Chapter Twenty-Six
Nikolai grinned. Satisfied with her erotic surrender and her fervent cries during the violent orgasm he gave her, he was more than willing to let her take the reins. For now. Gripping her waist, he rolled, keeping himself inside her. When she planted her palms on his pectorals, squeezing her full breasts together, her pink nipples erect, his cock thickened more.
She opened her mouth on a groan, raising her hips and slamming back down, slowly rocking and picking up speed.
“Bloody fucking hell, woman,” he muttered, gritting his teeth together and trying not to come on that sight alone.
A woman taking full charge of her desires was beyond arousing. But Sienna—beautiful, sensual Sienna who had known no other man but him—demanding control so that she could pleasure herself on his body. That made his blood run so hot and his cock so hard, he hoped his body didn’t combust.
Tilting her head forward, her hair slid over her shoulder and teased the skin on his chest, swishing back and forth as she found her rhythm, raising her ass then sliding back down, stroking him with her tight sex. Her full breasts swayed and bounced with each downward thrust.
“I am yours,” she said, pumping her sweet hips in a faster tempo. “And you are mine.”
He curled his hands around her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh. “Yes, Sienna. Show me.”
The air resonated with a quivering energy. The same he’d felt among the standing stones in the heart of Silvane Forest. Sienna’s eyes glimmered, the green shimmering with ethereal sparks of gold, a fiery aura licking around her. She seemed unaware, for she continued to stare at him and pounded her hips, the energy building and vibrating through him. He gripped her harder and lifted his pelvis, thrusting up on each downward plunge of her perfect ass.
Lifting to a sitting position, he took one pink nipple into his mouth and suckled on a groan. She clenched her fingers in his hair, stinging his scalp, and screamed, her inner walls pulsing while she rocked her pelvis in little circles. He banded his arms around her waist to keep her still and drove his cock with one final thrust, groaning as he spilled his seed inside of her.
He found the punctures in her throat which he hadn’t yet sealed and opened his mouth to suck her essence inside of him again. Like honey from the gods. He wanted more of this woman, so much more. She mewled little moans as she came down, and he licked the puncture to seal the wound closed.
Her blood coursed and mingled with his, lighting him up inside, filling him with potent energy and strength. He reveled in the euphoric sensation, his heart so full, as she looked down and swept her mouth across his, lips trembling.
“What is it, sweetheart?” he whispered. The emotions shattering across her face spoke of too much at once. He couldn’t make out their meaning.
“I’m afraid to lose you again.”
He frowned, then raised up and rolled with her, flipping her to her back. Caging her face between his palms, he settled his weight on top of her.
“Afraid to lose me?” he asked with a questioning smile. “I think you have that the other way around.”
A tear slipped down one cheek. “I didn’t want to leave you behind. Not when I’d just found you.”
“Found me?” He brushed a thumb high across her cheekbone, soothing.
She stared at him, her emotions still running high, flitting across her face too fast for him to decipher. But one he knew well, and that was fear. He swept in, ghosting his lips over hers then settling deeper, melting her resolve in one, heart-stealing kiss. When he pulled away, her eyes had softened.
“Now tell me what you mean. Found me how?”
She licked her lips, her lashes dropping to brush cream-white cheeks.
“Tell me,” he commanded in the voice he’d used during sex, the one that made her obey him.
She licked her lips again then finally spoke, the words rolling out fast. “Remember when I told you I used to dream about you?”
“Yes.”
“That wasn’t an exaggeration. From the night after I met you, you’ve been haunting me. Or I should say, the image of you. I thought it just a fancy. Nothing more than an infatuation. But it was a lie.”
All the while she spoke, Nikolai moved one hand down her shoulder and trailed his fingers lightly up and down the side of her ribcage, comforting strokes to keep her going. But he did not interrupt her. And she did not look at him. Taking a deep breath, she went on.
“But then you showed up in the flesh, and suddenly my world changed. No, that’s not right either. I changed. After the first time you drank from me, I wanted something I’d never wanted before. I’d been content to live here by myself with the hart wolves—and now I don’t know what to think of them—but regardless I wanted more. And you were the ‘more’ I wanted…that I still want. Not just a lover for now or for a few months, but for always.” Having said her piece, she let out a trembling breath, still avoiding eye contact.
“Sienna,” he said gently, “look at me.”
She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Look at me,” he commanded again.
She relented. The vulnerability shining back at him—soft and fragile and precious—stole what was left of his heart.
“Now it’s my turn,” he informed her in similar fashion that she’d done earlier before she climbed on top of him and rode him like a seasoned seductress. “Firstly, we’re going to need to have a talk about your hart wolves. For they aren’t just wolves now, are they?” She opened her mouth to speak, but he laid a finger on her lips with a short shake of the head. “I know they’ve been your protectors for some time.”
He moved his trailing fingers to her throat, gliding the pads of his fingers softly over her delicate collarbone, lingering at her pulse. His fingers were gentle but he knew the look in his eyes was not, for putting her safety in the hands of anyone but himself made him want to snarl and bite.
“I’ll need to be sure they will continue to do so when I leave.”
Her eyes widened, fresh tears pooling. “You’re leaving me?”
He continued gliding his fingers down the center of her breasts, then circled one. Gooseflesh rose under his fingertips, her nipples tightening to peaks. His cock instantly hardened.
“This is what is going to happen, Sienna.” His voice dropped low, the sharp edge of aggression filling his words as he spoke slow and steady. “I am going to hunt down Volkov and acquaint him with the true meaning of pain before I cut off his fucking head.”
Trailing his fingers lower to her hip, he shifted over so he could caress more of her milky skin along her thigh.
“And then I’m going to Hiddleston to send word to Marius and Arabelle what has transpired in Dale’s Peak and the rising armies which that bitch, the queen, is enslaving.”
He knew his words were biting, but he kept his hands soothing and gentle, his voice even and steady. He raised up with his weight on one arm, hovering over her, sliding his fingers lower while he held her gaze.
“Then I’ll come back here to your cottage. For if this is your home, then it is now mine.”
He slid his middle finger into the folds of her sex, still wet and wonderful. She opened her mouth on a gasp. He lowered and hovered close, still not dropping his weight, locking her gaze to his, whispering against her lips.
“Then I’m going to lavish so much pleasure on you, you’ll never want to leave this bed.”
He stroked deeper. She whimpered.
“Open your legs, Sienna.”
She did with a smile.
“I’m going to mark you deep, sweetheart.” He slid out his finger, then drove his cock inside to the hilt.
“Nikolai,” she breathed.
“That’s right.” He ground in a circle. “You’ll be saying my name a lot. You’ll be screaming it as well.” He gripped her hip, his thumb pressing on her pubic bone, then slanted his mouth over hers, tasting her deep, stroking his tongue and his cock to the same sensuous rhythm.
Her fingers curled into his shoulders, nails digging in. It felt glorious, pushing him harder. He didn’t let her up for air. No. He smothered her with his mouth, his hands, his body, driving into her hard and deep. So deep. He swallowed her long moan when he felt her sex clench around him. Only then did he release her mouth, hovering close as she panted out her sweet little whimpers.
“I claim you for life, Sienna.” He rolled in slow, then pounded hard at the end. “My love for you runs deep.”
“Oh, Nikolai.” She scratched her nails down his back, pulling him closer, her lids half closed. She wrapped her heels to the back of his thighs, tilting her pelvis up.
He came on a violent shudder, filling her for a second time. Not enough. It would never be enough.
Afterward, he rolled to his back and pulled her with him into the crook of his arm and whipped the coverlet over them.
She nuzzled her cheek against his chest and wrapped an arm around his waist. When his breathing had subsided and the fire had burned down to glowing embers on the ceiling, coloring the wood beams orange, she whispered into the sweet darkness. “I love you, too.”
He curled her closer, brushing a thumb over her birthmark. It was changed, bigger than before.
“The hartstone marked you, my sweet,” he whispered into her hair.
“Really?” Her contented sigh eased his demons for the time being. “What does it look like?”
He stared at the dark scarlet mark, flaring out wildly on her shoulder blade. “Like a flower on fire.” He pressed his lips to the crown of her lovely head.
“Mmm,” was all she replied.
Nikolai felt her body go limp as she slipped off into dreams. He fell right behind her, sleeping for the first time since they’d left their lovers’ bed in Winter Hill.