No doubt, she missed her angelic boyfriend, too. He eyed her damp blond hair that curled on the ends and her freshly scrubbed lovely face. “Do ye look like that in heaven?”
She smiled. “My form is similar, but not this solid or detailed. I’m more of a spirit there.”
“Ah.” Good. Then Buniel couldn’t touch her or kiss her.
“I miss my wings.” She lifted the sun catcher up to the ceiling light. “I miss the thrill of soaring through the heavens and feeling the air rush by me. I miss the freedom of going anywhere I please.” With a sigh, she lowered her hand. “I really missed my wings when you were injured, and I couldn’t take you anywhere for help.”
“Ye doona like feeling powerless.” Connor tossed his towel onto the coffee table. “I feel the same way.”
“You have plenty of wonderful powers.” Marielle poked at him with a bare foot. “Stop being down on yourself.”
He smiled. “I canna fly, but I can levitate. Would ye care to go up a wee bit?” He pointed up in the air.
She gave him a dubious look. “How far can you go?”
He shrugged. “Mars. Venus.” When she laughed, he grinned. “Would ye believe the top of the chimney?”
She laughed again, and the sound was music for his soul.
He stood and extended his hand. “Come.”
She took his hand and followed him outside.
The grass was chilly on his bare feet. He stopped in the middle of the clearing.
“Good thing ye’re wearing this.” He folded the voluminous white robe around her. He had spotted a pair of knit pajamas underneath. “I hear it is a bit chilly on Mars.”
“Or the top of the chimney.” She smiled up at him. “So how does this work?”
“Ye have to hold on to me.” He put her arms around his neck, then grabbed hold of her waist.
He started up slowly. Three feet. Five feet.
She peered down. “Is that as fast as you can go?”
He zipped up another ten feet, and she laughed.
She tightened her grip around his neck. “I like it. Thank you.”
He slowly rose another ten feet.
She glanced down with a speculative look. “I wonder what would happen if I directed a blast of air down at the ground?”
He frowned. “That doesna sound verra wise.”
“Oh, come on.” She stretched a hand out and boom!
They took off like a rocket, shooting straight up into the sky.
“Bloody hell!” He pulled her close.
She squealed with laughter. “Yes! This is what it’s like. Don’t you love it?” She flung her arms out and arched her back with her face toward the stars.
“No!” He grappled to keep ahold of her.
They slowed to a stop, hovering in the air. Connor’s heart stopped pounding and he glanced down. Holy Christ Almighty, they had to be a mile above the Earth.
“Wasn’t that fun?” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I was afraid I would drop you.”
She traced the line of his jaw with a finger. “Do you really worry so much about me?”
“Aye.”
“You sweet man.” She kissed his cheek. “I was never worried. I trust you.”
His groin tightened. Great. He was getting hard a mile up in the air. And as fiercely as he was holding her, she would be sure to notice.
“I want to try something.” She stretched a hand out to the side and let loose a little blast.
They flew in the opposite direction. She repeated it a few times more, laughing each time they took off. Soon, Connor was laughing with her. She was right, he did enjoy the wind against his face and the canopy of twinkling stars around them.
She hugged him tight. “Thank you, Connor. I was afraid I’d never fly again.”
He rubbed his chin against her temple. “It took powers from both of us to pull it off.”
She leaned back and smiled at him. “We make a good team.”
Now that they were no longer flying and laughing, he became aware once again of how tightly he was holding her. Her body was molded against his, and they hovered in mid-air, surrounded by stars.
Below them, the world spread out, dotted with trees and lush green pastures. A bird flew by, did a double take at them, then squawked and hurried away.
They both laughed.
“Thank you for this.” He kissed her brow. “I’ll always remember it.”
“So will I.”
He studied her lovely face. “I want to touch you, but I doona dare let go.”
She leaned forward and rubbed her nose against his. “How is that?”
It was enough to make his groin grow even harder. And his vision turn red. He kissed her cheek. “Do ye really love me?”
“Yes. How do you—” She blinked with a startled look. “Your eyes are glowing.”
“Aye. Ye look pink like a rose.” His gaze focused on her lips, so red now, so alluring. “I want to kiss you.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t refuse. When he leaned close, her lips parted. When his mouth touched hers, she melted against him. He was lost.
And they plummeted about half a mile.
She squealed, latching on to his shoulders.
He regained control, and they came to a stop, hovering once again.
She took a deep breath. “Good heavens! What was that?”
His pounding heart thudded in his ears. “Sorry. I—I lost my concentration and forgot I was levitating.” He glanced at the ground below. “Maybe we should go down. Slowly. Make a gentle landing.”
“Instead of a crash? Sounds good to me.” She chuckled. “Your eyes aren’t red and glowing now.”
“Aye. Sheer terror will do that to a man.”
She grinned. “It was a wild ride. Thank you.”
“Ye liked it?” He brought them down slowly. He could think of other wild rides she might enjoy.
“Where are we exactly?”
“It doesna matter. I can always teleport us back to the cabin.”
They landed in the middle of a green pasture, surrounding by forested mountains. The grass was soft and cool beneath his feet.
She let go of him and sauntered across the meadow. “What a beautiful place.”
“Shall we stay for a little while?”
She turned. Her hair was wild and windblown, her cheeks pink from the rushing wind.
He walked toward her. “If I lose my concentration now, we willna plummet to our deaths.”
She smiled slowly. “What did you want to concentrate on?”
He pulled her into his arms. “I’d like to give you pleasure.”
Chapter Nineteen
You do please me.” Marielle rested her hands on his chest. “I haven’t laughed so much in ages.”
“Sweetheart, I love hearing ye laugh.” He brushed her hair back from her brow. “But I was hoping to make ye sigh and moan.”
“Oh.” Were his eyes turning red again? Brynley had to be right about her Three-Step Rule. “I don’t suppose you’re referring to chocolate?”
“Nay.” He skimmed his fingers down her cheek to her neck. “I want to pleasure you as a woman.”
She swallowed hard and tried to ignore the fluttering of her heart. “I’m not sure I can give you what you want.”
He kissed her brow. “What I want is to feel ye shudder in my arms.” He kissed her cheek. “I want to hear ye moan and scream.”
“Scream?” She tilted her head while he nuzzled her neck. Moaning she could understand. And shuddering. She was close to doing that right now. But scream? “Why would I scream? Does it hurt?”
“Nay, I willna harm you.” He dragged his tongue up her neck, and she shuddered.
“Connor, I cannot become one with you.”
“I know.” He tickled her ear. “I willna take from you. I will only give.” He nipped at her ear.
“Oh!” Her heart lurched. He had sharp teeth. But when he drew her earlobe into his mouth and suckled, she moaned. He
r legs trembled, and she had a strange overwhelming desire to lie down.
“Will ye let me touch you? And kiss you?”
“Yes.” She clutched at his shoulders. “But I’m not sure I can take very much. I’m feeling so . . . weak.”
“Weak?” He gave her a worried look, and his eyes turned back to blue. “Are ye ill?”
“I’m not sure. I just felt limp all of a sudden. And my knees are very shaky.”
“Ah.” His eyes twinkled. “Perhaps ye should lie down.”
She gave him a suspicious look. “I know what you’re up to. You want to take me back to the cabin and climb into bed with me. Then the women will arrive and find us there, and it will be very embarrassing. And when you fall into your death-sleep, they’ll all fuss at me for not chasing you away.”
“Nay. I doona want to climb into yer bed.”
Her heart stuttered. “You don’t?” Good heavens, that was even more aggravating.
He chuckled. “Doona look so upset with me. I want to lie down with you here.”
“Here?” She looked around.
“Aye, under the stars.” He slipped off her robe and stretched it out on the grass. He sat on the edge and patted the center. “Dinna ye say yer legs were feeling weak?”
“It only seems to happen when you’re kissing me.” Without the robe, she felt a little chilly, so she crossed her arms.
“Ye’re cold.”
“I’m all right.”
“Nay, I can tell ye’re cold.” His gaze focused on her breasts.
She glanced down and winced at the way her nipples were poking out. When she looked back at Connor, his eyes were red and glowing. “Again?”
His mouth twitched. “ ’Tis a recurring problem.”
She huffed. “Brynley was definitely right.”
“Nay. She thought she could chase me away, but I’m still here. Still waiting.”
“Waiting?”
He arched a brow at her, then reached over, grabbed her pajama bottoms, and yanked.
She gasped when her pajamas fell to her ankles, leaving her dressed only in a T-shirt and skimpy black panties. “Connor!”
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down onto the robe.
She squealed and kicked at him. “What are you doing?”
He grasped her thigh to stop her kicking, then leaned over her. “I asked if I could touch you and kiss you, and ye agreed. Have ye changed yer mind?”
“No.” Her heart thundered in her ears. “But ye’re moving so fast.”
“Sweetheart, I doona count time in millennia like you. I’d like to get started. In this century.”
“I wasn’t taking that long.” Her breath caught when he feathered light kisses all over her face. “I’m just a little nervous, that’s all.” She moaned when he nuzzled her neck. “And you startled me when you pulled my pants down.”
He lifted his head. “Right.” He kissed her quickly on the lips. “Thank you for reminding me.”
“Huh?” She blinked when he suddenly moved down to her feet.
He smiled. “Yer toenails are pink.” He kissed her big toe.
“You could have had pink toes, too,” she reminded him. He shot her a warning look, but she just smiled. “I thought you looked very handsome with your pink toes.”
He nipped at her toe. She squealed and tried to pull her foot away, but he gripped her by the ankle and wouldn’t let go. He lifted her leg higher and trailed kisses up her calf to her knee. Her heart raced, and her stomach fluttered.
“So yer knees are giving you trouble, are they?” He lifted her leg higher and kissed the soft skin on the back side of her knee.
She shivered. “That tickles.” It more than tickled. It was sending frissons of needy sensations up her leg. She had an overwhelming urge to squeeze her thighs together, but she couldn’t when he had one of her legs lifted so high in the air.
He tickled the backside of her knee with his tongue while his hand skimmed up her thigh, closer and closer to her core.
She moaned. She’d never felt so vulnerable. Or so desperate.
He set her leg down, then pulled her into a sitting position. “Lift yer arms.”
She started to, then gasped when he whisked her T-shirt off and shoved her back down. She gasped again when he ripped off her panties and tossed them aside. “Good heavens! Aren’t you being a little . . . abrupt?”
“Ye think I’m moving too fast?” He settled beside her with a hand resting on her tummy. His gaze wandered over her body. “I’ve seen you naked before.”
“That was different. I was unconscious most of the time.” And not so intensely aware of him. Just the way he looked at her made her tremble.
“You’re exceedingly beautiful,” he murmured.
“Thank you.” Good heavens, he was really looking her over. Her cheeks grew warm. “I just need a moment to adjust.”
“Ah.” His gaze rose to her chest. “I’ve seen yer breasts before. I’ve touched them.”
She struggled to breathe. “I know.”
He leaned closer, studying them. “Yer nipples are hard, ripe for sucking.” He moved back. “But I’ll give you more time to adjust.”
Her mouth dropped open. He wanted to suck on her nipples? A new wave of sensation swept down her body and sizzled in her core. Moisture pooled there. This time she did squeeze her thighs together.
His nostrils flared, and his fingers pressed against her belly. “Lass, if ye adjust any more, ye’ll be climaxing without me.”
She reached up to wrap her hands around his neck. “Then do it. Please.”
He smiled. “My pleasure.”
He kissed her slowly and thoroughly, nibbling on her lips and swirling his tongue inside her mouth. She responded, quickly sinking into a world of sensation where his every touch ignited shivers and sparks.
He kissed her neck and each time his tongue licked her skin, she felt a throbbing in her core. It made her desperate, made her want to squirm and press herself against him.
She tugged at his T-shirt. “Let me touch you.”
He pulled his shirt off, then leaned over to kiss her breasts. She ran her hands through his hair and along his bare shoulders. When he drew a nipple into his mouth, she groaned and dug her fingers into his back.
Oh yes, he’d been serious about the sucking. More moisture pooled between her legs, and she squirmed.
He moved away from her breasts and grew still.
“Is something wrong?”
“I want to see yer face when I touch you.”
“You are touching—” She stopped when she realized what he meant. His hand skimmed down her belly into the thatch of curls. Her breath caught.
He slowly massaged her. “Will ye open yer legs for me?”
She did, and he smiled. “Och, now there’s a glorious sight.”
She jolted when she first felt his fingers touch her core. She pressed a hand to her chest. “I think my heart will burst.”
He lifted his hand. “Ye need a moment to adjust?”
“Don’t you dare!”
With a chuckle, he put his hand back on her.
She winced. “Sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me.” She moaned when his fingers traced the folds. “I’m becoming very . . . greedy.”
“Ye want more?”
“Yes!”
He flicked a finger over a very sensitive spot, and she squeaked.
He grinned. “Ye might like this, too.” He inserted a finger inside her.
“Oh! Oh yes.” She squirmed, pressing against him. A buzzing feeling skittered all through her. Her eyes flickered shut.
“Ye’re verra tight. And wet.” He inserted another finger. When he waggled them, something broke lose inside her. It soared higher and higher. “Connor, I—I—”
He wiggled his fingers again, while his thumb rubbed the sensitive spot.
She screamed. For a second, she thought the world had come to an end, and the stars in the heavens had burst. But
then she opened her eyes, and the stars were still there. And she was still alive, her body throbbing with incredible spasms.
“Qu’est-ce que tu as fait?” she gasped.
Connor leaned closer, smiling. “Ye’re speaking French.”
“Oh. Lo siento.” She rubbed her head. Spanish? “I think I blew a fuse.”
He laughed and gathered her in his arms. “I love you. I love you so much.”
“Do you?” She held him tight. “Oh, Connor. I love you, too.”
He rolled onto his back, taking her with him. “Lass.” He ruffled her hair and kissed the top of her head.
She sprawled across his chest, resting her head over his heart to hear it pounding. She closed her eyes. A vision flashed across her mind. A dark-haired woman, holding a newborn baby. They were beautiful. She pushed the thought away and nestled her cheek against the soft hair on Connor’s chest.
If only this moment could last forever.
Her eyes flew open. Was that what she really wanted?
“Je t’aime,” Connor whispered.
She lifted her head. “You speak French?”
He nodded. “And Gaelic. What about you?”
“I can speak to any human on Earth.”
His eyes widened, then he looked away. “I suppose I’m being greedy to want you all to myself.”
She smiled and ran a finger along his jaw. “You make me feel very greedy, too.”
He kissed her finger. “Did ye want to scream again?”
Her cheeks grew warm. She really had screamed. “It was much more intense than I had expected.”
“We barely got started. I dinna get to taste you or make you come with my mouth.”
She blinked. Did he mean oral sex? “You want to give me a blow job?”
He laughed, then winced. “Och.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
She sat up with a gasp. “I shouldn’t have leaned on you like that. Your ribs could still be sore.”
“My ribs are fine.”
“Are you sure?” She smoothed her hands over his bare chest. “You’re so muscular and strong.” She followed the narrow trail of hair to his navel. “I think you’re beautiful.”
“Lass—” He gritted his teeth.
She jumped. “Connor, there’s something moving in your pants.”
“Pay it no mind. Lass, no!”
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