Saeed could think of nothing that could compare to the bliss of holding Cerys in his arms. Her mouth brushed against his, softly at first, before she leaned in and deepened the kiss. Slow. Sensual. Indulgent. Sweet and seductive. She kissed him with careful precision as though she wanted to remember every single detail in case it never happened again.
The sweetness of her mouth. The petal softness of her lips. The light graze of her teeth along his bottom lip and the way her tongue darted out to tease his brought Saeed’s own desires to a fevered pitch that heated his blood and strung every tendon in his body taut. He wanted her with an intensity that he could barely control. Nothing outside of the walls of his bedroom mattered. Not his coven, not Rin, not Gregor or Breanne, and the complications that their many entanglements brought to their lives. Their souls might not have been tethered, but for the first time since he’d met her, Saeed felt as though their hearts might be.
Cerys’s hands abandoned his shoulders. Her fingers danced along the back of his neck before they traveled upward to dive into his hair. Saeed had never known a more pleasurable experience than kissing Cerys. Decadent and wicked. Sweet and sinful. Their mouths moved with a synchronicity that served to reinforce everything Saeed believed about their relationship. He’d traveled the world. Lived many lives. Known friends, family, and lovers alike. But he’d never truly felt alive until the day he’d met her.
Saeed was no longer obsessed. This was something more. Something deeper. Cerys’s lips parted and her tongue darted out at his bottom lip. He pulled her close as he kissed her, and his arms wrapped tight around her to cage her against him. The lush softness of her breasts pressed against his chest and his cock throbbed in time with the beat of his heart. Their first encounter had been far too brief, and his focus had been solely on her pleasure. Saeed craved the joining of their bodies like he craved her blood. Rin’s curfew be damned. Cerys wasn’t going anywhere for the rest of the night.
The heavy comforter fell away from around Cerys’s shoulders. He reached behind her and grabbed the blanket, tossing it to the floor beside them. He shifted, pulling Cerys across his lap before settling her on top of the blanket. He could’ve lifted her up onto the mattress, but it would’ve wasted precious time. Saeed would’ve taken her in the middle of a field, on a dusty dirt road, the side of a snowbank. Hell, he would’ve taken her in the middle of the Sahara, grains of sand biting into his flesh, if he’d had to. The where didn’t matter. The only thing he cared about was that Cerys was with him.
Her legs fell open and Saeed settled himself into the muscular cradle of her thighs. He marveled at her strength, such a juxtaposition to her petite frame and willowy build. Cerys was a warrior. A fighter. All fire and feisty determination. There wasn’t a thing about her he’d change, from her snarky cynicism, to her voracious appetite, to the wild, unkempt tangles of her hair that were as much a part of her personality as her smile or laugh.
Saeed’s hips rocked in time with the rhythm of their kisses. Even fully clothed, the intense rush of pleasure he experienced was almost too much to bear. He enjoyed the slow burn. The tease of everything he brushed against while being denied the luxury of bare skin. Cerys’s hips rolled up to meet his and the tempo of her breathing changed from slow, easy sighs to desperate gasps of breath between kisses. Her hands moved down his torso to grip the hem of his shirt. She tugged it up the length of his body and when she met with resistance, let out a frustrated whimper.
Saeed broke their kiss and pushed himself up to his knees as he crossed his arms in front of him and stripped off his shirt. Cerys’s appreciative gaze roamed over his bare torso, sending a rush of pleasant warmth from the pit of his gut outward. Cerys followed suit, stripping off her shirt, and then her bra. The perfection of her breasts had no equal. And Saeed planned to spend a good long while admiring the tender flesh, soft swells, and pearled nipples with his hands, fingers, and mouth.
“Since you’re up, you might as well kill two birds with one stone,” Cerys suggested with a seductive smile that nearly stole the breath from his lungs. “I can’t think of anything you’re going to need those pants for tonight.”
Gods, the way she spoke. Throughout the centuries, Saeed had always remained so formal. He’d always felt silly trying to blend in when he knew he never would. Cerys on the other hand had seemed to dive headfirst into the modern world. One of many things he loved about her.
Saeed was more than ready to feel the warmth of her naked skin on his. He reached for the button of his jeans and paused before cocking a challenging brow. “You first.”
Cerys’s low, husky laughter sent a lick of heat down Saeed’s spine. “So not fair. You’ve already seen me naked once.”
“True. And I have to say it was a breathtakingly beautiful sight.”
Cerys looked away, embarrassed. She was reluctant to accept even the most innocent compliment. Sayed vowed that he would shower her with compliments until she got tired of hearing them. “I don’t know about all of that,” she groused. “But it’s still not fair if you get me naked two full times before I even get to see you naked once.”
Saeed chuckled. From tonight on, he planned to seize every opportunity possible to see Cerys without her clothes. “I can guarantee you, the sight of me without my clothes isn’t half as impressive.”
Cerys pursed her lips. “M-hm.” Her skeptical tone told him exactly what she thought about his modest claim. “The top half is pretty damned impressive. Now, why don’t you lose the pants and let me decide on the bottom half?”
The heat in her gaze rivaled that of the California sun that used to shine down on him. Saeed had no need to miss the beauty of a Los Angeles summer day when he had Cerys. The sun had nothing on her brilliance.
Saeed stood. No way would he let the first time Cerys saw him get undressed be an awkward shucking of his pants while still on his knees. His ego demanded he give her a show worthy of her admiration. He held Cerys’s gaze as he kicked off his shoes and socks and unbuttoned his jeans. Her mouth parted on a breath as he pulled the zipper down and slid his hands inside the waistband.
“Has anyone ever told you, you’re sort of a tease?”
Cerys’s breathy tone ignited his lust just as effectively as a caress. “Never.” No one had ever accused Saeed of being playful. Not even Sasha, the one soul in the world he’d been closest to. Everyone in his life had always regarded Saeed as stern, serious, all-business. Cerys made him want to let down his guard. To be playful for a change.
“Well, you are.” Her grin became even brighter. “And what’s worse? I think you like it.”
She was teasing him. Gods, her playfulness drove him wild. It made him want to keep the banter between them going, draw it out until they’d enticed each other to the point that they had no choice but to tear their clothes off and sate their lusts.
“Do you like it?” That was the only thing that mattered to him.
She gave him a coy smile. “Maybe.”
Saeed wanted more of this. More teasing, more talking, more playfulness, more kissing, more touching, or exploring, just … more. They weren’t afforded the luxury of time. The freedom to simply be together. All they had were stolen moments, and Saeed had no choice but to make the most out of each and every one.
* * *
He was killing her! Cerys wondered if Saeed had any idea how truly magnificent he was. He’d only taken his shirt off and worked the zipper down on his jeans and already Cerys thought she might spontaneously combust. She propped herself up on her elbows as her gaze roamed freely over each inch of exposed skin, taking in every hill and valley of muscle that sculpted his chest. Her eyes moved downward along his lean torso to the ridges of his abs and lower still to the deep V that cut into either side of his hips, promising an even more impressive sight once he managed to get his damned pants off.
She liked this side of Saeed. Relaxed. His guard down. Even a little playful. His dark eyes sparked with mischief as he bestowed on her a dazzling smile. He was so beautiful she found it almost difficult to look at him. A sly smile curved one corner of her mouth as she let her fingers trail between her breasts, down the length of her stomach, to settle at the waistband of her pants. “The faster you take off your pants, the faster I take off mine.”
Bright silver flashed in his dark eyes. A smug sense of satisfaction traveled through her in a pleasant rush that settled between Cerys’s thighs in a deep thrum. She loved that she could get to him with something as simple as a look or a suggestive sentence. Saeed’s hands moved slowly, dipping further into his jeans as he swept them over the curve of his ass and down his powerful thighs. His underwear came off with the denim and when he straightened, Cerys blew out a sharp, appreciative breath.
Wow.
A master sculptor couldn’t have created a better representation of masculine perfection. Cerys’s jaw went slack and for a long moment, all she could do was stare. His lean build didn’t sport an ounce of fat. Saeed’s body was a mosaic of angles and curves that came together to form a work of art. Cerys committed every detail to memory, from his broad shoulders, to the taper of his waist, to the crisp trail of black hair and his erection that jutted out proudly from his hips. She forced her gaze lower, to his strong thighs, his calves, even his bare feet.
“I’ve upheld my end of the bargain.”
“You certainly have and then some.” Cerys didn’t waste any more time getting undressed. She rested her back on the floor and thrust her hips into the air as she shimmied out of her leggings. They came off in a whisper of fabric and landed, along with her underwear, somewhere near the foot of Saeed’s bed. She flashed him what she hoped was her most seductive smile. “Done and done.”
Saeed responded with a low chuckle that coaxed goosebumps to the surface of Cerys’s skin. He dropped slowly to his knees and Cerys marveled at the play of individual muscles showcased in the execution of the simple act. His hands met the floor next, and he kept his gaze locked with hers as he crawled up the length of her body. He’d never seemed more like a predator in that moment and Cerys had never felt so much like prey. As though her body had no choice in the matter, her legs fell open. Saeed lowered himself on top of her and the skin to skin contact brought with it another rush of delicious heat through Cerys’s veins.
“I want to lie like this for hours.” Saeed’s breath was warm in her ear as he spoke. “Every inch of our bodies touching.”
She knew exactly how he felt. Cerys could stay like this until the sun rose, whispering in the dark, caressing, exploring each other’s bodies. Tonight had been an awakening. A realization of everything she’d fought to gain for so long. She wanted to exist in this moment for a while longer. Indulge in the luxury of Saeed’s presence.
“Me too.” Her voice was small as she made the admission. Embarrassed. “We could, you know. Just lie here. Cuddle.”
“Mmm.” The hum of his rich voice rippled over her and Cerys shivered. “In truth, it would take an act of will far greater than I possess to lie here with you and not make love to you.”
Cerys sucked in a sharp breath and held it. Make love? That feeling of fullness—like she’d just scarfed down an entire cheesecake by herself—returned and she took a moment to breathe through the intensity of sensation.
“I know what you mean.” Cerys’s hands wandered over Saeed’s shoulders, down the length of his lean, muscular back as her fingers dipped into the groove cut by his spine. She ventured lower and her fingertips brushed the swell of his ass, eliciting a low groan from Saeed. “I’m getting a little antsy myself.”
Saeed lowered himself to her and kissed her. No longer soft or tentative, he put his mouth to hers with intent. Cerys’s lips parted as she invited him to deepen the kiss. Their tongues met and parted in a sensual rhythm that bordered on lewd. Heat swamped Cerys’s body, her lower abdomen tightened, urgency rose up within her like a tide, and her clit throbbed with every wild beat of her heart.
She broke their kiss as she eased Saeed onto his back and straddled his hips. Saeed sucked in a breath as she rolled her hips and slid her pussy along his shaft. His arms shot out and his hands gripped her hips as his body went rigid.
Cerys smiled. “Do you like that?” The last time they’d been together, Saeed had focused solely on Cerys’s pleasure. She wanted to return the favor.
It was a serious boost to her ego that Saeed seemed unable to get his mouth to make words for a couple of seconds. His hungry gaze devoured her as his fingertips dug into her hips. He guided her motion and she slid down his length again, eliciting a low growl.
“Gods, Cerys.” Saeed shuddered beneath her. “That feels amazing.”
Strange, but there was something infinitely more intimate about what they were doing right now than actual sex. There was a vulnerability to the way their gazes locked, the way Saeed held onto her and the way Cerys let the silky wet flesh of her pussy stroke his length. She continued to give slow, sensual rolls of her hips and she let out a low moan as her own pleasure began to build. She bent over him and put her mouth to Saeed’s chest, his shoulder, his throat. Her hips found a rhythm that had them both panting and she continued her exploration with her mouth as she took one earlobe between her teeth and sucked.
“I need to be inside you.” Saeed’s voice was a desperate rasp in her ear. “You’ve brought me to the edge of my control.”
Oh really? Cerys wondered what it would be like to see someone as stiff and disciplined as Saeed let loose a little. She propped herself up on his chest as she changed up her routine. Instead of rocking her hips, she moved them in little circles. Saeed’s grip on her hips tightened and she lowered herself once again until her mouth hovered above his.
“Do you want to fuck me, Saeed?”
Saeed groaned as he thrust his hips. He hesitated a beat before he responded. “Yes.”
“Then tell me.”
Saeed let out another frustrated groan as he slid his cock against her. She wanted his inhibitions gone. Wanted him wild and focused only on the moment and their pleasure.
“Tell me, Saeed.” She’d beg if she had to. He wasn’t the only one who couldn’t wait much longer. But she wasn’t going to let him get away with holding back, either.
“I want to fuck you.”
Gods, yes. Hearing those heated words in his dark, smoky tone gave Cerys a rush. “Say it again.” She couldn’t get enough.
Saeed thrust up hard and another moan accompanied the intense sensation as the glide of his cock against her clit worked her into a state of wild abandon. She bent over him to change the angle and pressure, and his head came up from the floor as Saeed took her nipple into his mouth. A new layer of sensation exploded through her as his teeth grazed the sensitive flesh. He was tentative, much too gentle with her. Cerys gripped the back of his neck and held him against her. Her quick breaths became desperate gasps. Chills broke out on her skin and at the same time she was flushed with intense heat.
“Bite me, Saeed.”
His fangs broke the skin. Cerys’s head rolled back on her shoulders. Her hips bucked as she continued to slide her clit over his shaft. The sensation intensified, gathering and building until Cerys could no longer contain it. She cried out as the orgasm swept her up, rolling through her in powerful waves that caused her limbs to quake and her heart to race in her chest. Saeed continued to draw her breast into his mouth, sucking as she rode out her pleasure. His tongue flicked out to seal the punctures as her cries died to ragged breaths. Dear gods. She’d never felt anything like that in her entire existence. She didn’t know how Saeed would ever top that …
Without preamble, he caught her in his arms and rolled her over onto her back. A low growl worked its way up his throat and she looked up to find his gaze alight with brilliant silver. He entered her in a single, forceful thrust that stole Cerys’s breath and made her feel deliciously full. His mouth brushed the outer shell of her ear as he whispered raggedly, “I need to fuck you.”
He’d officially just outdone himself.