Page 37 of War Of Fire and Fortune
“My mate.”
I never knew two simple words could be my undoing. I captured her lips with mine and kissed her like a man starved of air, and I needed her to breathe.
Luana wrapped her arms around me, her hips pressing insistently against mine. The hard length of my cock was undeniable. I wanted all of our clothes off. I wanted to fuck her slowly, make love to her passionately, keep her in my bed and worship her for days until we were both completely spent.
But then, she trailed a hand down my back, and sharp pain jolted through me. I tensed, a hiss escaping through gritted teeth. She halted, concern flashing in her hazel eyes. Those golden flecks shined as she pulled back. Her lips, swollen from our kisses, parted slightly as she peered over my shoulder, examining the patchwork of healing wounds that marred my flesh.
"Luana . . . ,"I choked out down the bond. Despite the ache, I craved her touch, her nearness. Her. I wanted—no, I needed her."Come back,"I urged. The sensation was intoxicating, knowing she heard me from within, a connection so deep it blurred the lines of where I ended and she began.
Her fingers hovered inches from the raw redness of my scars."You are in no condition for sex, Ace,"she whispered in my mind before switching to using her actual voice. "We've waited this long, so we can wait a little longer. I don't want to see you in anymore pain."
A deep growl clawed its way up from my chest. I wanted her, every fiber of my being straining against the weakness that held me prisoner within my own body. The thought of entwining with her, soul and body, for days unending was a maddening hunger I had never felt for anybody before.
"You must be hungry. You haven't eaten. Let me go get you something," she murmured, concern etching soft grooves around her eyes. She stood to move, but I was stubborn. Defiance propelled me upward. My muscles screamed in protest, but I quashed them.
"No,"I said down the bond. Her eyes caught mine, wide with surprise. I drew her back, imprisoning her in my arms and shifting her so her ass was on the bed. If I could not claim my mate as I pleased, I would give her any pleasure I could for now to satiate both of us."No need, I have the meal I want right here."My thoughts poured into her mind, and her lips parted when she realized what I wanted. Her scent changed as her arousal filled the tent. My gaze locked with hers, a silent question hanging heavy in the air between us. I knew she wanted me, but I would always ask her permission first. The night dress she wore clung to her like a second skin, and I desperately wanted to rip it off with my teeth. I was like a starved animal. Every fiber of my being hungered for her.
A beat passed before she nodded, a subtle dip of her chin granting the consent I craved. My fingers trembled as they reached for the hem of her nightgown. The fabric was delicate against my calloused hands. I peeled the night dress upward, unveiling the expanse of her dark skin. The sight of her laid bare before me, I’d never seen anything so godsdamned perfect. Not even the views of Heavensreach could touch her beauty.
"Luana."I breathed her name down our connection, a hallow invocation as I drank in the vision of her. She was my salvation and my undoing, and I was going to worship her. I dropped to my knees.“My mate.”I sent my words to her as she dipped her head back and spread her legs for me.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Luana
Iperched on the edge of the makeshift bed, watching Ace’s eyes roam over my body. He fell to his knees before me as if he were a man before an altar. With his calloused hands, he guided my thighs to rest upon his broad shoulders. With a single stroke of his tongue, a fire ignited inside me. A guttural moan escaped my lips as I arched off the bed. Ace's grip tightened on my hips, anchoring me to this world as he feasted with the hunger of a man starved.
I surrendered to the sensation, entwining my fingers in his dark, unkempt hair, holding him to me. My body writhed against the relentless strokes of his needy tongue, each lap and swirl pushing me further into the abyss of ecstasy. I couldn’t stop myself from grinding against his face.
Without warning, he added his fingers into the mix, plunging them into me, hitting all the perfect spots. The pumping of his hand coupled with the insistent lapping of his tongue shattered the fragile dam within me. Waves of release crashed over me, leaving me gasping, shuddering, drowning in bliss.
As the tremors subsided, Ace's tender ministrations did not stop. He helped clean the remnants of my release with gentle, careful strokes until the final pulses of pleasure left my trembling body. I’d thought it would soothe the fire in me, but it only made me want him more. He stood, and I captured his mouth, tasting the remnants of my release on his tongue. I hummed and turned him toward the bed. It was his turn to sit down as I kissed him slowly and undid his pants.
“Luana, you don’t—”he said down the bond.
“I want to—” I cut him off in my mind and gripped his cock in my hand, which had him groaning. I leaned down and licked at the crown, which had him cursing internally, but it only made me want to torment him more. Give him the same pleasure he had wrung from me. I finally wrapped my mouth around his cock and hollowed out my cheeks. I used one hand to grip his thigh to hold me up while using the other to snake between my legs, because I desperately wished his cock were there right now. I needed more.
Instead, I found my clit and rubbed in circles as I bobbed my head and deep-throated him in long, slow draws. I purred around his cock, so hungry for him. I pulled back, and my tongue flicked out to lick over his balls, which had him hissing and gripping the nape of my neck. Humming against his skin, I dragged my tongue up his shaft, loving the taste of him as more precum leaked from his tip, and then I sucked him back into my mouth. His hips started to pump in tandem with the swirl of my fingers and I knew he was close. The wave of pleasure built within me again, and I moaned around his cock.
“Fuck,”Ace sent down the bond as his hips jerked, and I swallowed down his release as it shot down my throat. I cried out then as I came undone again from another swirl of my fingers.
I released his cock and kissed up his chest where his muscles were quivering. He was exhausted, and I knew he needed rest, but I couldn’t stop myself. He gripped my wrist and pulled my fingers to his lips so he could suck my release from them and then pulled me into a gentle kiss. He stood as we helped each other clean up before we made our way back to the bed. Ace groaned when he finally lay down, clearly spent, and a worm of guilt slithered through me.
“Don’t do that,”he said down the bond and I hadn’t realized those thoughts had slipped through.“I wanted you, Luana. I will continue to heal, and I will be alright,”he said to me in my mind, and I nodded before he pulled me against his chest.
“How are the holes in the bed? Should I make them bigger?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“They’re comfortable,” he signed with his eyes closed. I could tell he was already starting to drift. I had created two holes in the earth of makeshift bed so he could lie on his back without it hurting the stumps that had started to grow. Hopefully once they were more healed, his wings would sprout through again, but until then the holes would keep them safe while he slept.“Thank you,”he murmured down the bond. And I brushed my fingers against his strong jaw.
“My mate . . . ,” I murmured before sleep claimed both of us.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Valla
Iron Isle Harbor had been a futile endeavor, a waste of my precious time and energy. I stormed through the palace's massive doors, my boots echoing off the floors, each step punctuating my frustration. How could he have vanished? I’d looked everywhere. He couldn’t have just disappeared unless . . .
As I approached the study, the scent of parchment and smoldering embers did little to soothe me as it had when I’d been a child. Though, nothing really soothed me anymore. I was constantly trying to feel something. Anything. And the only thing I could conjure up was rage.
