Page 92 of The Sea of Zemira (The Zemiran Chronicles 1)

Lincoln’s strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her hard against his body. Nola watched the fire in his eyes and a pleasant warmth went soaring through her chest. The pirate’s gaze hovered over her lips.

A moment passed, where nothing but the sounds of their not-so-steady breaths collided.

Cupping her cheek, Lincoln lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was untamed but not fierce; the urgency burned inside her chest.

“Lincoln,” she hummed as his hands dipped to her waist, his weight pinning her back to the wall in a gratifying trap, sending surges of warmth down her spine.

Using his tongue, he coaxed Nola’s lips to open for him. She submitted without hesitation. His hands roamed up from her waist, tracing the curves of her hips. The siren girl could feel his arousal as he kept her pinned against the wall. Swept by a whirl of conflicting sensations, especially those of a siren where everything was heightened, she sucked in an exasperated breath to calm her body.

“Lincoln, I—” Nola lost her words as he tightened his hold around her. A quiet groan left his throat as he opened the space between them.

The captain’s hand returned to her cheek. “My darlin’, you have taught me how to love someone more than myself,” he said as the edge of his thumb brushed along her chin. “Somethin’ greater than the sea.”

The siren girl’s heart pounded so hard, she had to clutch her chest to get her bearings. His eyes settled on her while she tried to string her thoughts into words. Then, Nola reached up, taking his rough face between her hands, running her fingers along his tiny scar. At her gentle touch, he leaned in again; that time, he did not linger on her lips.

Lincoln’s mouth dipped, making its way to the arches of her neckline. Every inch of her neck he kissed passionately, awakening a fresh sensation in her. Nola shuddered with each soft kiss against her skin; she had barely come to grips with his touch when his palm reached up to stroke her breasts.

“Please...don’t stop,” Nola breathed into Lincoln’s ear, but her moans and words were incoherent. Her body was being thrown into a storm of pleasure. Her hands eagerly reached under his shirt, craving the smooth touch of his body. Reading her need, he reared back an inch, untied the knots of his shirt, and pulled it over his head, tossing it to the side. Nola gaped at the rigid muscles running up his body. Shyly, she brushed the dip of his chest with the tip of her trembling fingers.

Nola could not help but stare before she tucked into him, seeking his warm touch. Lincoln held her gently as her lips caressed his chest. She froze when he began to undo her bodice. Lincoln pulled back.

“What is it, my love?” he asked in a gentle whisper. He tucked a silver lock of hair behind her ears. “I won’t do anythin’ you don’t want me to.”

Nola took a deep breath before nodding into the crook of his neck.

“I want you, Lincoln. I want all of you.”

He swiftly unlaced her bodice and cast it aside. He stepped back and let out a slow exhale, staring at her figure.

Bloody hell, woman. You are perfect,he thought.

Then he reached out, threading his hand into her hair, tugging back her head gently to kiss her collarbone. His mouth then trailed down to her chest, unleashing on her tender breasts. She shivered, intertwining her fingers into his unruly hair, pressing herself against him. Nola’s reaction silently told him she was his.

Just as a quivering wave took her to the peak, Lincoln lowered himself on his knees, his eyes leveling with her navel. A flash of awareness yanked Nola back into her body.

“Wait,” she said as her hands darted to cover her birthmark.

A smile skewed his lips, and he pulled her hand away tenderly from the mark. “It’s okay, Nola. I want to see it.”

She lowered her hands reluctantly, allowing him to see her birthmark—the small shark eye symbol over her slender stomach.

Then, with the most delicate movement, he leaned in and brushed his lips slowly across the mark, kissing it gingerly.

Nola felt her knees give way under a new tide of emotions. Lincoln hastily straightened, catching her hips to steady her. They stood there for a moment—a moment that seemed to stretch for hours. Then, their quickening breaths and their heated bodies asked for more than a simple touch.

Lincoln whispered by her ear. “You took hold of my heart the moment you entered that tavern and stole my pistol.”

She bit her lip.

“Maybe I was not the only one who took something that day,” she said.

His mouth crashed against hers, his large hand encircling her nape in a firm, taut grip. The sheer pleasure from his powerful, possessive grip ignited the heat inside her.

Their unbridled bodies would not let go as Lincoln lifted Nola up and held her into the wall once more. That time, her breasts rubbed against his bare chest and her legs linked around his waist. It was the most explosive sensation Nola had ever experienced.

Her mind shouted at her with every spark of pleasure.

When Lincoln took a firmer grip and swung her away, she let out a squeal. He hoisted her up into his arms and proceeded across his quarters, kicking things out of his path until they reached the bed. Lincoln laid her down smoothly and immediately began tugging impatiently at the rest of her clothes’ ties, hurling them across the room.

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