he hitched me up his body by the backs of my thighs and held me against him. I wrapped my legs around his narrow waist and languidly claimed his mouth.

Our kisses ranged from sweet and tender to fervent and passionate. But no matter the kiss, my heart raced each time his lips moved against mine, and I would lose all sense of time.

We weren’t even halfway home before he pressed me up against a tree and ripped off my clothes with an urgency that stole the breath from my lungs. “Spirits, you feel so good and tight,” Rowen moaned into my neck as he took me hard and fast against the trunk. “I’ll never get enough of you, Copeland. Never.”

The bark bit into my back as our shared release echoed throughout the forest.

With all the distractions, our journey back home took longer than anticipated. We were intoxicated by the thrill of each other’s touch.

It was near sunset when we reached the village, and our haven unfolded in the golden-hour light. The forest bungalows stood gracefully amongst the trees, connected by intricate walkways and bridges that seemed to float above the ground. Wooden carvings and natural grass sculptures seamlessly blended into the village, combining art with the everyday lives of the elven community.

The enchanting village was a sight for sore eyes, and while I felt a wave of familiarity and comfort, a profound realization washed over me.

I wasn’t coming home; I was already walking beside it.

My sense of belonging was no longer tied to a place but a person—my person. As long as I was with Rowen, anywhere and everywhere could feel like home.

The thought made me smile, but my grin quickly faded as I saw Maddock and Sabra waiting just outside the village. They spotted us immediately and sprinted towards us.

“Where’s Ven?” I asked, my heart lurching with dread. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to him while I was away. “Are you okay?”

“Don’t worry, everyone is fine,” Maddock assured me, though it looked like he was running on fumes. Rowen was my home, but Maddock held a piece of that sanctuary, and I couldn’t help but feel relieved we were back in his presence.

“Thank the Spirits,” I said as relief flooded through me. I relaxed into Rowen and landed a palm on his chest. “Why is Sabra with you?”

Maddock’s onyx-black hair was wild, tousled from repeatedly running his hands through it, a clear indication he’d gottenno rest at all. “Ven knows I get . . . lonely and sends Sabra to keep me company.”

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