Stone of Ascension (24 page)

He laughed. A full chest roll that startled them both. Impulsively, he reached out and pulled her tight against his side. Her eyes opened wide. Surprised by the move or the contact?

“Deal,” he said, his attention following the tip of her pink tongue as it slicked across her lips. “It’s my job to slay the dragons for you.”

“Ah, speaking of dragons.” Her eyes narrowed again as she poked him in the chest. “You could have warned me about that.”

He chuckled. “And you would have believed me? They’re kind of one of those things most people need to see to believe.”

Her eyes rolled up and she shook her head. “And levitation, fireballs and teleporting aren’t? I think I’m pretty much past the whole seeing to believe standard.”

“And could you have said that five hours ago?” His question brought home just how quickly everything had transpired. How much she had endured and absorbed in a day. He lifted a hand to her cheek before he let his fingers trail through the soft strands of her hair. He couldn’t get enough of the silky mass. “You’ve endured much today. And yet you can still joke with me. How?”

She stretched out her legs and laid her head on the uninjured side of his chest. Her fingers traced a light path around the mostly healed wound on his shoulder, the soft strokes heating the desire that flamed to life at her contact.

“Because it’s you,” she finally said, the words releasing faint whispers of air against his skin. “I understand now why you don’t trust the energy. What it’s telling us. But for me, it hasn’t lied. For whatever reason, in the course of a truly messed up day, I have come to believe in what it’s telling me.” She took a deep breath and released it. “And it’s telling me to trust you. It’s telling me to be with you.”

She pushed away so she could look in his eyes. “Do you know why?”

Hell, no. He had no idea why the energy would give him such a gift. After all it had taken from him, it was now handing him her. A treasure he wanted to keep.

One he would be stupid to throw away.

His arm tightened around her. “No. I don’t,” he answered honestly. “I don’t understand any of it. But how could I doubt a gift as perfect as you?”

She looked down, the quiet echoing around them. “I’m not perfect.”

He tilted her chin back up. “Neither am I. No one is. But as a gift into my life—you are perfect.” The doubt in her eyes shot a hole right through his heart.

“Who hurt you?” he probed gently.

“Who hasn’t?” she replied so quickly he knew it was honesty, not sarcasm speaking. Just as quickly, she tried to push away from him.

He held tight. “I won’t hurt you, Amber.” She stilled, then slowly met his gaze, the hesitation another shot to his heart. “Not anymore. Never again.” He brushed her hair over her shoulder. Her hand fisted on his chest.

Never again did he want to hurt her.

Against his better judgment, he leaned in and kissed her, his restraint holding him back as he waited for her. Thankfully, she didn’t hesitate or pull away. She met his lips, opening to him. God, she was so innocent. So untainted.

But her lips were strong, sure. Not questioning or doubting. Her tongue licked over his bottom lip in a soft stroke of invitation.

All questions of right or wrong were crushed under the petal-soft touch. He pulled her tighter to his chest and entered her welcoming mouth. He almost groaned under the hot onslaught, the tentative brush of her tongue as it met his, the slight hint of cinnamon that filled his taste buds.

She moaned sweetly as her fingers laced around his neck to pull his lips tighter against her own. He could feel the passion unfolding within her, the blossoms spreading under the warm glow that fired between them. Through them. She invaded his mouth and he let her explore. He gloried in the swipe of her tongue, the little nips and licks over his lips, the hard crush when she plunged into the depths of his mouth to reach every hidden crevice.

She was hot, sweet. Beautiful.

His hands fisted in her hair to keep them from going to the soft breasts that brushed torturously against his chest. His cock throbbed in hard demand under the tight confines of his jeans. A demand that had never really receded, but was now screaming to be filled. By her.

But he held back. Afraid to push her, to scare her away. She vibrated with vulnerability when it came to sex, and he wouldn’t rush her.

Fuck.
The shaman’s words blasted into mind.
His virgin bride.

Was it possible? Was it not? He should stop.

Suddenly, with the stealth of a seasoned warrior, Amber shifted to straddle his hips. Her lips never left his as she ravaged his mouth. Her hands ran up his chest, stopping to brush over the taut peaks of his nipples, sending sharp nails of need through him. When the warm juncture between her thighs settled on his erection, he was lost. She moaned and rocked gently on his lap.

Blistering desire stunned him senseless. Her growing passion matched by her increasing confidence shattered all thought. All resistance.

He was lost to her.

He tasted so good. Better than anything that had ever crossed her lips. Like spice and desire. The sensations burst inside Amber as she came to life with a need, a want so strong she couldn’t contain it. Hot flames, a pulsing burn, an undeniable ache between her legs right where his rigid cock met her body.

She rocked on it again. She was unable to stop the instinctive movement. God, it felt so good. He felt so good. His mouth was hot, welcoming. There was no demand. No pushing. It was all about her. What she wanted.

He knew. Somehow, he knew what she needed. Let her lead even though she had no idea where she was going.

And she didn’t feel shy or insecure at all. Confidence reigned dominant within her. He groaned and thrust almost unwillingly upward into her aching core.

He pulled his mouth from hers, his hands fisting in her hair pushing her back so he could rest his forehead against hers. Heavy breaths panted thick in the quiet.

“Amber,” he groaned, a deep, throaty sound. “If you don’t stop now, I won’t be able to.”

She pushed in to lick his lips. He groaned again. “I don’t want you to,” she admitted. No, stopping was the last thing she wanted.

Finally, she wanted it all. Wanted to know what was at the end of all this feeling. At the end of the desire and passion that burned in her like a raging inferno.

He pushed her back until their eyes met. He stared into her, looking deeper than any man ever had before. “Are you sure? Do you know where this is going?”

Unwanted, the heat spread over her face. “I’m not a child, Damian, nor am I naïve. And I know exactly where this is going.” She looked him over then threw out the challenge. “Do you?”

He inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring. In anger? Desire?

In the next instant she was flat on her back, Damian looming over her, his body pressed hard between her legs. The challenged accepted.

“I would never think you naïve,” he growled, the intensity in his eyes burning her soul. “It’s your innocence that I question. I cannot give it back to you if I take it.”

Ping
. The lock around her heart broke apart into a thousand pieces.

This man was all hers.

“I don’t want it back,” she whispered, brushing her fingers over his chiseled cheek. “Ever. It’s yours.” How did he know she was a virgin? A small part of her wondered, but it didn’t matter right then. Not then. She looped her legs around his thighs and pulled him tighter to her body.

“Fuck,” he whispered, his eyes closing, his arms shaking. “You’re going to kill me, Amber.”

“Then kill me too,” she said before she pulled his mouth back to hers. She wanted this. Needed this. Him.

There was no holding back this time. Damian took her mouth, plundering the hot depths like a man possessed. His tongue sought hers, stroking, guiding, stoking the flame that burned below.

His energy flooded her, pulsing out to her limbs in time with the rapid thumping of her heart. In time with his until they were unified. Synchronized to a single beat.

Incredible.

God. She was swimming in feeling. Sensation. Her hands brushed down the hard muscles of his back. So broad. Defined. Smooth.

His mouth left hers to trail a line of kisses down her jaw until his hot, wet tongue traced her ear. She sucked in a breath before a moan tore from her throat, a deep, guttural sound that pooled up from the depths of her chest. Her feelings bordered on desperate.

She wanted everything without knowing exactly what she wanted.

His hand smoothed up the sides of her ribs, under her shirt until it cupped her breast. She arched into his touch. “God, Damian.” She tossed her head to the side as he nipped her earlobe, his hand skimming across her nipple. The sensation shot straight to the hot spot between her legs. “I need…” What? Something. “More…” It was all she could get out.

Growling, he pulled back to slide both hands under her shirt. The material bunched on his wrist as his callused palms moved up her sides. The roughened hands of a warrior, not an executive. How had she ever believed he was just a CEO? The fire that burned in his eyes was all fighter. Conqueror.

“Lift,” he demanded. She did, arching her back and lifting her arms until her shirt was removed. The flame in his eyes scorched her, the hot desire smoothing over her naked flesh as his gaze slowly perused the new offering. “Beautiful,” he murmured absently as he lightly grazed the lace edging of her bra. The soft touch sent chills through her and caused her breath to hitch.

She felt beautiful and she absolutely loved the feel of him looking at her. Him. The first man to ever see her so exposed. Yet there were no insecurities. No doubt within her at all.

Only need. Want.

Her bird cooed deep in its throat and arched its head, the satisfaction emanating out of the vibrations in its chest to resonate within her. The stone burned, heavy and welcomed between her breasts. The energy pulsed around it, around them and into her.

Damian’s finger circled around the outer ring of the pendant, trailing sparks of liquid fire in its wake. His small homage to the entity that had united them. The stone glimmered in the dim light, the colors dancing and rolling with the waves of energy.

Finally, his finger moved aside to dip below the lacey material and ever so slowly brushed across the hard tip of her aching nipple. She gasped, arched, the lightening hot ping of need tightening in her core. The simple touch was amazing.

He smiled. “You like that.”

Not a question. Not one she could answer anyway. Her voice was stuck. Frozen as he removed the material completely, discarding her bra and baring her breasts fully. Her nipples stiffened, puckering under the heat of his stare, under the brush of cool air.

She couldn’t move. The anticipation locked her immobile.

Finally, he cupped her breasts, pressing lightly before his fingers reached up to pluck then squeeze the rigid peaks. Her back came off the mattress, a silent moan opening her mouth. Her body sang with feeling at the sharp pleasure-pain that shot through her.

This. This is what she’d wanted. What she’d waited for.

But more. Definitely more.

He watched her, passion etched over his hard features, his lips ripe from their kisses. He stilled and held her gaze.

“There is so much I want to do to you, Amber.” His rough, gravel-edged voice flowed over her like an ancient mating call. “With you. Will you let me?”

He asked. Her heart broke wide open, the exposed feelings thumping in acceptance within her heart. He asked. It was a simple courtesy that meant so much to her. More than he could possibly know. Offered freely, not because of her past, but because that was the kind of man he was.

Her hands smoothed up the powerful arms that bracketed her body. Over the rounded muscles of his biceps, shoulders, then down the hard plain of his chest until they reached the rippled edging of his abs. Only then did she meet his eyes. Eyes that freely displayed the passion and desire that smoldered within him. Eyes that held so much more that she was afraid to define. Afraid to hope for.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Show me.”

His head dipped, his eyes closing in a brief silent acknowledgment before he dropped to seal his mouth over her nipple.
God
. Heaven. Pleasure. Her mind blanked. Feeling took over everything. Hot, moist. Unbelievable.

Her head tossed, her hands clenched in his hair. His teeth grazed the edge of the peak, then bit down. Her legs tightened, spasmed around his to pull his hard erection against her throbbing sex. Pleasure. Pain. Hot, aching need. Everywhere.

Damian bathed one nipple then the other with lavish attention. Stroking, nipping, sucking until she teetered on the edge of exploding. It was incredible. The fresh scent of the earthy shampoo, the dark edge of pine and thunder bathed her nostrils. She squirmed under him, unable to hold still. Wanting to absorb him.

Have him.

Finally, his head lifted and she pulled him to her mouth, needing the heat and the connection that bound him to her. His tongue fought with hers, the battle even, the sparring equally matched. His hard chest rubbed over her wet and begging nipples, the pressure shooting to her womb. God, she ached.