Page 15 of Throne of Dreams
He saw it then, the flash of rising darkness creeping in from off the coast. It grew like a beast of its own, turbulent and powerful. A rogue wave. It would swallow them if he didn’t stop it. If he didn’t stop her.
“Tier, please!” Maeve begged, her body shaking and trembling, unable to recall the magic bound to her. Tears slid down her cheeks as another gust of wind lifted her hair from her shoulders, hoisted her up so her feet barely touched the ground.
If he didn’t move fast, he would lose her.
He summoned the magic he kept at bay, the power of absolute destruction, the ability to devastate with nothing more than a flick of his wrist. It swept through him like the darkest night and called upon the most eternal shadows. They encircled him, answered to him. The air crackled as his magic clashed with Maeve’s. Creation and destruction clawed at one another, each rise of power desperate to overthrow the other. Harnessing all the darkness inside him, he ripped through the storm, tore through the winds, until they were face to face.
Her eyes were wild, pleading.
“Let go,” he demanded.
Her bottom lip quivered. The rogue wave closed in, threatening to crash upon them. To pull them out to the sea.
“Let go,now.”
Tiernan didn’t waste another second. One arm snared around her waist, and he dragged her against him. Capturing her face with his free hand, her eyes widened in shock before he crushed his mouth to hers. Reckless power exploded between them as he claimed her.
This was not a kiss of lovers. It was not tender. It was not cautious. It was desperate and hungry. Ruthless and punishing. He swallowed her gasp as their tongues collided; she tasted of cinnamon and smoke. The combination was intoxicating, and every muscle, every nerve in his body craved more of her. Her hands roved up his arms to his biceps, where she squeezed and held onto him like he was the only one who could save her.
Greedy and wanting more, he let his teeth graze her lips and she tilted her head back, exposing the creamy length of her neck, offering herself up to him.
He trailed kisses along her throat and followed them up with a sweep of his tongue. The barest of whimpers escaped her and he almost snapped. His body was alive with the feel of her touch. He wanted to take her right there on the beach, in the midst of the turmoil. He wanted to rip off those godsforsaken leggings and drive himself into her, over and over, until she screamed his name. And only his name.
Maeve wove her arms around his neck, fused her mouth to his, and lifted her knee like she was trying to climb him. He cupped her bottom and hoisted her up, nestling the stiff length of his cock right between her legs, and she anchored herself to him. He knew she could feel him,allof him, and she wanted him. The delectable scent of her arousal was potent, and he couldn’t get enough of it.
Slowly, the winds died. The sea calmed. The skies cleared.
But he wasn’t done kissing her. Not yet.
He wanted to memorize every inch of her. The shape of her mouth. The feel of her flesh molded to him. The curve of her jaw. When she opened her full and lush lips for him again, he devoured her.
Tiernan needed to stop. He knew he should stop. But her thoughts…fucking gods—she wanted him to fill her.
In an unexpected rush, the last wave of her soul magic fell away, and she collapsed in his arms.
He dropped to the sand, cradling her in his lap. She kept her arms around his neck, her legs straddling his own. Trembles wrecked her body and he held on tight to her, gently rocking her back and forth. Reminding himself to disconnect, he slowed the erratic beating of his heart. He kept his breathing even, the rise and fall of his chest steady while he tried to get her to breathe along with him.
“Now, Cer,”he called to his sister.“Now.”
Instantly, Ceridwen’s magic flooded over them. Warm and comforting ripples of tranquility settled them, soothed them, lulled them until eventually Maeve relaxed into his arms.
Still, she continued to hold onto him.
“Your magic…” she whispered, her voice raw and shaken, “thatmagic…”
“Destruction,” he finished for her.
Her face was nestled against his chest and if he wanted, he could easily rest his chin on top of her head. But he didn’t. He couldn’t. Instead, he sat unmoving and enjoyed the tickle of her breath against his skin.
“Yours is…the opposite of mine.” She curled closer into him, and he lazily let one hand rub up and down her back in calm, easy movements.
It wasn’t exactly a question, but he answered, “Yes.”
She said nothing for a while and didn’t attempt to leave, for which he was silently grateful.
Tiernan wasn’t sure he would be strong enough to let her go.
ChapterSix
