Walking away sounded easy. He couldn’t though. No matter how hard he tried and despite everything he’d done, Rydak accepted a truth which had stared him in the face too many times to ignore. He was in love with Lissi. “Yes.”

Her shiver wasn’t missed. Rydak’s heart pounded as he looped a length of blonde hair around a single finger. Soft and silky. It wasn’t the first time he’d played with Lissi’s hair. Such a simple pleasure but nothing to cause a problem for him. Skin to skin contact had always been his issue.

“Tell me.”

Eager and willing. For him. Rydak was humbled. The force of what she felt blazed back from her blue eyes. Such strength and he was the one who was a soldier. Easing back but not letting her move, he continued to twirl her hair, admiring the gold strands as they twined about his fingers. “You understand...this will be difficult for me?”

“Please. I want you, Rydak. All of you, not just the pieces you’re willing to share.” Her answer came as a gentle whisper. A slight flush lent a pink cast to her cheeks. “You can’t touch without pain. The gloves help, right?”

He let her hair slide off the tip of his glove-clad finger and focused on her intent face. Lovely inside and out. “Yes.”

“Then keep the gloves on.”

Rydak stepped back, allowing her to move away if what he said next offended her. “It’s not that simple.”

Lissi’s eyes brightened. “Rydak, I don’t—”

His palm covered her mouth. He knew what she’d say. She didn’t care or it didn’t matter. That was her generous nature pushing forward. But it did matter so he cut her off before she could finish or he wouldn’t be able to say what he had to. Rydak faced her head on, prepared to witness the disgust in her eyes.

“Think long and hard before deciding, Lissi. If we do this...my clothes—” He clenched his teeth, the heat of shame and necessity burned. Loathing boiled in his gut, yet he shielded his heart in case she refused. “My clothes have to stay on to minimize the effects. The risk to me is still great but...If it’s not what you want or can accept, I will leave.”

Rydak should have known better. Lissi never did the expected. She grabbed hold of his hand, tugging as she led the way out of the room, walking backward. Her smile shouted her victory. “You will not get away from me as easy as that, Rydak.”

No will to resist, Rydak followed. Lissi led him down the hall, past the other rooms of the home. She pushed open a cracked door at the back and marched inside, checking behind to ensure he came along. As if he wouldn’t.

Rydak had no control left when it came to Lissi. None.

“Be sure.” Arousal pulsed through his voice.

“I am sure.” She breathed the statement as she drew to a stop beside a bed with snow white linen and a deep blue cover folded at the bottom.

Lissi’s bedroom. He was in Lissi’s bedroom. Not giving him a chance to absorb the miracle of such, Lissi curled her fingers around his and put their combined hands on the top of her dress.

He wasn’t an untried young man. If he took this step with Lissi, there would be no stopping.

“No turning back?” The thick rasp of danger echoed in his voice.

She shook her head, smile brave. “No turning back.”

There was no measure for the rush of relief which hit him. It was there in the tremble of his hands as he stroked a length of hair back from her face and there in the pit of his stomach when he closed the small gap between them. Lissi’s moan spurred him to take them beyond what he’d been fighting. He leaned over her smaller frame muttering his thanks to the fates. 

“Rydak.” She breathed his name against his shoulder where her face pressed. One at a time, she undid the buttons, starting with the top one of his high neck collar. She peppered kisses along the curve of his throat. The top of his shirt parted from the move, allowing access.

Rydak swallowed. Small touches wouldn’t have an immediate impact but it would build. Build until it left him no choice but to stop her. Mentally, he set a timer to track when it would be too much. For now, he’d give her this though. Soft brushes of her plump lips on his flesh, the flicker of her tongue tasting, teasing. As much as he could take to satisfy her desire for the physical contact. He didn’t want to deny her anything in this moment.

Lissi tipped her head up and nipped his lips. “Finally.” Another nip and wisp of a kiss. “Finally. Finally. Finally.”

Each word feathered across his lips, Lissi grinning all the while. Here was the mischief Torkel spoke of. Rydak pressed his thumb to her chin, halting further kisses from her tempting mouth. He was fairly sure this was Lissi’s first time and he planned to make it as pleasurable as possible.

One thought intruded. Holding her at the waist and a hands span away, Rydak asked, “And in the morning?”

Her blue eyes went dark. “We will deal with the morning when it comes. Let it be, Rydak.”

He nodded and Lissi made her move. Rydak felt ambushed with no weapon to defend against her sweet kisses up and down his neck. Tiny teeth nipped the pulsing vein at his throat. She crooned low against his skin when his hips bumped up.

Fate was laughing at him. His fingers flexed at her waist bruising her he was sure. It didn’t matter that his clothes and hers kept them from fully feeling one another, Rydak sensed the heat blasting through the material. He pressed his cock right at the juncture of her thighs, Lissi’s moan joining his.

Months of waiting crashed into him with the force of a laser blast to the chest. The heat, the bliss, the sensations blinded. Everything he wanted. More than he deserved.

Tingles raced up his spine, pushing him close to exploding no matter how much he wanted to hold out.

“I’m going to come,” Rydak warned in a whisper, his hands running up the sides of her dress in desperation. The tip of his fingers caught on the hem and he slid beneath the material.

Skin. Soft skin he bet. His gloved hands kept him from the ultimate reward.

“Right now, like this?” Lissi asked, a little shy.

She lifted her head and faced him but didn’t allow an inch of space between them. She looked ecstatic at the thought of him releasing like a youth.

“Yes.” He was only a pump or two away from exploding.

She grinned and it was nothing short of gleeful. She reached down and locked on his shaft and stroked. “I want you to come, Rydak. I want to see.”

He growled but gave in to her daring and walked them backward until her bed hit the back of his legs. Holding her in a firm grip, Rydak let himself fall back onto the bed.

Lissi squealed, tumbling on top of him. Without pause, she straddled his hips, hovering over his primed body. Rydak lowered his eyes to her chest and the round contours of her breasts against the dark material. It didn’t take much concentration. Lissi tugged stroked and moaned, playing with his cock as if she owned it.

And she did. He belonged to her in this moment. No other would ever have this part of him.

The craving for all he’d denied himself over the years took over. Rydak needed to focus on her desire too, to sweep her into a maelstrom of sensual desire and give her pleasure like she’d never experienced in her young life. He wanted to kiss, stroke and revel in the few moments of pleasure before pain crashed its way in.

With that thought in mind, he skimmed the hem of her dress higher, bunching it beneath her arms and bared her body to his gaze. Smooth unblemished skin, curves and small perfect berry tipped breasts.

Impatience in the gesture, Lissi tossed the dress over her head and threw it to the floor, her smile encouraging him. Rydak glided his hands up her sides, hating the leather keeping him from telling exactly how soft she really was. 

Lissi moaned, her head falling back. “Yes, Rydak.”

He wanted to savor this. Lissi about to be his. He rolled over and placed her at the center of the bed then crawled over her sprawled form. Lissi laughed, arms going about his shoulders. “I waited so long.”

As had he. Rydak indulged his senses, inhaling the hints of arousal from Lissi. He caressed a firm breast, thumb gently rubbing the hard tip of her nipple. Much to his delight, gasps spilled from Lissi’s mouth.

He dropped his head down for a quick kiss then leaned back and eyed her undulating body beneath him. “Tell me at any point if you’re uncomfortable.”

Stroking her slender legs until he reached her hips, Rydak slid to the side of Lissi. He watched the rosy flush spread from her throat, working its way down to the apex of her thighs. With a firm nudge, he parted her legs.

“Rydak!”

He glanced up to make sure she was still with him. Glazed eyes stared back and Rydak grinned. “I want to touch you here.”

Putting action to words, he palmed her mound, leather to skin. Lissi arched up. “Do it.”

A smile tugged at his lips, the command so unlike his Lissi. Spurred on, Rydak slipped his fingers between her folds. Instantly his black gloves glistened from the obvious signs of her pleasure.

“Yes, yes.” She was as turned on by what they’d done so far as him. Another few strokes and she cried out, shuddering and hips twisting on the sheets. Beautiful. He eased his touch from her body and waited for her panting breaths to settle after her climax.

“I want more.” Lissi accompanied the demand by using his hair to pull him down for another kiss.

Rydak chuckled but complied. Each pass of his mouth along hers increased in pressure. Pain would come any second now. Touching as much as they had should trigger his gift in the worse way. Rydak’s heart slammed into his ribs as he waited to be struck down by debilitating agony.

Lissi shifted beside him, her growing need obvious as was his own arousal. He cursed, deciding to keep going. It would happen when it happened but Rydak planned to make sure he and Lissi got something from this before he embarrassed himself and collapsed.

Continuing the kiss, Rydak held Lissi’s head in the palm of his hand, her blonde tresses falling about his wrist and forearm. She moaned and he locked his free arm about her waist almost afraid some invisible force would rip her from his hold. Once the need to be deep inside her reached maximum level he drew back.

***

There was no way to describe the sensation of the leather moving over her skin. Hot, yet cool all at once. Everywhere Rydak touched left tingles in his wake. If she could memorize the feeling and hold it close, she would.

His mouth touched every part of her. Tongue and lips kissing down her torso until he stopped at the juncture of her thighs. Her core tightened in anticipation.

Lissi expected to be overrun. For Rydak to sweep her away in a tide of erupting passion beyond her control. The first stirring of nerves hit. As if sensing her unease, Rydak’s lids lifted but he never moved his mouth from the slow dragging kisses across her upper thighs. He parted her legs with a tender hand, gaze on her face the entire time.

Lissi relaxed back against the bed and spread, revealing herself to a male for the first time. Shivers rolled down her back and her torso twitched.

“I am going to take good care of you,” Rydak whispered sliding forward to nestle between the v of her legs.

Without further warning, his mouth landed on the center of her, his tongue dragging across the nerve filled bud. Lissi arched up into his intimate caress, hands flying to grasp his hair. Rydak hummed part in humor and part in pleasure as his mouth danced over her folds. Wet sounds filled the room along with her ragged moans and Rydak’s groan, a melody of notes which increased her rapid ascent.

She tried to force his face closer to where her body needed but he used both hands to pin her thighs down and kept her open to his torment.

Exposed.

Lissi felt exposed and her skin heated in embarrassment while twinges of doubt attempted to interfere with her pleasure. Rydak froze. His mouth relented its assault, lips shiny from his endeavors. “I am going to take care of you. With me you don’t have to worry I’ll hurt you.”

Same words, same meaning. Lissi trusted Rydak and relaxed. There was nothing she could do about her rocking hips and the ache growing from the heart of her. Rydak palmed her wet mound and grinned. “You will fly tonight, Lis. Promise.”

Blushing, her fingers clenched in his hair. “I want to touch you all over, Rydak.”

Remorse darkened his gaze. “I want that too.

But they couldn’t have that. Lissi didn’t want to hurt him any more than she probably was and if she ignored his one simple rule about touch, she’d give him pain not pleasure.