A quake travelled through my sternum. This beautiful man risked his life every day to keep people safe. Even when hurting, he wore a smile, being like the sun that shone light on everyone else. But as we kissed, I realized he gave so much of his warmth to other people that he’d never felt it for himself.
“Ev,” he rasped. His hand slipped beneath the back of my tunic, fingertips grazing my spine. “I don’t know how to...”
Understanding his internal struggle, I gently pushed against his chest and guided him to his back. He stared up at me as I straddled his hips and unfastened the front of his tunic, pulling it up and over his head. Mouthwatering abs greeted me in its place.
But something else did too. Deep claw marks that had torn him open only a day ago but looked weeks old now, thanks to Briar’s healing elixir. All of his bandages had been removed, apart from the one on his neck.
“Let me know if you’re in pain.” I ghosted my fingers over his scarred ribs.
“I feel no pain.” Callum grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. “You take it all away.”
Yeah, he was quite the charmer. Sir Swoonamon Roll.
I bent forward and kissed his chest. His breathing changed, shaking a little. Beneath my lips, his heart pounded. Mine pounded too. I might’ve been experienced when it came to sex, but that didn’t take away the nervous excitement. As he grabbed my hips, I noticed he was trembling.
“If you’re not ready for this, we don’t have to.”
“I want to,” he said, smoothing his hands down my sides. He pulled off my tunic and tossed it to the floor before enfolding me in his arms and meeting me for a soft kiss.
Each of my men were different. Briar was my gentle lover. Lake was a mix of gentle and aggressive, often biting me during it. Rowan liked it rough and fast. And Maddox varied depending on his mood but gravitated toward slow, yet hard.
How would Callum be?
I couldn’t wait to find out.
Pressing kisses across his chest, I trailed my lips over his nipple. His breath caught, and he angled his head back. Peering up at him, I swirled my tongue against it and watched him lose his mind. And when I closed my mouth around his nipple and gently sucked?
“Gods!” He cradled my head, keeping me in place. Seeking more.
I had no trouble obliging.
I alternated between licks and sucks, fueled by his groans. Some guys hated having their nipples played with, but Callum clearly wasn’t one of them. His body wasn’t used to being touched like this, and his nerve endings were on fire.
“Ev.” He lifted his hips and grinded against me, bringing attention to the bulge straining against the front of his trousers.
“These need to come off.” I smoothed my hands down the tops of his thighs, then brought them to the center of his pants, untying the strings that kept them together.
“Only if yours do as well.” Callum cracked a smile, blessing me with a peek of that dimple. “I wish to see every inch of you, Ev. To touch and kiss you. I’ve dreamed of it for too long.”
“My, my,” I tsked. “What happened to my chivalrous, gentleman of a knight?”
His smile slanted. “He finally found somewhere he wants to put it.”
I laughed so hard I damn near fell off his lap.
It was just another thing I loved about Callum. No matter the situation, we always found something to laugh about. Being around him made me feel so warm and safe, like I was lying on a sunny beach without a care in the world. Nothing but lighthearted humor and sunshine kisses.
Maybe that was the role he played in my destiny; when things got dark, he’d chase away the storm and show me a ray of light. He was my lover and best friend. Someone who smiled like the sun and made me believe everything would be okay.
Our lips met for a slow kiss. He held me against his chest and took his time exploring my mouth, swirling his tongue against mine. His hands roamed down my spine and to my waist, tugging at my pants. I lifted up so he could unfasten them and push them down my hips.
He paused. “Those strange undergarments again. You called the creatures hotdogs?”
Creatures.Another round of giggles left me.
“Yep.” They were the boxers I’d been wearing before being sent to Bremloc. We’d been through a lot together since then, providing confusion for each of my men when they’d first stripped me down and discovered them. It was a rite of passage. Callum, however, had already seen them. Multiple times. But now, he finally knew the full truth.
“Do all males wear them where you’re from?” he asked, tracing one of the cartoon hotdogs.
