Page 33 of Cursed Love
“Just because we’re mates, it doesn’t mean we have to be together,” he whispered, worry reflecting in his eyes.
Her brows furrowed at his words. Not being around Ryan for the last week had been hard. The idea of it becoming permanent was too much for her to process, which was absurd considering the little amount of time they’d known each other. She squeezed her fists quickly, smothering the flames in the process. “Shut up and kiss me,” she demanded without thought.
Ryan stepped forward and gathered her against him. His lips crushed hers in a searing kiss. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she breathed in his familiar scent. Their tongues tangled, gliding this way and that, familiarizing themselves after their time apart.
He pulled her to him, aligning their bodies better. His thickness pressed against her belly, telling her without words he wanted her.
Ryan made her feel alive, beautiful, and powerful. She could conquer anything with him at her side. It was an odd sentiment, seeing as they really did not know much about each other. He nibbled her lip, and bolts of need shot to between her thighs. Brandy moaned and rubbed against him, needing to claim him.
He grabbed her by the backs of her thighs and lifted her until their centers were flush. She needed more of him, needed his taste, his breath, and each sound emanating from him. Beyond the fog of animalistic lust, she knew her crazed need was illogical.
Turning her head, she deepened their kiss. She sucked on his tongue, and his chest vibrated with a guttural groan. She wondered what it was about him that made her do things she never would have considered. Her fingernails scraped against his scalp as she tugged on his just-too-long hair. Grabbing onto the soft strands, she held his face in place for her kisses.
She reluctantly broke away as Ryan lowered them to the moss-covered ground. Her eyes darted around, and she noticed he had brought them to the base of a large oak. Switching their positions, he sat and settled her so she straddled his hips. His hands slipped under her shirt and caressed her flesh. Goose bumps covered her as his warm fingers trailed along her skin.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” he told her as he leaned in and brushed his lips down her neck. “I tried fighting this, but I can’t walk away,” he muttered between kisses.
Brandy’s head dropped to the side, and her hand cradled his neck. Each lick, nibble, and kiss tormented her in the best possible way. She knew she should not compare, especially not now, but no one had ever made her feel like she did in that moment. It was both terrifying and exhilarating.
His fingers drew lazy circles against her ribs, teasing along the sensitive flesh near her heavy breasts. He made her crazy with want, needing him to mark them as his.
As if he had plucked the thought straight from her mind, Ryan pulled up the hem of her shirt. With a flick of his fingers, her breasts spilled from their confining cups.
“I’ve wondered what they looked like... So much better than my imagination,” he muttered, taking them in.
Her brows drew together. “But you undressed me and put me in the tub when I was fevered.”
“I never looked. I used a spell to keep you hidden from my eyes. I was so worried about you, and I couldn’t have done that to you. It would have been wrong.”
Brandy grabbed the cotton and pulled it off, the cool air caressing her skin. His lips encircled one peak and then the other. Her head rolled back with pleasure as he worshipped her with his hands and mouth. A hum of energy flowed over and between them, driving them on.
“Your body was meant for my touch. Watch,” he commanded.
Forcing her heavy lids open, she met Ryan’s gaze. Her lips parted, sucking in a shallow breath. Ryan’s fingers ran along her skin, awakening sparks of need she didn’t know she had. He seemed to know her body better than she did. He turned her on like no other man, not that she had a lot of experience to draw from. She panted as he teased her in all the right places.
Lost in the fog of desire, she ground her hips over him, needing the friction. His fingers dug into her hips as his chest vibrated with an answering moan. He leaned back, his eyes dark with desire and focused on the gentle sway of her breasts.
Emboldened by his admiration, she ran her hands up her thighs and stomach and finally to her breasts. Pushing them together, she massaged the soft flesh, enjoying how his jaw clenched and his nose flared.
Ryan groaned when her fingers plucked at her nipples. “That’s hot…”
“Take off your shirt,” she demanded, needing to see the firm muscles covered by his thermal shirt.
Leaning forward, he obeyed without question and slipped off the material before returning to his previous position against the trunk. She pulled him in for another kiss, committing to memory the feel of his bare chest against hers.
She should have been chilled by the elements, but Ryan’s touch warmed her. Their kiss was slow and sweet. They took their time exploring each other. She did not know how much time had passed before the dam began to crack. Her nails dug into his shoulders, and her hips rocked harder against him. She needed more, so much more from him.
Ryan flipped them over and his deft fingers unbuttoned her pants. “You okay?” he asked as he pulled off the material.
She noted a flannel blanket now lay between her and the soft, cool ground. She nodded, after verifying there were no hard points digging into her flesh. “Where’d this come from?” she asked, running the pads of her fingers over the soft fabric.
He grinned. “Magic.”
His gaze lowered, darkening as it moved over her naked form, and a bolt of need settled between her thighs. It would not take much for this man to bring her to the brink of ecstasy.
“Shit… I’m one lucky witch,” he murmured before kissing one of her feet and then the other.
His hands trembled against her skin, telling her how he was holding himself back. He lowered his lips and placed sensual kisses along her skin and one on her mound. When he stopped his sweet torture, she looked down her body at him.
