He pulled back slightly and groaned from deep within his belly. He licked his lips and closed his eyes. Then he scooped her up in his arms. The next thing Grace knew, they were seated. His back was against the wall, and she was in his lap, her shoulder pressed against his chest, his arms firmly around her.
He leaned her back across his left arm, and his right hand came up to her face again, brushing her cheek as his fingers burrowed into her hair. “So delicious,” he whispered.
His lips descended again. This time, his kiss was firmer. He pressed his lips against hers fully for several seconds before lightly brushing them back and forth.
It was an innocent, inexperienced kiss, possibly the sweetest Grace had ever experienced, and yet it shot straight from her lips to her womb. She moaned softly and wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling herself closer to him and pressing her breasts against his chest.
His arms tightened, and he kissed her again. Urgency marked this kiss. His breathing quickened. Grace felt as though she would explode. She opened her lips slightly and skimmed her tongue across his bottom lip.
His entire body jerked violently. His head snapped back, and Grace worried for a moment that she had done something wrong, but then she looked into his eyes. They were molten. He stared at her lips with wonder. “Grace,” he breathed.
The use of her name pounded into her. With a hungry noise, she pulled his lips back to hers. He met her more than halfway. This time, his lips were open, as were hers. They breathed for each other for a moment, and then he tentatively repeated the kiss she had just shown him, sweeping his tongue across her lip.
Grace moaned and sucked his tongue into her mouth. With a groan, he followed her lead as she taught him to duel with their tongues. He quickly learned what she liked, and within moments, she needed him so badly, she thought she would die.
Just then, he pulled away. His breaths panted across her moist lips. His eyes held a question.
Gathering all of her courage, she said, “Jayden, could we — would you,” she blushed fiercely, “touch me again?”
Chapter Thirteen
Jayden stared at her, dumbfounded. Her thoughts had been insistent, but he had not dared to believe he was interpreting them correctly. And now she was asking him to —
“Touch you?” he asked breathlessly.
Her blush deepened. “Never mind,” she said quickly.
She had! She had asked him to touch her! “Yes,” he blurted quickly, hoping it was not too late. The possibilities roiled through him, and he nearly groaned. “Oh, Grace, yes.”
Her embarrassment morphed, softening her eyes and lips as she smiled shyly at him. “Really?”
“Yes,” he said again like an idiot.
Her smile took on a twinge of humor. “Maybe in a room?”
With shock, Jayden realized they were in the hallway. Where either of the other two humans could happen upon them at any time. He shot to his feet, cradling his woman in his arms and fighting down an unidentifiable emotion. A sound like the snapping of a bed sheet echoed through the space, and his wings unfurled like a shot and curved around her, placing them in a cocoon of beautiful, iridescent feathers. No one was allowed to see Grace like this except for him. The thought was fierce and right.
She turned wide eyes upon him. “No one can see me?” she asked, her tone tinged with awe.
Jayden shook his head.
She sighed, snuggled into his arms, and rested her head on his shoulder. He quickly nuzzled her cheek with his and then carried her into the room where he had been spending the night hours as the humans slept. He could have easily gone into her room, but some primal part of him wanted her in the small space he claimed for himself.
She pulled her head back and gifted him with a smile. He returned it and trailed a finger from her cheek to the neckline of her shirt. “Will you take this off for me, Grace? I wish to see you,” he said deeply.
Doubt filled her eyes, and Jayden cursed inwardly. Too fast, he scolded himself. He shushed her, and then he placed his lips softly over hers, cradling her close and taking whatever she would willingly give.
Her fingers flexed on his shoulders, and she pulled back to whisper, “Can I see you, too?”
He sucked in a breath. “You wish that?”
She nodded her head. He sensed she was still nervous about revealing herself to him, but her desire to see him bare had her considering it. To cover his desperate hope that she would gift him with the sight of her body, he turned her face toward his and kissed her again. He meant to be gentle, but the kiss quickly morphed into the passionate embrace they had been sharing in the hallway. The next time he had enough self-control to remember to check her thoughts all of her nervousness had vanished.
He deepened the kiss even more, instinct telling him to probe her mouth with his tongue deeper than the shallow sweeps she had taught him minutes ago. She responded with a moan and returned the kiss wholeheartedly. His fingers returned to the neckline of her shirt, and she pulled back slightly, hesitatingly raising her arms. With more fumbling than he would have wished, he was able to raise her shirt up and over her head while keeping her cradled against his body within one arm.
As soon as the shirt left her body, she made a small noise of discomfort, and Jayden tightened his wings around them, blocking out a majority of the light. She relaxed a fraction, and Jayden let her shirt drop to the floor unheeded as his entire world narrowed down to Grace’s gorgeous chest. She wore a simple white undergarment over her breasts. Jayden’s mouth went utterly dry, and he raised shaking fingertips to brush across warm, firm swells.
Grace gasped. As Jayden sensed a majority of her anxiousness disappear, she arched in his arms, thrusting her breast into his palm. He rewarded her with a gentle squeeze, and then she was wiggling in his arms fiercely.
“Let me down,” she whispered against his lips.
He let her feet touch the floor, but only unfurled his wings slightly, not willing to quite let her go. And there, within the shelter of his wings, she finished the job he had begun with her shirt. Reaching behind her back, she unclasped her undergarment and clutched the slackened garment to her breasts. His heart, which had moments ago stopped within his chest, began thundering. He had seen her bare before, but this was the first time she unclothed herself for him. Specifically for him.
Just when she was going to let her undergarment slide from her shoulders and to the floor, she looked at him expectantly, her eyes flicking down to his robe as she arched a brow.
He flicked his wings away into his back. She made a noise of sorrow when their shelter vanished, so he quickly tugged his robe over his head, let it drift to the floor, and then surrounded her once again with his wings.
He smiled down at her, but discovered he was staring at the crown of her hair. Her head was tilted down, and she was staring silently at his groin.
His eyes followed hers down, and he saw his body, primed and ready for her. His arousal was bigger than it had ever been when he was by himself. Her eyes upon it seemed to make it swell even more. It kicked up, jerking under her stare, drawing a gasp from her.
Jayden quickly felt for her thoughts and was disappointed to find the nervousness had returned.
“I don’t think I’m ready for — ”
He saw where her thoughts were headed and felt relief. She was not ready to have sex with him. That was convenient. He was not prepared for what having sex with her would do to his entire existence either. Despite her beauty, despite her hold on him, Jayden could not Fall for her.
But her nervousness ate at his heart. He did not want that emotion anywhere in her mind when she was with him.
With a finger beneath her chin, he lifted her eyes. He waited patiently for her to look at him, and when she finally did, he instinctively knew drawing attention to his own inexperience in this matter would put her at ease. “I am not ready for that step either, Grace.”
Her eyes widened. In her thoughts, she remembered that Jayden would be a vi
rgin.
“I will only touch you. Like you asked,” he said. “I promise.”
She looked at him in disbelief.
“Cherubim, remember?” he reminded her. “You say the word, and I walk away. On my honor.”
She relaxed, and then smiled at him hesitantly. Her thoughts told him she was worried she had ruined the mood.
Hardly. Jayden had a feeling nothing would ever keep him from wanting her. He felt a twinge of worry as the Compulsion rolled over within his gut — reminding himself that he had to keep whatever emotional distance he could from her. What little emotional distance remained.
She stepped toward him, pulling him from his thoughts, and wrapped her arms tentatively around his middle, pressing against him.
He swiftly enfolded her in his arms, seeking to assure her he was still here with her. Still more than ready to bring her to pleasure, but then all thought fled.
Her shirt was off. The small garment across her breasts was the only barrier between his naked chest and her warm skin. He pulled her in tighter and heard himself make a small noise. “You feel wonderful,” he breathed.
She tilted her head back and smiled up at him, her relief obvious. “So do you.”
He moved his hands slowly, giving her time to protest, to her shoulders where he gently pushed the straps of her undergarment down her arms. She stepped back slightly, looking at the floor. She blinked as the slip of fabric fell away, but did not cover herself.
Jayden’s moan was deep and guttural. She was so beautiful Jayden’s chest ached.
She remained quiet as he gently lowered her pants and the undergarment beneath them. She stepped out of them.
And then she was completely naked, standing within the shelter of his wings.
She closed her eyes briefly, and Jayden felt the doubt she had been holding at bay breach her mind. She began to move her hands to cover her breasts, but Jayden cupped her face with both hands, gaining her attention and stalling her movements.
“You are beautiful, Grace.” His voice was so deep, so hoarse, he almost did not recognize it.
He monitored her thoughts carefully, and she recalled that he could not lie, and then her doubt diminished, though it did not entirely vanish. He would just have to work hard to make sure that it did.
With that in mind, he kissed her, quickly swooping in and giving her no time to think further. As he deepened the kiss, she sighed into his mouth and stepped close once again, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her naked body pressed against his fully for the first time.
His arousal was cradled between their bellies — hers soft, his hard. Her breasts were pressed into his rib cage right beneath his pectorals. He could feel the heat from her sex against his thigh.
With a hiss, he broke the kiss. “Grace … ” The sensations the touch of her body brought were unlike anything Jayden could have imagined.
She brushed her fingers through his hair, smiled, and pulled him down for another kiss. As he thrust his tongue into her mouth, he walked them backward until the bed hit the back of her thighs. He gently lowered her until she lay on the bed, and quickly followed her down, stretching out on top of her, resting his hips between her thighs.
His arousal pressed against the sleek heat of her sex, and they both froze. Jayden remained frozen only for a second, and then he wrenched himself away, turning to the side. He lay on his back beside her in the narrow bed and cast his forearm over his eyes as he tried to control his breathing, which echoed through the room like an oncoming army.
He had scared himself. For a moment there, he had been primed to plunge into her body. His arousal had been at her entrance. Even now, he could feel the slickness of her body on his shaft.
Every instinct in his body had urged him to make her his in every way. And he had almost done so. After promising Grace he would not.
“Are you okay?” Her voice sounded small and concerned, but completely devoid of fear. A quick survey of her thoughts showed him he had not scared her, and that should have brought relief.
Instead, he could not feel anything other than the raging want coursing through his body. “Need you so badly,” he muttered before he could stop himself.
He felt the light pressure of her hand on his chest. Felt her lean in. Her breath caressed his cheek. And then, in his ear, she whispered, “Good.”
His eyes popped open in surprise, though he could not see anything through the arm still resting across his face. Her hand started to move down. Her fingers trailed over his stomach, and without hesitation, wrapped around his arousal.
His arm fell from his eyes. His back arched as he groaned to the ceiling. “Highest heaven.” It felt so good, he could not see straight. The contrast between her soft palm and his calloused one was night and day. And then she moved her hand, slowly stroking up from base to head of his shaft.
Blindly, he turned his face toward hers; kissing anything he came into contact with — her forehead, her eyelids, her cheek — as he sought her lips. She continued to stroke him, and he finally found her mouth and plunged inside, groaning against her lips with every movement of her hand.
That peak he had reached so many times on his own as he thought of her loomed over him, and he realized she was going to bring him to orgasm, quickly, if he did not stop her.
“Grace,” he gasped, pulling slightly from the kiss, “slow down.” She had to be there with him. He turned onto his side, facing her, his hand moving to her hip and stroking down.
“Am I doing it wrong?” she asked anxiously.
He groaned. “No, I am. Your soft hand is going to make me finish before I take care of you.”
His fingers reached her sex, and he brushed through her folds seeking and finding that nub that brought her to pleasure before. She gasped, and softened against him.
“Wrap your arms around my neck,” he whispered urgently, touching her deeper, spreading the slickness of her arousal with his fingers.
She did as asked, and with his free arm, tunneled beneath her body and hauled her in close. His shaft pressed against her belly, and his hand fully cupped her sex. He kissed her as he slid a finger deep inside her body, grinding the heel of his hand against her most sensitive spot. And then, his body took over, canting his hips forward, thrusting his arousal against her soft, warm body. Shivers of pleasure wracked him, and he repeated all movements over and over.
Soon, he could tell she was reaching her peak. She began to moan into their kiss. Her arms tightened around his neck, and she rubbed her breasts against his chest. Jayden’s world tilted violently as he struggled to outlast her, the need to spill his seed threatening his control. He thrust his finger deeper, ground the heel of his hand faster. And, thankfully, it worked.
Her body began to tremble. She jerked back from their kiss to stare into his eyes. Hers widened and then closed as she cried out his name and arched against him.
It pressed his shaft more fully into her belly, and finished him as well. “Grace,” he groaned as his seed shot from his body. He pulled her even closer and buried his face in her neck, pressing an open-mouthed kiss to her pulse as she undulated into his hand. Her sheath clenched and re-clenched his finger in flutters. Moisture spilled into his palm.
It was the most amazing thing he had ever experienced. Even before he was capable of complex thought once again, he knew it to be true. He was made to bring this woman pleasure.
Her body relaxed. She breathed a soft laugh as she loosened her grip upon him, softly skimming her fingertips over the welts her nails had left behind — marks that he would have gladly borne, but that would sadly be gone in seconds.
And then her breathing changed. Grew regular. She had fallen asleep.
Jayden lay still and listened to her breathing and her heartbeat for an eternity. She felt so good, warm and soft in his arms. His eyes began to close in sleep. He wanted to hold her while she slept. To stay here with her. Forever.
His eyes jerked open in shock. Forever?
It was t
hat word that made him move. He gently but quickly extricated himself from her and left the bed. She moaned softly and stirred, her eyes blinking open sleepily and staring at him with confusion.
“Jayden?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
His heart stuttered in his chest, but he turned from her and walked toward the door.
“You’re not staying?” Her voice was filled with hurt, as were her thoughts as they flooded him.
He stopped at the door to sweep up his robe, but refused to turn around and look at her. “I cannot, Grace,” he whispered. Because I want to more than anything in the world.
“But — ”
Whatever she was going to say, he did not stay to find out. He silently left the room and closed the door behind him. With a shuttering sigh, he leaned back against the door, held his robe against his naked, still-hard shaft, and fought heaven and hell against the desire to join her again. To crawl into bed with her and calm the doubt now running rampant through her mind. But if he ever had a hope of not dooming himself, he could not. He had almost fallen asleep.
As for his heart — he had thought joining with her completely would damage him irreversibly. He had underestimated the connection he would create with the actions they had just taken. His heart ached more than a physical wound, and Jayden worried that he had already lost it.
Chapter Fourteen
It was an unbearably long night for Grace. After Jayden left her, with no more explanation than I cannot, Grace hadn’t been able to go back to sleep. She hadn’t been able to do anything but examine her actions for a misstep.
Which only infuriated her. He acted crazy, and she was ready to blame it on herself? That was not something Grace had been willing to do for well over a decade.
Lying in his bed — though why he had a bed when she was pretty sure he didn’t sleep — was disconcerting to say the least. More than a dozen times throughout the night, she wished she could just get up and leave. But if she was in his room, he had nowhere to go but the hallway, and she just couldn’t face him right now.
Operation Middle of the Garden 03 - Of Consuming Fire Page 12