Rolling over in bed in that morning, Sera marveled at how much her life had changed in the past few months. The breeze from the ocean blew softly through the open patio doors of their oceanside house. It was a small house, but perfect for them, and for once, Sera realized, she never felt cold anymore.

  She glanced over at Cassiel, as he started to wake up, loving the way his face looked when he first opened his eyes and looked at her. He always smiled, as if he was just a little surprised to see her there, and that she made the sun shine in his world. That was one thing he was oh so talented at – making her feel special to him. Aaand, she supposed as heat pooled in her core, there were a few other special talents he had too.

  She gasped when he suddenly lifted her hand and put his mouth on the inside of her wrist. It was a kiss, a brand, and his eyes were on her, a flicker of heat rising in their depths like the beating of wings.

  He slipped his other hand behind her back, pulling her against him. She felt the hard outline of his arousal against her belly.

  “Feel this?” he rasped. “Do you want it?” And just that quickly, her body heated, and her breasts swelled. He truly is the other half of me, she thought lovingly.

  She nodded her head, her lips parted, her tongue darting out to wet them as the images in her mind of their lovemaking last night caused her pussy to clench in anticipation. God, yes, I want him. Every inch of his hard, strong body pressed to mine.

  That delicious masculine scent was everywhere, starting a fire in her belly. She wanted him to touch her, to kiss her, to fuck her, and God, what was this spell he had over her?

  “Come on. Tell me,” he demanded, the shadows in his eyes deepened, lashes lowering until they hid his gaze, and his lips parted, letting out an uneven breath.

  She couldn’t think, not when he was pressed up against her like this. His hard body, his steel cock, his muscular arm tight around her back, keeping her close. Right where she had always dreamed of being in her fantasies.

  For a long moment he was still. She kissed him deeply, his mouth as soft as she remembered, his taste exploding on her tongue. She licked at his lips, and he shuddered.

  Something like a growl escaped him, and suddenly she was pushed down hard into the bed and his tongue was in her mouth, his lips hard and punishing. The softness had disappeared, and in its place he seemed almost feral, all hard and unyielding, hot and burning.

  His knee pushed between her legs, pinning her down, and she moaned into the kiss as his length pressed right where she needed him. His tongue fucked her mouth, and she pushed against his leg, her hands gripping his big shoulders so tightly she left marks.

  Every sweep of his tongue, every touch, felt like the first and last she would ever feel. It scorched her, marked her, destroyed her.

   “Cass…” she breathed.

  Lifting his head, he fixed her with a heated stare. God, a guy shouldn’t be allowed to have such pretty eyes, she thought.

  He pulled back just enough to strip her panties from her legs.

Dammit, yes, she thought, the rest of her thoughts derailed as the sublime sensations filled her. She let her hands roam over his muscled form, enjoying the feeling of his heart beating against her palm.

  More, I want more, she thought as she let her hands drop to his waist and then further, reaching for that part of him that she knew would bring her where she needed to go. But he slammed her hands back down on the bed before she could do more than that, driving the air from her lungs.

  He lifted himself just far enough to glance down at her body, his eyes darkening as he took her in, then his hand dropped with a possessive grip to her hip…it’s as if he could read her every secret, her every thought.

  His tongue stroked out to wet his lips, and she swallowed. His hand on her hip trailed lower, dipping inside the vee between her legs.

  Her body shuddered. “So wet,” he said softly, stroking her clit, and she gasped and arched against him, her hips writhing restlessly on the bed. “All of this is for me.”

  So arrogant, she wanted to tell him, but the words wouldn’t come, her body otherwise engaged in what his hands were doing.

  It was the truth though. It was all because of him. He was driving her wild, his thumb circling her clit, his gaze boring into hers.

  Giving in to him again. She never tired of giving herself up to his sexy voice and clever hands, his hot kisses and demanding ways.

  He leaned in closer, until she was caught, trapped by the intensity in his eyes. “Say it,” he demanded.

  “What?” she mumbled, too trapped in the pleasure racing through her body to have a conversation.

  “I want to hear you say it. You need me. And only me.”

  But a stubborn part of Sera refused to obey. Her independent streak was strong, and he knew it.

  “Sera.” His thumb stilled between her legs, and he bent his head to bite at the side of her neck, jolting her with pinpricks of pain.

  Still she said nothing. Refusing to admit it.

  He growled, pulling his hand away and yanked down the straps of her silky pajama top, letting her breasts spill out.

  He cupped one, massaging her nipple with his thumb, the same thumb that had been between her legs seconds ago, and the scent of her arousal inflamed her. She moaned, the pleasure/pain of his grip on her breast, on her sensitive nipple, shot pleasure straight to her pussy.

  Bending his head down, he took the other nipple into his mouth, sucking hard, and Sera cried out, a blaze making its way into her core. Her hips rolled restlessly, and a small moan escaped her.

  She needed him inside her.

  Now.

  His hot mouth let go of her aching nipple, and he kissed her mouth, a quick, savage kiss that left her breathless.

  “I need you,” he whispered against her lips, “I want you to want this, to need me.”

  Not a question or a demand.

  God, this man knows me.

  She broke for him, realizing that really, they wanted the exact same thing. “I need you, Cass,” she finally whispered in his ear. “Now, if you don’t fuck me in the next ten seconds, I’ll probably kill you.”

  He chuckled softly, his face showing his love for her.

  She gasped when his hard cock pressed against her core, hot and huge. His mouth curved into a crooked smirk, and he lifted one of her legs around his back, against his muscular ass, spreading her legs wide.

  Finally! She was going to get what she needed. He lined up his shaft with her entrance, pausing just long enough to hear her whimper. Then he thrust his cock deeply into her at once. Her body rebelled at the intrusion, her legs almost trying to close, but he just lifted her leg higher and pushed deeper, making her cry out.

  Oh God, the stretch was so good, filling her to overflowing. And then he shifted, rocking his hips, angling his cock just so, and the world splintered into sharp shards of pure pleasure.

  Or came back together. She didn’t know, the feelings so unbelievably good that she rolled her hips, trying to feel that twisting bolt of sweet heat again. Fuck, he was dangerously good. He was so deep inside her, deep enough to make her whole body shudder, deep enough to touch her very soul.

  Then he slowed down, and a whimper escaped her. No! She was almost there! His large frame was tense, his muscles straining. He was holding back, she realized. His gaze was intent on her face, watching her, and his powerful chest was heaving. The amount of control he had was impressive, she thought, but not now!

  “You love me?” he asked softly, and with his next breath, his cock slid a bit deeper, and they both gasped.

  “Please,” she whispered. “Cass, please.”

  “Yeah,” he whispered back, “that’s right.”

  I should want to punch his handsome face for choosing now of all moments to make a point, she told herself, but her body was on the verge of something huge, pleasure unlike any it had ever felt, and it sure wasn’t going to let her start a fight right now.

  “Fuck me,” she demanded. “Hard.”

  His eyes became heavy-lidded with satisfaction. “You got it, baby.” He steadied himself with a hand on the bed, biceps bulging, while he kept the other on her leg that was wrapped around him, and started thrusting, pistoning deeply into her core.

  “Yes!” she cried.

  “This what you need, baby?” he growled smugly as he pumped into her, destroying her thoughts. He slammed his cock into her, his balls slapping her ass, and it was a fine line between pain and pleasure as she teetered on the brink to the most powerful orgasm of her life.

  His roughness, his insistence, his skill…his unexpected gentleness when she needed that too.

  The feelings poured over her, overwhelming her. The love she felt for him taking her that extra notch up, letting her ride the climax that exploded through her for what seemed like forever.

  “Cass!” She pressed her mouth to his muscular shoulder, biting softly into the thick muscle as her core spasmed, and she came, waves of pleasure rolling through her.

  Then Cass finally let himself go, hissing, his thrusts growing frantic, then grinding into her. He buried his face in her neck, whispering her name. Over and over again, like a prayer.

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  “I know,” he said back. “That’s what saved me.”