Page 55 of To Hunt a Demon King

“Breathe,” he whispered, between soft, sensuous licks, pumping those two fingers until I was spiraling around him again, feeling like I had to move, had to thrust against him to get the friction I so desperately wanted. On the next swipe of his tongue, I was shattering against him, crying out as release shuddered through me, his fingers still pumping gently as he licked.

“Carnon,” I moaned. “I can’t. It’s too much.”

My protest contradicted what my body wanted, and Carnon didn’t stop, pumping and licking me back into a frenzy so quickly it was a little embarrassing. This time when I came I cried out loudly, winding my fingers into his hair with one hand and clutching the sheets with the other. Finally, and achingly slowly, he pulled his fingers from me. It felt cold and empty without his mouth and fingers on and in me, but a lick of heat speared through me again as he put his fingers in his mouth. He licked me off him, keeping his eyes locked on mine and smiling sinfully as he bent down again.

He kissed up the length of my body, flicking his tongue over a nipple on his way up and making me shudder against him. I wasn’t sure I could move. It had never been like that when I was alone, and for the first time I felt like I might agree with Vera. He continued kissing, moving up my neck to my jaw, and stopping as he hovered over my mouth.

“Yes, or no,” he asked, lips still shining from what he had done to me. For me. I didn’t answer, instead leaning up to capture his lips with mine. The taste wasn’t unpleasant, and the knowledge that it was me covering his face sent a heady spike of pleasure licking through me.

His hand moved to my hip, bracing me as he centered himself over me. “It’s been a very, very long time, and I’ve been checked by a healer,” he said, dropping another kiss to my lips. “But we don’t have to go any farther tonight if you don’t want to.”

I blushed, a little embarrassed that the thought of disease, or even pregnancy, hadn’t crossed my mind. But I trusted Carnon, even though I knew it was too soon to trust him so implicitly. Besides, witches so rarely conceived that I was willing to risk it.

“How long?” I teased, lifting my hips a little so his hard length brushed against my center. He groaned with need, then chuckled darkly.

“Long enough that I’m worried this will be too quick,” he replied, smiling ruefully down at me. He brushed another kiss against my lips. “Yes, or no?”

I only hesitated for another moment. “Yes,” I whispered. He kissed me again, this time greedily, insatiably as he slowly guided himself into me. It was a little uncomfortable at first, and I gasped and tensed for a moment. He pulled back, gazing down at the place where we were just barely joined.

“Gods, Red. Elara,” he said, pushing in gently as he said my name. He moved to my neck, kissing and breathing my name against me as he pushed in with aching gentleness. The sound of my name helped me relax somehow, and I softened for him, feeling myself part and settle around him as he finally seated himself to the hilt.

“I want to do so many terrible things to you,” he said, pulling out a tiny bit, and pushing back in. I gasped at the movement, and he did it again, pulling a little farther each time as I got used to the feel of him. He was definitely wider than two fingers, and my back arched into him as he hit a particularly sensitive spot inside me.

“So do them,” I breathed, reaching up to graze his earlobe with my teeth. He groaned against my neck, pressing a firm kiss there before running his teeth over my skin.

“I’m trying to be gentle,” he said, gritting his teeth. “Stop baiting me, Red.” I smiled, flicking my tongue over the shell of his ear.

He growled, thrusting in harder before pulling almost all the way out and repeating the movement. It didn’t hurt, but it took me a moment to breathe through the sensation of fullness.

“Gods,” I cried, clutching at his back as I wrapped my legs around his waist, trying to bring him closer. He braced a forearm on the bed beside my head, the other hand wrapping around my hip as he bowed his shoulders so he could kiss me deeply, claiming me in every way. The sensation was different than when he had his mouth on me, and I felt the tension spiral again as he moved, picking up speed with every thrust of his hips. I cried out as I felt him tense against me, his hips making one final deep thrust as he spilled himself inside me, burying his face in my neck as he came.

We lay there for several moments in the dim light, the sun just beginning its ascent as dawn approached.

“That was…” I breathed, not sure I really had the right words for it. Carnon kissed my neck, then my shoulder, then my lips, pulling back to look at me. He brushed a strand of red hair from my face that had escaped my braid, hooking his hand behind my neck and bringing his sweaty forehead to mine.

“Good,” he said, brushing a tender kiss over my lips again as he looked at me. A little smirk played at his lips, and he dropped his forehead back to mine, whispering, “and right.”

He held me for another minute, then rolled off me with a groan, disappearing through a door and returning with a towel. I blushed, holding out my hand so I could clean myself up. He pushed my hand aside, gently wiping away the evidence of what we had done himself. I let my head drop back on the bed as he tended to me, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and tenderness for this man.

“Is there blood?” I asked, feeling very exposed as he cleaned me up. He leaned down, pressing a chaste kiss to my thigh, which was somewhat laughable based on what we’d just done.

“No,” he said. “It doesn’t always happen.” He tossed the towel away and prowled over me again, pulling my bare body against his until he was on his back and I was lying with my head resting in the crook of his arm, my cheek on his chest.

The last thing I remembered before sleep claimed me was Carnon kissing the top of my head, murmuring tender words as I drifted away.

“You are an unexpected surprise, Red,” he whispered. “And I’m not sure I deserve you.”

Chapter 21

I woke up wrapped in Carnon’s arms, the sun high in the sky now. It must be around noon, and my stomach growled, telling me that food needed to be on my agenda.

“Good morning,” Carnon rumbled, his chin atop my head as I lay splayed out on his chest. I lifted my head slightly to look into his smiling face.

“Doesn’t look like morning,” I said, voice rough with sleep and possibly a little hoarse from all the moaning and crying out I had done in the pre-dawn hours.

Now, in the bright light of day, I examined what we had done the night before, turning it over in my mind. I was a little sore, and probably needed a bath. But other than that, I didn’t feel any different, except for wondering why I hadn’t experimented with men sooner.

“They wouldn’t have been as good as me,” Carnon laughed smugly, propping his head on one bent arm and grinning at me. I blushed, realizing I had said this last part out loud.

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