Page 80 of Wilds of Wonder
I never knew pleasure like this existed. At the Academy of Ladies, all we learned was how to please our husbands. The right ways to touchthem, to makethemfall apart, to makethemhappy and satiated and wanting more. Always wanting more. I’d done it all withefficiency for my husband. But I’d never wanted to. It was always out of duty.
This, with Maverick. I wanted this. I wanted to hear all the sounds he made when I touched him. I wanted to explore his body and memorize every single part of it. I wanted him. All of him. In a way I hadn’t wanted anyone before.
Something slipped down my back, under my tunic, trailing down my skin. I moaned out again at all the sensations sparking through my body, igniting my blood. Maverick’s fingers plunged inside of my wet heat while I rubbed my hand over his shaft, a thick bead of moisture coating my fingers, making them slick and easy to slide up and down him.
“Fuck, I love how wet you are for me,” he murmured against my lips.
“I need more of you,” I said. “I need all of you. Inside of me. Now.” I positioned his cock right at where my entrance would be if I weren’t wearing pants.
Heat lit his eyes. “Emory,” he said, face taking on a pained expression. “That is so, so tempting.”
I let go of his cock and wound my arms around his neck, lifting my other leg and wrapping it around his back. “Then what are you waiting for? I’m right here.”
“Because, little rabbit”—he pressed his hard length against my thigh—“when I fuck you for the first time, it isn’t going to be against a tree. As much as I absolutely love the idea of burying myself inside of you, fucking you until you’re so sore you can’t walk—this isn’t where that’s going to happen.”
That area between my legs ached with his words. “Well, then you’re going to have to do something with those fingers right now because I need you.”
Our mouths crashed together again, and he let one of my legs go, pushing me further up against the tree. One hand trailed back down to my aching clit. The other cupped my jaw. Tingles shot across my back again as something stroked it.
I stilled. If one of Maverick’s hands was currently stroking me, and the other was cupping my jaw, then what was touching my back?
“A threesome with a tree. Huh,” Driscoll said. “That’s a new one. And good piece of gossip. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you both anonymous.”
“Get away from the tree!” Aron yelled.
Cold doused me as Maverick jumped back. He fumbled with his trousers, lacing them while shooting murderous glances toward Aron, Driscoll, and now El, who’d emerged into the clearing, her usual glower on her face. Oh, wonderful. So we had a whole audience for this.
I tried to move but couldn’t, and it didn’t take long to realize I was stuck to the tree, a branch dipping down the back of my tunic.
Maverick’s eyes went wide when he had the same realization. “Emory!”
“Is the tree eating her?” Driscoll asked, tilting his head. “I don’t see a mouth anywhere.”
“Not eating, exactly,” Aron responded. “Absorbing. These trees are coated with a sticky sap that traps their victims, and they slowly squeeze them into their bark.” He gestured upward. “They don’t need water to survive. They need blood. It’s what gives their leaves that color.”
“Can we take a break from the history lesson and figure out how to save me before the tree absorbs me?” Fucking spirits below.
“How do we get her loose?” Maverick rushed forward, yanking me to no avail. He ran his hands over my body like there might be some key hidden that would unlock me from this situation.
My heart thumped furiously, but it seemed like the more I struggled, the tighter I became fused to the tree, my back already aching from the pressure.
“Oh, I see how it works.” Driscoll stroked his jaw. “She’s slowly sinking into it.” He pointed. “Look how her body is disappearing as the tree presses her tighter.”
“Why are you so blasé about this?” I yelled.
“Would you rather I be freaking out?” Driscoll studied his nails. “Honestly, I cannot win with you people.”
El signed, and Aron and Maverick both watched.
“Be still,” Maverick said. “The more you struggle, the faster the tree absorbs you.” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “We will get you free. I promise.”
My chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.
“So how do we save her?” Maverick asked again through gritted teeth.
Aron pointed. “We need to tire out the tree enough that it’ll lose its strength so she can get free. As I’ve said before, elemental magic isn’t very effective here.”
“Let me guess.” Driscoll raised a finger. “That involves fighting the tree the old-fashioned way.”
