Rik froze. A spark danced in his chest, rapidly expanding upward and outward, liquid heat blazing through his body. Throwing his head back, a guttural cry of triumph and ecstasy tore from his soul, a primal note that merged with a sweet, passionate cry from Sam as the magic wove through their joined bodies.

Conscious thought was gone. He would never fully be able to recall how they got from the balcony back into the bedroom, of tearing each other's clothing off. But he would never, ever forget the first sight of their completed mark.

With trembling fingers, Rik traced the roaring, sunlit lion's head that now rested atop Sam's left breast. The mane was strands of coppery fire and brilliant golden sunlight, it's eyes a vivid emerald that seemed alive. Emerging from beneath the lion's mane, underneath its jaw, was a ruby heart. The whole was surrounded by a Celtic knotwork design of intertwined rose vines, with both deep red and amber blossoms that grew up over her shoulder, down to wrap around her arm. The vines thinned out toward her wrist, until only a single vine continued over the back of her hand. At the base of her left ring finger, a single rose bloomed, golden at the heart and blushing to pink at the edges.

His tattoo was a near perfect reflection of hers, although instead of a male lion over his heart, he had a fierce, fiery red she-wolf with storm-gray eyes, and the rose at the bottom of his left ring finger was copper at the center, bleeding to gold at the edges.

More than the physical, outward manifestation, however, Rik could feel Sam's presence within him. A constant, warm glow that pulsed in tune to his own heartbeat. A mystical, soul-deep bond that could not be seen, only felt. And it made him the happiest fucking man on Earth.

Sam's small hands were cool against his feverish flesh as she stroked over the mark that covered his left pectoral, while her other hand wrapped around the insatiable organ that damn near purred at her touch. Pushing back against his chest, Rik let her lead him backward to the bed, where he sat down at the edge. As he reached for her, however, she shook her head and knelt between his spread legs.

When her lips grazed the swollen glans of his cock, Rik tangled one hand in her thick hair as he hissed between clenched teeth. He had no words. They were all gone, stolen by the delightful minx as she wrapped those sweet lips around his shaft.

Fisting her hair in his hands, Rik watched avidly as Sam slowly licked the length of him, tasting his flesh and suckling upon him as if greedy for the taste of him. The sight of her glorious copper hair spread over his thighs, of her passion-glazed eyes looking up at him to gauge his reactions, nearly had him exploding within seconds. Her hands gripped his flexing ass, blunt nails digging in to him as she pressed into him. When he felt his heavy sac resting atop her breasts, he had to pull her off of him with a muttered oath.

Before she could verbalize the pout he saw on her lips, he crushed his lips to hers. He could taste himself on her, and it gave him a thrill knowing she craved him as much as he craved her. Pulling her up, he lifted her bodily into his lap, so he could bury his face between those breasts he fucking adored.

As her hands came to rest on his shoulders, he licked his way up over her collarbone as he guided the moist entrance to her body up along his thick cock. Placing his lips over the faint hickey that still remained from where he had marked her earlier in the week, he growled and lapped hungrily at the mark as he began to lower her slowly, but firmly onto his throbbing arousal.

He pulled her down on him, steadily but unrelenting, as his cock gladly burrowed its way into her already slick body. When she wrapped her legs around him, he palmed her ass and strained upward, fully seating himself inside of her until he could go no further.

Planting his feet, Rik wrapped an arm around the small of Sam's back and surged upward. Sam's back arched, a strangled cry escaping her as he stood upright, bracing her in place. Oh, look...such pretty breasts just begging for his mouth. Always eager to please, Rik took ruthless advantage of those up-thrust beauties, suckling greedily on a pert, pink nipple.

Blunt nails clawed at his back as Rik twisted, bearing Sam down on the bed until he was nestled between her spread thighs. Hands gripping her hips, he held her up as he began to drive into her, filled with the clawing, relentless hunger to possess every part of her. When he felt her inner walls contracting around him, he ground himself deep inside of her, muffling her cries with his lips as his own sob released as he swelled and exploded within her.

The scent of sweet strawberries and wild roses filled the air, mingling with fresh cedar and sandalwood as the entire room was bathed with the golden glow rippling through their joined flesh. The room faded away, leaving the two bodies straining toward release lost in a world of their own creation. Throughout the night, they came together. Never resting, never pausing, filled with an insatiable hunger for one another.

It was fierce and quick. It was sweet and gentle. Time held no meaning as their hearts and minds, bodies and souls, were eternally intertwined.

Dawn found them wrapped around one another, their hands gently stroking one another, lips softly sharing sweet, gentle kisses. Resting his forehead against hers, staring deep into eyes a soft gray, Rik whispered, "I love you."

"I know," Sam said solemnly, then giggled when his hand weakly slapped her ass, causing her to wriggle weakly against him. "Nooo," she whined. "Okay! I love you, too, jerkface."

"Jerkface?" Rik growled against her neck before he blew a loud, wet raspberry that sent her squirming to escape.

"Dick?" she offered considerately.

"Yes," Rik said evenly as he pressed his poor, wrung out, exhausted cock against her thigh. "He's just a bit tired right now, but he sends his love."

Laughing weakly, Sam buried her face in his chest. Stroking her back, Rik nuzzled the top of her head with a contented grin and a deep, happy sigh.

"We have to go home, don't we?" Sam asked, her voice muffled as she kissed the wolf over his heart.

"Yeah, we do," Rik reluctantly admitted. "We've got a lot of stuff we should be doing, but..." He leaned back, lifting her chin with a crooked finger so he could give her a small smile, "But, we'll figure things out. We've got eternity to get things right, ma petite flamme. Besides, if we don't get Bertie back home, I'm afraid we'll never tear him away from my mother's kitchen."

"True...and I'm honestly surprised the Ginger Brigade hasn't invaded the Alps yet," Sam chuckled when Rik groaned and flopped back on the bed, throwing an arm over his eyes.

Sam gently patted his chest as she rested her cheek against his shoulder. Rik reached up, entwining his fingers with hers and pressing it over his heart as he studied her face from beneath the shadow of his arm. As she closed her eyes, relaxing into a light slumber, he continued to watch her beautiful face.

Other issues awaited them back home. Although he and Sam had discussed his world, spoke of the Sidhe and the Fae, of the other Uncanny beings and the Otherworlds, he had avoided talk of politics, of the secret machinations—both subtle and overt—that made up the world hidden from Mortals.

Someone had put Evie, wittingly or not, against his cara. Someone who had had an interest in Rik's love life for quite some time, apparently.

Killian Sinclair was an entirely unknown variable introduced to the upper echelons of Fae politics, officially accepting leadership of the ragtag Gray Fae from the hands of Audrick Gunvald, the eldest known dragon still involved in the world's affairs.

Things were beginning to happen around them, and his sweet, far-too-sassy-for-her-own-good, stubborn, very Irish woman was now involved up to her freckled forehead, willing or not.

Pressing his lips against her forehead, Rik whispered, "Rest easy, ma petite flamme. I will protect you and our children with my life. I will fill it with happiness and joy, and woe to any who dare make you frown, for I will destroy the world to make you smile."

He wasn't expecting any response, hadn't thought Sam had heard his private oath, but he may have had to bite back a rather unmanly squeak when she nipped his chest.

"No worries, baby," Sam's sleepy, husky voice whispered over his flesh. "I won't let anyone hurt my Big Bad Boss Man. Now go the fuck to sleep so I can get some Zzzs. K?"

Laughing, Rik hugged his Wee Irish Boss Lady to his side, and drifted off to sleep.

 

C'est la fin...?