It nudged her forward, as tangible as the hand still pressed against her back. “Follow Brenna.”
Eryx. No wonder he was the malran. Compared to hers and Galena’s, his energy burned in a sun-to-stars ratio.
With his essence fueling hers, she slipped and glided beside Galena’s. White flashed like lightning followed by a labored ka-chunck. Over and over the awkward rhythm continued. “What’s that?”
“Ludan’s heart,” Eryx answered from behind her.
Galena’s spirit powered forward, pulling Brenna’s alongside it. “The white is the electrical charge that fires his pulse. His heart and his other vitals are strong. It’s his mind I’m worried about.”
Together they shot upward, but the space around them changed. Where she’d felt warm and somewhat safe before, now the air prickled with an uneasy dread. “It feels strange. Like an old haunted house.”
Eryx’s silver aura inched closer behind her, bolstering her with quiet strength. “It’s just the wound. Your spirit knows there’s something wrong and gives you the impression to draw you to it.”
Haunted. How long had Ludan lived this way? Isolated and alone with no one to breathe light into his world. She drifted closer, moving ahead of Galena’s stream and delicately brushing her light against the murky gray.
A spark lit beneath her touch, and the ashy coating flittered away like dust mites on a spring breeze. The space beneath it glowed a healthy pink.
Galena’s voice whispered behind her. “He let you in.”
“Again,” Eryx said almost as quiet. “Use my power. Funnel it through yours.”
So much gray. Years and years of memories dimmed the beauty beneath. A slow, burgeoning heat built in her gut. No more. No one deserved this, least of all Ludan. She reached for Eryx’s strength. Threading her mental fingers through his presence, she streamed it through her own and spread her glow as wide as she could reach. It shimmered and sparkled, hints of pink, teal, and yellow dancing across Ludan’s mind and scattering the ugly ash. Over and over, she repeated the process. With each sweep, tiny sparks ignited beneath the healthy pink.
“Brenna,” Galena said. “It’s okay. He’s fine.”
The words registered, but the meaning didn’t penetrate. The space around her was nice now. Peaceful and warm. Content.
Eryx’s voice rumbled with a sharp edge. “She’s crashing. Wrap her up, Lena. I’m getting her out.” A second later, his glittering silver stream cinched around her.
Gravity hit and her arms collapsed, her torso flush against Ludan’s and her face nestled close to his sweat-slick neck. She was back. Exhausted and so damned tired she couldn’t open her eyes if God himself walked through the door.
A hand caressed the top of her head, and Lexi’s voice whispered beside her. “You did it.”
She had. Her ears rang and every muscle ached, but Ludan’s heart thudded strong and steady. His body heat radiated through her thin nightshirt, healthy and comforting like the night she’d slept beside him. His chest rose and fell in easy sleep.
Hushed murmurs floated around her.
The bed dipped beside her, Eryx’s presence registering even with her eyes closed. The sheer brilliance of his spirit still echoed through her own. “Rest and hold your mate. We’re right outside if you need us.” He moved away, and his slow footsteps sounded on the carpets.
The door snicked shut.
Her mate. She giggled and snuggled closer, drawing Ludan’s earthy scent into her lungs until they sang with it. She’d never be so lucky. And besides, she was human. But for the moment, he was safe and breathing easy next to her. She’d take what she could get.
Chapter 22
Bit by bit, Brenna roused from sleep, her thoughts drifting from soft-spun dreams and bone-deep relaxation. She yawned and flexed her fingers. Taut, warm skin and unyielding muscles cushioned her cheek, and delicious heat blanketed her torso and the tops of her thighs.
Ludan.
Her eyes snapped open and she sucked in a happy gasp. He hadn’t woken. Though sometime as they’d slept, he’d shifted, rolling to his side and wrapping her tight against him so his big hands anchored at her nape and the small of her back.
So this was what it felt like to cuddle. She wiggled her toes and nestled closer. Their legs were tangled, and his jeans rasped against her bare legs, drawing all kinds of wishful thoughts. Too bad she hadn’t had the presence of mind to peel his pants free before she’d passed out. Then she’d really have fuel for her eager mind.
The room was nearly dark, offset only by soft glowing light beyond the open bathroom door, but enough to highlight his handsome face. His chest rose and fell in an easy rhythm. With his eyes closed, he was model perfect. An aquiline nose, sharp jaw, and a tightly trimmed beard accenting slightly parted lips no sane woman would willingly walk away from. But his eyes…open, they changed everything. Fearsome and powerful. Enough so even the strongest men stopped in their tracks and rethought getting within arm’s reach.
She’d never walk away from him. The Great One only knew how long he’d be in her life, but it would be him who walked away, not her. She gently cupped his jaw, reveling in the tickle of his beard against her palm. She traced his full lower lip and replayed the way he’d moved his mouth against hers. Soft and yet firm and confident.
Slowly, she lifted her head, nothing more important than reliving his kiss, even if only for a stolen second. She leaned in, lips tingling in anticipation. Breathing in his soft exhalations, she skimmed her mouth against his, a barely there touch that sparked to her toes.
At her nape, his hand tightened, a tiny shift of his fingers in her hair that sent goose bumps down her spine.
She smoothed a hand up his sternum and palmed his neck. Beneath her thumb, his pulse increased, still steady and strong, but more urgent than before.
He wanted her. She’d felt and seen his response more than once, and she’d move a whole darned mountain range if it meant exploring what she craved.
Remember what you want and throw his stubbornness right back at him. He can’t fight you forever.
Lexi was right. Ludan was a warrior through and through, but so was she. Her battles might have been different, but they were no less fierce. And warriors fought for what they wanted.
Adrenaline and fear clambered inside her chest, excitement and inexperience wrestling for supremacy. She licked her lip. She could do this. After all, she’d kissed him once. Granted, she’d been more the recipient than the giver, but it couldn’t be all that different.
Slowly, she pressed her lips against his and let her eyes slip shut. The dream she’d had came back in perfect clarity. The way they’d fed from each other’s mouths, and his taste on her tongue. She flicked her tongue along his lower lip and he groaned, opening to the intimate touch. She took what he offered and deepened the kiss, licking inside and coaxing him to join her.
He shifted his head, stroking his mouth against hers, once, twice. His arms tightened, and he slanted his lips against hers, rolling her to her back and taking over in one, all-consuming assault. His hands framed her face, fingertips pressed hard against her skull as if he feared she’d slip away. His thigh lay heavy between her legs, a perfect weight against the growing ache at her core.
She sighed into his mouth, reveling in his weight and the unguarded moment. No hesitation. No worry. Just perfect, raw emotion.
He undulated his hips, and his hard cock pressed firm against her thigh.
Oh yes. He wanted her as much as she needed him. She splayed her hands at the small of his back and lifted her hips, grinding her core against his leg. “Ludan.”
He froze. Her voice had been little more than a whisper, but his eyes snapped open. His gaze locked onto hers and he shot backward, flying so fast through the air he nearly slammed against the door. He ran one hand through his hair and paced to the far side of the room. “Fuck!”
Brenna threw the covers back and scrambled out of bed.
He spun and planted his ha
nds on his hips, chest heaving. His eyes shuttled back and forth as though searching his thoughts. “I’m sorry. I don’t…I don’t know what happened.”
“You were kissing me.” She risked another few steps closer. “And I was enjoying it.”
He still wouldn’t look up, just scowled at the floor and shook his head. “How am I here? The last thing I remember I was in Eden.”
“You passed out.” She fiddled with the hem of her nightshirt, the throb between her legs insistent on skipping the conversation and getting back to business. “Eryx brought you here, and we healed you.”
His head snapped up, and his eyes sharpened. “We?”
“Galena couldn’t do it. Your mind wouldn’t accept her healing.” She lifted her chin an extra inch, pride and fear scampering through her belly. “So I did it.”
His crazy-intense blue eyes bore into her. He stood so still, she wasn’t even sure he was still breathing. “How?”
“Eryx and Galena helped me.”
His hands fisted at his sides. “You touched me.”
Heck yes, she’d touched him. In more ways than one. And she wouldn’t apologize for a second of it. “It was beautiful.”
“You could have hurt yourself.”
“Well, I didn’t.” She crept forward. This was her chance to be brave. To reach for what she wanted. Ludan wouldn’t hurt her, though if he didn’t give her what she needed, she might hurt him. “And afterward, we slept. You never once pulled away. You held me.” She stopped just an arm’s length away. “When I woke up, I kissed you.”
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why? I want you. You want me. The only thing stopping us is you and your stupid idea you’ll hurt me.”
Be brave. Fight for what you want. Over and over, she chanted it in her head. “I’m not weak. I’m strong.” She held his stare and lifted the tail of her nightshirt. “Strong enough to make my own choices.” Sucking in a bolstering breath, she whipped it over her head and let it fall to the floor. Cool air assaulted her breasts, tightening them and lifting her nipples to hard peaks. She pushed her shoulders back, channeling all her pent-up defiance into her words. “I choose you.”
His jaw slackened, and his gaze locked on her bared breasts.
The need to fidget, or at least cover herself, prodded from all quarters, but she beat the reflex back. She might be out of her mind doing this, but she was tired of hinting. Tired of following him around like a lost puppy and hoping for change. This was right. They were right. Or they could be if he’d stop his stubborn nonsense and embrace what she offered.
She closed what remained of the distance between them, only inches separating their bare torsos. Fear and passion vibrated through her. “Tell me the truth.”
His gaze snapped to hers, and his shoulders bunched as though bracing for a punch.
“Do you want me?” she whispered.
He shook his head, his excuses piling up so fast she could almost see them dashing to his tongue. “It’s not that simple.”
“Yes it is. Just tell me the truth. Yes or no. Do you want me?”
He clenched his jaw, looked away for a handful of seconds, and hung his head. “Yes.” He frowned and met her stare. “Damn it, yes. But don’t you see how dangerous being with me is?”
Yes.
The sweetest word she’d ever heard, intoxicating and flooding her with courage. She touched him, smoothing her hand down his forearm until her fingers circled his wrist, then lifted his palm to her waist. “Do you think I’m weak?”
His gaze slid to the point of contact, desperation pooling in his beautiful eyes. The muscles in his forearm strained even though his touch shook with heartbreaking caution. “You’re anything but weak.”
She guided his hand higher, the warmth of his touch setting every nerve alight. “Then trust me to know what I need. What I want.”
He cupped her breast, and her knees nearly buckled. Her lungs refused to work, but her heart thrummed in triple overtime.
His free hand clamped onto her hip, whether to push her away or pull her closer she couldn’t tell. He grumbled low and shaky, a man at war with temptation. “You don’t know what you’re offering.” He swept his thumb against the inner swell of her breast, then rasped it across her nipple.
She arched into the touch, reveling in the scrape of his work-roughened fingers. “I know exactly what I’m offering. And there’s no one I’d trust more than you.” She trailed her fingertips down his stomach, toying with the faint trail of hair that disappeared beneath the low waist of his jeans. “Stop fighting. If you truly want me, stop fighting. Give us both what we need.”
Sucking in a breath, she pressed lower, dragging the heel of her palm over the denim covering his powerful erection.
His strangled growl coiled around her a second before he yanked her flush against him and slammed his mouth against hers.
This was what she needed. Wild and unrestrained desire. Bruising, almost feral kisses fueled by primal instinct. She buried her fingers in his hair and surrendered to the moment. To the press of her breasts against his chest and the urgent thrust of his hard length against her belly.
He cupped her butt with both hands and lifted her, barely easing his mouth from hers. “Wrap your legs around me.”
She did as he asked, twining her arms around his neck and locking her ankles at the small of his back.
Holding her close, he ambled to the bed, the corded muscles in his shoulders bunching with delicious power. It was as if she weighed nothing. A feather to be stroked and petted. Even when he crawled across the bed, one arm braced against the mattress and the other slanted across her back, gravity held no bearing against his strength.
Easing her down, he trailed slow, languorous kisses along her jaw, licking and sucking a devious path down her neck. His fingertips traced soft, enticing circles from the outside of her knee toward her hip.
Angling her head, she savored his warm breath against her skin and the tickle of his beard. She sifted her fingers through the silky scruff. “I’ve imagined this,” she whispered. “How your skin would feel against mine.”
He lifted his head. His lips were full and swollen, his pupils so wide they nearly gobbled up the blue. The hand he’d slowly worked toward her waist teased up her ribcage. “So have I.” He placed a reverent kiss above her heart and lifted his eyes to her. “More than you know.”
He cupped her breast in his big palm, and her breath caught in her throat, her body sparking as though every cell danced with electricity. Before, his touch had been passive. Leashed and careful. This was different. More demanding and possessive, plumping her needy flesh and building the steady ache to insistent demand.
She fisted her hands in his hair, urging his wicked mouth and tongue closer to her nipple. “Ludan.”
Ignoring her efforts, he teased a lazy path around her areola, whispering his tongue oh so close. His warm exhalation drifted across the tight peak, and his voice whispered against her skin. “Hold on.”
Wet, scorching heat surrounded her nipple, and her back bowed off the bed, pleasure spearing between her legs and stealing her breath. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t comprehend anything beyond the carnal connection he’d created and the unbridled sensations spurred with each pull of his mouth.
He palmed her other breast, rolling and gently tugging the nipple between his finger and thumb while his tongue provoked its mate. Slowly, he lifted his head, studying the outcome of his work. He toyed with the rosy, swollen tip. “You like that?”
A shiver coursed through her, his deep voice resonating like a million teasing fingers across her skin. “Yes.”
His gaze slid to the neglected breast cupped in his palm, and he licked his lower lip. “Me too.” He laved a decadent path toward it. “I can hear everything. Feel everything. Your little whimpers. Your hands in my hair.” He teased the sensitive underside of her breast with his beard, then swirled his tongue around the tip, his eyes locked on hers. “Nothing
better.”
He closed his lips around her and suckled deep.
She bucked her hips and held on tight, the ever-growing ache he’d built low in her belly rocketing to a whole new level.
His shoulders snapped back, and he groaned around her flesh.
She uncoiled her fingers, relieving the place she’d dug her nails deep and stroking the indentions she’d left behind. “Sorry.”
He released her nipple with a slick pop and growled against the reddened peak. “Don’t apologize for marking me. I want it.” Easing back to his knees, he skimmed his rough palms down her sides and over her hips. His gaze locked on the little white hipster panties she’d bought the day before. “I want to know you’re with me. Hear you pant and beg.” He fingered the little pink bows just below her hipbones, then dragged his thumbs across her mound. “I want your taste.”
One thumb dipped down, gently rasping against the cotton and the growing dampness beneath.
She ground into the touch and covered his hand with her own. “More.” Her eyes slid shut, every molecule focused solely on the delicious friction. With each pass, the fabric slicked against her swollen folds and ratcheted her need another notch. “Please, Ludan.”
“You’re soaked.” The tenor of the simple statement wafted through her, a mix of triumph and disbelief. He pressed against her center, the panties blocking the deeper contact she craved. “So wet. For me.”
“For you.” She pried her heavy eyelids open. “I told you.” She teased one nail along his forearm, tracing a prominent vein and basking in his rapid pulse. “You’re what I want. What I need.”
He growled, a low and dangerous sound that would have sent her scrambling in the other direction were it anyone but him. “You trust me?”
Trust him? How could she not? This was Ludan. Her protector. Her gentle giant. “With everything.” Hooking her fingers in the waistband of her panties, she lifted her bottom and slid them off, never once breaking eye contact. “I’ve never willingly bared myself to any man. Only you. That should tell you how much trust I have for you.”
Eden's Deliverance (The Eden Series Book 4) Page 18