His kisses continued, sucking my nipples hard then migrating down my stomach.
“Back in my own bed…”
He moved farther down and kissed the apex of my thighs.
“Home with you—” I gasped when I felt him kiss me where I needed those lips most. My back immediately arched as I sucked in a breath through my clenched teeth. My fingers dug deeper into his hair, fisting it like reins to a horse. “Yes…”
His lips kissed me harder and harder. His tongue pushed the pleasure into my body.
It was the best way to wake up from a dreamless sleep.
He withdrew his mouth and moved up my body, folding me the way he liked, lifting my legs into position so he could enter me at the deepest angle possible. His mouth moved over mine, and he kissed me as he entered, as he gently pushed until he could sink deep inside.
I moaned into his mouth, my hands on his arms then his shoulders. I grabbed his hair next, touching him everywhere all at once. My body started to rock as he moved into me, slow and deep, grinding our bodies together just the way I loved.
The world didn’t rock the way it did on the ship. It was warm from the fire rather than ice-cold. A mattress supported my back instead of stitched straw. The sheets smelled like more than just him, but both of us mixed together.
I cupped his face as I kissed him, our bodies locked in a slow dance that made my toes curl in anticipation. My thighs squeezed his torso every time he rocked into me, already aching for release. Feeling how much he wanted me, that he felt the same connection that I did, just made me writhe harder. “Kingsnake…”
* * *
I’d been frozen solid for so long that I would never take this warmth for granted. The fire in the hearth was always ablaze, and when Kingsnake wasn’t in the room, I opened the curtains and let the sunlight touch my bare skin. Fang and I played cards together, enjoying the comfort of a roof over our heads once again.
I didn’t regret joining Kingsnake on his journey, but I wouldn’t be thrilled if we had to do it again. Fang and I sat together at the coffee table and played another round. Of course, he kicked my ass every time.
“I don’t want to leave…”
At least it won’t be cold in the kingdomsss. If anything, it’ll be warm.
“I suppose.”
I suspect our momentsss of rest will be few and far between.
The worst was yet to come.
Fang set down his cards.We’ll continue this later. Kingsnake wissshes to speak with you.He slithered across the floor, and right when Kingsnake stepped in, Fang moved out.
The second Kingsnake entered the room, the energy changed. It’d been airy and relaxed, two friends enjoying a game of cards, but now it became packed with intensity that could scorch the earth he walked on.
I got to my feet and approached him, his expression matching his emotions. “What’s happened?”
He stood in his black-and-red armor, his cloak hanging down from his broad shoulders. The hard plates were another layer separating us, but he looked so damn sexy in his uniform that I didn’t mind seeing him wear it. Instead of walking right up to me, he kept several feet between us, as if in restraint.
I had to stand there and feel his emotions like a windstorm that pushed my hair back. It was more than intensity, but also anxiety, even dread. Whatever he needed to tell me was so challenging, he struggled to execute the task.
With eyes locked on mine, he spoke. “I love you.”
My heart dropped like a heavy pot slipping out of my hands and crashing to the floor. I swallowed the rock in my throat, but it was too dry to make its way down. Air that I didn’t need rushed into my lungs as I experienced the collision. “Don’t…” It was a conversation that should never be had, a future we should never explore.
“Don’t pretend you don’t already know.”
My eyes broke contact and moved to the fire.
“And don’t pretend you don’t feel the exact same way.”
An attack ensued across my body, making it hard to breathe, making it hard to stand still. I could enjoy our lives together if I pretended those feelings didn’t exist. Because if they did exist…decisions had to be made.
“Look at me.”