“You sure?”

Ellison wanted to hold on, to drive into her in his growing frenzy, to spill his seed and slake his need. A Shifter was built to mate. Nature drove them to sex, to have cubs, to live as hard as they could.

But Maria was shaken and upset, and Ellison couldn’t take advantage of her. He told his body that with everything he had, but he still couldn’t withdraw, stop her, take her away from here.

“I’m sure.” Maria brushed a light kiss to his lips. “With you. Do you want it?”

“You think I don’t?” Ellison’s thoughts started to jumble. “I need to be good to you. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Maria slid farther down onto him, scattering the last of his thoughts into incoherency. “You won’t,” she said.

Ellison felt like fire. Need crawled through him, his blood hot and his skin chilled. The water took Maria’s weight, making her light in his arms.

He wanted to drive into her, not stopping until he found his deepest pleasure. He wanted to rock into her, fast, faster, find her, know her, feel her close around him, squeezing him.

But Ellison held back. He’d go slow, he’d show her caring, tenderness.

If he could hold back. Maria’s legs were silken against his tight skin, the depths of her like a wash of flame. Ellison pressed higher into her, holding on, his arms shaking. His toes curled as he braced himself in the mud at the bottom of the little lake, the bluebonnets all around them shimmering in the warm breeze.

“Ellison,” Maria said in her low-pitched, and damn sexy, voice. She licked his cheek, hot tongue chasing water droplets. “I need you.”

Father God, help me.

The sun, the Father God’s symbol, seemed to laugh, kissing Ellison’s shoulders with heat. A blessing, something inside him whispered. The sunlight, the cool water, this woman in his arms.

Ellison slowly thrust up inside her. She squeezed instinctively, embracing him inside her as she embraced him in her arms.

The sensation rocketed through Ellison’s body, engendering another thrust. Up and up again, the water buoying him. Maria kissed his cheek, then across his cheekbone to his ear to nibble his lobe.

It was erotic and tender at the same time. Maria was opening to him when she’d been terrified and closed for so long.

A gift. And Ellison was glad to receive it.

He thrust again, holding her, making love to a beautiful woman in the sunshine. The water cradled them, her br**sts crushed to his chest, and she brought her caressing mouth to his lips.

This kiss was slower, less tense, the warm goodness of two people sharing the ultimate intimacy.

Ellison rocked carefully into her. Her body welcomed him, accepted him, held him and didn’t let go. He couldn’t move as much as he wanted in this position, but it didn’t matter. This was their bodies getting to know each other, becoming one.

He’d spill his seed soon. Too soon. Ellison wanted to stay inside Maria forever, closer to her than he ever dreamed he could be.

“Goddess, you’re beautiful,” he said. “You’re the most beautiful thing I ever saw.”

He brushed her face with his lips, kissing her eyelids, her cheek, the corner of her mouth. Ellison licked across her cheekbone, then returned to her mouth, sliding his tongue inside as the first of his shudders hit him.

Maria was feeling it too, he knew, her eyes half closed, little sounds of pleasure drifting from her throat. She kissed him back as her body moved with his, her hips rocking to pull him farther inside her.

“Damn . . .” Ellison released, control leaving him. Joy poured over him, every piece of his body aching with pleasure.

It was beautiful. She was beautiful. The sun flushed Maria’s face, and her eyes were warm, her body welcoming. The Goddess had made her for Ellison, and Maria was embracing him and taking him. Ellison needed her in his life the same way he needed air every second of the day.

Maria gave a little cry, Ellison thrusting now in crazed need. He kissed her, she kissed him, they struggled to hold each other in the slippery water.

“Ellison,” she said, her voice stricken.

Ellison held her close. “Shh,” he said. “Shh, love.” He shivered with release. But he was hot too, inside himself, where they joined, and wherever she touched him.

“Shh,” he said again. Maria kissed his cheek, the kiss languid, and Ellison gathered her and held her close.

***

Ellison carried her out of the water. Maria trembled in reaction to her impulsive decision to make love to him and the sudden cold of the breeze on her wet skin.

Ellison set her on her feet on the bank, wrapped his big body around her to cut the chill, and kissed her.

All the heat of the spring day poured from the kiss into her. Maria warmed, though she still shivered. She wanted to stay here forever in this beauty, this feeling.

Fear was gone. She had Ellison, passion, this flood of happiness. She wanted to hold the moment, swathe herself in it, and never leave for the real world again.

Ellison caressed her cheek, his kiss slow with lassitude and lovemaking. His body was as wet as Maria’s, but his skin held so much warmth, hotter than any living being’s should be.

I’m falling in love with you. The thought came to her unbidden, as natural as the breeze that ruffled the lake. I’m falling in love with you, Ellison.

He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the backs of her fingers. A cloud slid over the sun, and Maria’s shaking increased.

“We’d best get you dressed,” Ellison said.