Witch Bound totg-2

by Eleri Stone

  He was silent. She could feel his chest expand against her thighs with every breath he took. The warmth of his body. The rock-hard, wiry strength in the arms surrounding her. He didn’t seem to realize what amazing restraint she was exercising by not reaching for him.

  “What if I told you I’m used to the idea now?” The words were soft, barely a whisper.

  “Yeah?”

  “I wanted to woo you. A first date. Flowers. Dinner. I wanted you to have that.”

  “We can still do those things. The bond isn’t an ending. It doesn’t have to be like that.” She traced a fingertip along the sharp edge of his cheekbone and pressed a kiss to his temple. “And you’re not bonded to me. Not yet.”

  “You’re sure?”

  The temptation to lie was there, but she couldn’t do it, would never do that to him. “The bond is desire and consent with sex to anchor it. When the first conditions are met, there’s a drive to complete it. That’s what you’re feeling now—that instinct. It’s probably stronger because you’ve been fighting it so hard when you know I’m willing.” She paused. “Don’t worry, though. There’s still time to change your mind if you decide you don’t want me.”

  He exhaled sharply. “Not want you? Is that what you think?”

  His hands flexed on her hips, fitting her tighter to his body. His chest pressed against her most intimate parts. She rested her arms on his shoulders as his arms encircled her back. His face was only inches away—expression intent and hungry and raw. His mouth was right there, so close she could feel his breath fan across her lips.

  “I’m here thinking I might have bonded to you. Without sex. I couldn’t force myself to be attracted to another woman, but I see you and it’s all I can do to stop myself from throwing you down on the nearest flat surface. This table. That wall. The floor. Does that sound like I don’t want you?”

  She shook her head. “Then why hold yourself back? You were going to bond to Carly. Why not me?”

  She thought she knew the answer. She was only waiting for him to catch up. She would wait for him, however long it took. His eyes blazed—hunger and fear warring inside of him. Her heart melted, turning soft as taffy.

  She curved her hand to the back of his head, threaded her fingers through his silky hair and closed the distance between them. She brushed her lips across his, and when he didn’t pull away, traced the seam of his mouth with her tongue. He opened for her and she took that as an invitation to deepen the kiss. When she found his tongue, he groaned, a deep, growly sound that made her nipples tighten.

  His hands stroked her back, slid down to grip her hips and pull her closer. He leaned forward, hands coming to her face to hold her steady as he plundered her mouth. Nothing tentative about this kiss. All need and desire—twenty-eight years worth of it—hot and aching and desperate. Bending her knees to wrap her thighs around his waist, she arched her body to rub against him.

  The edge of the table bit into her spine and she didn’t really give a damn. Because Fen, her Fen, was finally kissing her, moving against her and making deep, guttural noises of appreciation when she skimmed her hand down his body to stroke his cock. Somehow she hadn’t expected that. When she’d thought about what he’d be like in bed, she hadn’t imagined noisy. She smiled at the revelation.

  His fingers slipped beneath the hem of her shirt and paused when they hit bare skin. She sucked in a gasp as his hand moved higher, easing over her skin in a light, dancing touch that made her drop her head back. Setting her elbows on the table behind her, she arched her spine to give him access. Fen kissed her jaw. Her throat. He murmured something indistinct but sexy as hell in that low growling voice, and his teeth nipped at the skin below her ear.

  “Fen...we need to stop.”

  “I’m not stopping, Rocky. You’re right. There’s no reason to wait. Whatever happens, I’m not walking away from you. Tell me again.”

  She didn’t have to ask him what he meant. Tears pricked her eyes. “I want you. This. I’ve never wanted anything more.”

  “Good. Hold on, then.” In a show of strength, he wrapped his hands under her thighs and lifted her. He swapped positions, sitting down on the bench and settling her on his lap. She straddled him, her legs tightened around his waist and her arms clinging to his neck.

  “I didn’t care,” he said. “When I thought I might be bonded to you. You know what I felt? Relief because I didn’t have to fight this anymore. I don’t want to fight this.”

  He pushed his hands into her hair and dragged her mouth to his. His tongue pushed inside her as he flexed his hips, rubbing his cock against her. They were both wearing jeans. Stupid jeans. There was no easy way—

  A squeaking noise behind her jolted her back to her senses. The sound of crashing dishes brought Fen’s head up. His hand was under her shirt, his fingertips set to the underside of her bra.

  Her mother beamed at them. “Are we having a wedding after all?”

  Raquel groaned. Fen...whimpered and withdrew his shaking hand from beneath her shirt. His head dropped to her shoulder, leaving her to deal with her mother and now, Aiden, Christian and Grace, who filed out of the stairwell with concerned, then bemused expressions on their faces.

  She cleared her throat and tried to pretend this was nothing out of the ordinary. “Hey, guys. Would you mind maybe giving us a few minutes?”

  Fen was barely hanging on by a thread. Ignoring everyone else in the room, he said, “I can change and run. The pull isn’t nearly as bad when I’m running. I can come to you later...I think I can change now.”

  She clutched at his shoulders. “You’re not going anywhere. I—”

  Their audience hadn’t moved. Raquel looked around frantically until her pleading gaze locked on Grace. With a broad smile, Grace linked her arm through her husband’s and gave Aiden a tug to get him moving toward the door. “Why don’t we go back to the house and discuss changing the contract? Christian, you drive with Joanne. Fen and Raquel can follow when they’re ready.”

  As Christian led her mother away, Raquel untangled herself from Fen, feeling a blush creep all the way up to her roots. Fen’s gaze fixed on her breasts for a moment before lifting to her face. Raw and intense. The same way he kissed. She wanted to kiss him again, to feel all that passion pounding against her skin. Her mouth went dry. She took a step back to regain her composure and Fen reached out to catch her wrist. The possessiveness in the gesture made her wet, made her knees wobble as he pulled her closer. His nostrils flared, and she knew he’d sensed her reaction.

  Her mother paused at the door. “Fen. Would you be a dear and call the caterer? They’ll need the most warning if we want to get everyone back on track for Saturday. I’ll notify the other clans.”

  Fen’s gaze never left Raquel’s. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Lindgren. That’s not going to happen.”

  Christian swallowed a laugh. “I’ll handle the caterer. Is your coat by the door, Joanne?”

  As soon as they were gone, Fen rose stiffly to his feet and hauled her toward the opposite exit. He didn’t speak as he bundled her into his SUV for the two-minute drive to his house. It wasn’t until they were inside that he even looked directly at her again. She knew why. She could feel the tension vibrating off his body, could see it in the way he gripped the wheel.

  When he fumbled the keys at the door, she took them from his hand to turn the lock. Taking off her coat, she tossed it on the couch and when she turned, Fen was standing there. His hands came up to cradle her face, his skin hot compared to the icy-cold temperature outside. His gaze was hotter still. A wonder she didn’t combust on the spot.

  “Are you on birth control? I meant it when I said I wouldn’t have children.”

  She nodded.

  “And you’re sure about this?”

  Rising onto her toes, she kissed him gently. “Yes. Yes. Ye—”

  His tongue got in her way as he kissed her deeply, delving inside and exploring every last inch of her. When she pulled back, gasping for air, he sc
ooped her up and carried her up the stairs and into his bedroom.

  She’d never been in his room before and it seemed different from the rest of the house. Intimate. The furniture was new, more modern. Dark wood. The walls a neutral gray with a hint of blue. The sheets soft as he laid her gently down before setting to work stripping off his clothes.

  Every movement spare and efficient, he had his boots and shirt off before she could blink. She raised herself onto her elbows and stared. His body was truly a thing of beauty. Not skinny, he was lean. Hard muscle, smooth skin. Just that one tattoo after all. She could see the knobs of bone beneath his skin at his shoulders and hips. The rest was a fascinating study in male musculature.

  She intended to devote a great deal of time and effort into that study. Years of dedicated exploration.

  He unzipped and pushed down his pants nearly in one motion. Her throat went dry. A hard and perfect cock jutted from a bed of dark hair. It tapped the smooth plane of his lower abdomen as he started for her.

  “You’re still wearing clothes.”

  He grabbed onto the waistband of her jeans as she unbuttoned them. Two hard tugs and they were on the floor. The sound he made... Any insecurity she might have had about this moment fled out the window. She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed that aside as Fen knelt between her legs. He placed his hands on her thighs just above the knee and slowly slid his hands upward, avoiding the bandage that covered the runes.

  “So soft.” He reached the juncture where thigh met hip and his thumbs settled in the notch there. As soon as she’d unhooked her bra, he jerked her down and she landed on her back. His hungry gaze lifted from her breasts to her face. “I want to taste every inch of you.”

  “You’ve waited long enough, I think. You don’t have to—”

  He covered her. She felt his erection slide against her thigh but instead of entering her, he lowered his mouth to her breast, his lips closing around her tight nipple. His moan echoed hers. When she arched her back, he slid an arm beneath her to lift her higher before moving to taste her other nipple. With light, teasing strokes and long pulls he tested her response. The scrape of his teeth, the tickle of his hair, the sweep of his tongue sending her into sensory overload. She regarded him through lust-slit eyes when he raised his head. He took one look at her and a smile split his face.

  “These are amazing.”

  She laughed, but he’d already dipped his head again, kissing a trail lower, down her abdomen. “Fen. You don’t have to do that.”

  “I know.” He reared back, kneeling between her spread thighs. “This is what I want. Wider, Rocky. Let me see you.”

  When she hesitated, his hands closed around her thighs and he exerted a gentle pressure. He looked up, into her eyes. “As soon as I come inside you, you own me. Give me this.”

  She opened her legs wider, letting his hands guide her. He slid forward so his body held her open and her thighs fell across his. She felt exposed, vulnerable in a way that had her trembling—and that was before Fen stroked both thumbs through her folds. They caught moisture and slicked upward in a smooth glide.

  A noise came from his throat, deep and primal, as if he’d taken a punch. Then he stroked her again, slowly, eyes on his hands...on her. Face slack with desire. He found her clitoris and she moaned. He smiled and circled that small knot with his fingertips. Barely touching her really. She angled her hips to increase the pressure and he accommodated her, briefly, before withdrawing his hands and then his body.

  Her eyes shot open to find him stretching out onto his stomach. And then his hands were on her thighs again, holding her open for his mouth. His pressed a kiss to her clit and then shifted lower. His warm breath fanned across wet skin a moment before his tongue slipped through her folds in a long, slow stroke, toying with her clit when he reached it and then moving away. She fisted her hands in the sheets so she didn’t grab his hair. He’d waited twenty-eight years for a woman, surely she could have a little patience.

  He groaned. “You taste exactly like I thought you would.”

  “Guh?”

  A huff of laughter. “Sunshine and magic. Delicious, every bit of you.”

  He slid a finger inside her and curled it ever so slightly, as if testing the feel and shape of her. His tongue returned to her clit. A second finger joined the first and he flattened his tongue in the most delicious way. He was still exploring her, still learning her, but she was shocked at how easy he seemed to read her. His fingers moved and his tongue matched the rhythm. She rocked her hips to meet him, drawing closer and closer to orgasm. She panted.

  It seemed wrong. He’d waited so long. The polite thing would be to let him come first. Right? Was there etiquette to this type of thing?

  “Fen...”

  He nipped at her clit, and she jerked. “Give it up. I’m not stopping. Come for me, Rocky. I want you to come.”

  And he knew exactly how close she was. She could tell by the way he worked her—determined and intent, pushing her closer and closer to the edge. When he curled his tongue there at the end and shoved his long fingers inside of her. When he made that noise in his throat.

  She let go, gave herself over to him completely. Fen cursed as an orgasm ripped through her body. She clenched around his fingers, and he pressed them deeper. Turned his head to kiss her thigh. She was still floating when he positioned himself over her. She trembled as he slid his cock against her and an aftershock passed through her.

  “You’re so wet. Gods, Rocky, that was beautiful. I haven’t told you how beautiful you are.”

  She touched his cheek. His hand curved around her hip as he fit himself to her. His mouth opened on a sigh, and she pulled his head down so that she could kiss him as he prodded at her entrance and then slid neatly, perfectly, fully inside of her. He sucked in a breath and his eyes opened wide. Glazed until they focused on her. “I love you, you know that.”

  “I know it.” His lips found that sensitive spot on her neck, and she tilted her head to give him better access. “I love you too.”

  His arms slid beneath her shoulders as he braced himself on his elbows. A tremor ran the length of his body. Goose bumps rose beneath her fingertips and she stroked his skin, soothing them down. He rested like that for a beat, deep inside her. His chest expanded with a breath and he began to move. The achingly slow withdrawal drew a moan from her lips.

  He echoed her with a heavy growl that vibrated through her body. “You feel so fucking good.”

  “Worth the wait?”

  “Fuck, yes.” He pulled out, gave a shudder and smoothly slid back in. She bent her legs, drawing them up to hook her ankles behind his thighs as he pressed back inside her. Her nipples contracted so hard they ached.

  “Rocky—” His voice was hoarse, tinged with an apology she didn’t want.

  She tugged at his hair, pulling him down for a kiss. Coaxing his tight lips to part for her and then nipping at his tongue when he gasped. Sliding her hands down his flanks, she gripped his hips, loving the way his muscles flexed beneath her palms. Hers. Her Fen. Gods, she wanted all of him.

  He plunged into her, ferociously deep. His arm slid beneath her hips, changing the angle so that he could fill her again. One stutter. Another hard thrust and he was gone, pouring himself into her. She could feel the wash of magic, tethering him, wrapping around both of them, and she twisted it just so, binding herself to him. Her wedding gift to him. She’d tell him later when she had breath to speak. His one insecurity. He wouldn’t have to worry about her changing her mind either.

  As soon as he caught his breath, he lifted his face. Was he blushing? He was, a faint wash of color high on his sharp cheekbones. She pulled him in for a kiss. A slow, tender kiss that she hoped expressed exactly how she felt in this moment because she hadn’t the words. He rolled onto his side and curled his long body next to hers, resting one hand possessively on her abdomen. She smiled at the ceiling. “The sheet is tangled around my ankle. I think I’ve lost circulation in my foot.�
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  He nuzzled her neck. “Can’t have that. I like your feet.”

  “You’ve never even seen my feet.”

  His sat abruptly and she lifted herself onto her elbows while he untangled her foot.

  “No, but I plan to worship them later.” He kissed her arch, and she jerked her foot out of his grasp.

  He climbed back onto the bed, lying on his side and pulling her to his chest.

  She burrowed beneath his arm. “Do you like feet like you like ketchup?”

  “I haven’t thought much about feet...ever, but I’m not ruling out any possibilities at this point.”

  Idly, she walked her fingers across his chest. It was funny, considering his furry self, how little body hair he had in this form. The silky black hair on his head, wavy and slightly overgrown. There was no hair on his chest and his leg hair was fine and soft. She slid her foot down his leg until he moved his thigh to trap hers.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself.” His smile was warm, immensely pleased. “That tickles.”

  “I want to learn every part of you too.”

  He brushed the hair from her face. He had an artist’s hands, strong but deft. Always aware of exactly how much pressure he applied to canvas or skin. “There’s time. I don’t want you to tire of me too quickly.”

  He said it like a joke, but there was a flicker of vulnerability in the tension around his eyes. She touched his jaw and drew him down for another kiss. “I won’t tire of you. I might rush into things sometimes, but I don’t give up on people. And I’m not letting you go. You’re not having second thoughts are you?”

  “No.” He gave a short laugh. “The minute you said yes, I was gone and this...nothing has ever felt more right to me.”

  “I tweaked the spell.”

  His hand cupping her shoulder, stilled. “What did you do, Rocky?”

  “The bond. I tweaked it so it works both ways. I’m bound to you too.”

  He didn’t say anything for a moment and when he spoke, his voice was oddly gruff. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

  She raised her head to look at him and the depth of emotion in his bright eyes made her own tear up.