Page 41 of Human Reclaimed
I reached up, tracing his jaw. “Let’s make sure it doesn’t come to that. I’ve lost enough people I care about.”
His eyes softened, and for a moment, raw vulnerability flashed across his features—a reminder that beneath the warrior exterior was someone learning to feel deeply and care intensely.
And at that moment, I knew he felt something dangerously close to love for me, and if I was being honest, I felt that for him, too.
EIGHTEEN
RUNE
I leaned in, my breath mingling with Talia’s, and kissed her. It wasn’t gentle or tentative anymore. It was desperate and hungry, a way to pour everything I couldn’t say into her. The promise that I’d protect her, the fear of losing her, the hope that maybe, just maybe, we could build something real in this chaotic, broken world. She kissed me back with equal fervor, her hands tangling in my hair and pulling me closer as if she could erase every inch of space between us.
Our clothes fell away, piece by piece, until we were both bare under the moonlight. The cool night air brushed against my skin, but it was nothing compared to the heat of her body pressed against mine. I lifted her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around my waist as I carried her to the edge of the small pool. She laughed, the sound light and carefree, and it sent a jolt of warmth through me. That laugh, her laugh, was something I’d fight to protect, something I’d die to keep.
We jumped into the water together, the shock of it sending a burst of energy through us. When we surfaced, she started laughing again, her hair plastered to her face as water droplets caught the moonlight like tiny stars. I couldn’t help but smile, even as my heart pounded in my chest.
“Let’s forget the world,” I said, my voice low but firm. “Forget the pirates, the threats, everything. Tonight, it’s just us.”
She nodded, her eyes softening, and I kissed her again, slower this time, savoring the way her lips moved against mine and the way her body fit so perfectly in my arms. She reached underwater, her hand closing around my hard length, and I groaned, the sensation sending a jolt of heat through me.
“Talia,” I murmured, my voice rough. “If you keep doing that, this is going to end sooner than either of us would like.”
She grinned, a wicked glint in her eyes. “We wouldn’t want that.”
She was right. I wanted to savor her and take my time. I moved her toward the edge of the small pool and lifted her to sit on the edge. She braced herself, her breath quickening as I settled between her thighs. I looked up at her, my hands gripping her hips. “Tell me if you want me to stop.”
She shook her head, her eyes dark with want. “Please don’t stop.”
I didn’t. I licked her slick folds, soft and slow at first and then deeper and more insistent. Her hands tangled in my hair, guiding me and encouraging me. The sounds she made, the way her body trembled under my mouth, it was almost too much. But I didn’t stop, not until she arched off the pool’s edge, her cry of pleasure lost in the rush of the waterfall.
When she finally came down from her climax, her chest heaving and her eyes glazed with satisfaction, I pulled her back into the water, holding her close. She buried her face in my neck, her breath warm against my skin.
“Rune,” Talia whispered, her voice shaky but filled with something I couldn’t quite name. “I… I don’t know what this is yet, but I know I don’t want to lose it.”
I tightened my arms around her, my lips brushing against her temple. “You won’t. I promise.”
For the first time in my life, I wasn’t just making a vow as a warrior or a leader. I was making it as a man, who was finally learning what it meant to love someone wholeheartedly. And that, more than anything else, was a promise I intended to keep.
Talia’s legs wrapped around me under the water, her body pulling me closer as if she couldn’t bear even the slightest distance between us. I guided her to the stone wall next to the waterfall, the cool surface pressing against her back as I held her there, my hands firm on her hips. Her breath hitched, her eyes locked on mine, and for a moment, the world outside this oasis ceased to exist. It was just her, just us, and the rush of the waterfall drowning out everything else.
“I want you, Talia,” I said, my voice rough with desire. “More than anything I’ve ever wanted in my whole life. And if tonight is the last night we have together—and I hope to the stars it’s not—I’m going to make it a night to remember.”
Her hands slid up my chest, her fingers tracing the scars that marked my skin. “I want you, too,” she whispered, her voice trembling with desire. “More than anything in the entire universe. And I want to remember this night, here in your beautiful hidden oasis, with you. This… us. It’s unexpected, but it’s perfect.”
Her words hit me like a physical blow, knocking the air from my lungs. Perfect. I’d never thought of myself as capable of being part of something perfect, but with her, it felt possible. I leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss that was as much a promise as it was a plea. Her body arched against mine, her hips pressing into me, and I groaned, the sound swallowed by the roar of the waterfall.
I entered her slowly, my body trembling with the effort to hold back and savor every second of this. She was tight, her body welcoming me with a heat that threatened to undo me. Her breath came in short gasps, her hands gripping my shoulders as I filled her completely. I paused, my forehead resting against hers and our breaths mingling as we both adjusted to the intensity of the moment.
“Rune,” she whispered. “Don’t stop.”
I didn’t. I began to move, my thrusts slow and deliberate, each one drawing a moan from her lips that sent a surge of heat through me. Her legs tightened around me, her body meeting mine with a rhythm that felt as natural as breathing. I could feel her trembling, her pleasure building with every movement, and it only fueled my own desire.
As my body grew more heated, my thrusts became faster, deeper, and harder. I couldn’t hold back anymore. The primal need to claim her, to make her mine, overwhelmed every rational thought. She matched me, her body moving with mine, her cries of pleasure echoing in the night air, though they were drowned out by the waterfall.
“Talia,” I growled, my voice rough with need. “You’re perfect. You’re everything.”
Her response was a loud moan, her body tightening around me as she shattered. Her orgasm ripped through her with a force that left her trembling in my arms. I held her close, my own release following moments later. My seed spilled deep inside her as I let out a loud groan that was equal parts pleasure and relief.
We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, our bodies still joined and our breaths slowly returning to normal. Her head rested against my shoulder, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my back. I kissed her temple, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.
