She did it, cool air brushing between her legs. She was wet. Really wet. Was the pink lace dark with moisture? Could he tell she'd shaved? His eyes bored into her flushed skin. Celeste squirmed on the bed, opening her legs wider. If he didn't get his hands on her in the next two seconds, she was going to get started without him. His pants hit the floor. Celeste's mouth went dry. She wasn't a virgin, but she'd never seen a cock like that before. Thick and long, a drop of moisture beading the tip. She wanted to lick it up, take him deep in her mouth. Before she weighed the cost of disobedience, she rolled to her knees and reached for him.
He might have stopped her, probably would have preferred to stay in control. At the touch of her hot mouth to his weeping cock, Celeste knew he was helpless to protest. He tasted of Gabe, salt and earthy lust. She stroked her fingers down his length, marveling at the silky, hot skin covering his steely length. Carefully, she licked up every hint of moisture before drawing the head of his cock into her mouth. His hands gripped her hair, tensing to pull her off. She sucked hard, drawing him deeper. With a groan, he gave up on pulling her away. Instead, he urged her to take just a little more.
There was no way she could take all of him. Not without a lot of practice. To make up for the lack, she used her hands to draw the moisture from her mouth down his length, stroking him in rhythm with the sucks and licks she lavished on every part of his cock that she could reach. When she slipped a hand between his legs to cup his balls, he gave another groan. Celeste could have stayed there all day. The pulse of need between her legs, in her breasts, grew. It might have become distracting, but a whisper of what she was giving Gabe echoed back to her. Every draw of her mouth, every lick, sent shards of sweet pleasure through her flesh that echoed of Gabe. Not only did it leave her more than happy to stay where she was, mouth on his cock, but it meant that she knew how to give Gabe the most pleasure. A twist of her slick hand combined with a rub of her tongue on the sensitive underside of the head of his cock had Gabe fisting his hands in her hair. He liked that a lot. Maybe too much since, with effort, he guided her backwards, dislodging her mouth from his cock.
"My turn," he said, pushing her to her back. He loomed over her, his eyes raking over her mostly naked body as if he couldn't decide where to start. Making his decision, he hooked one hand in the strap of her bra, pulling it down to expose her breasts. Celeste's back arched, her body begging for his mouth. She was ripe, swollen with need. If Gabe didn't touch her soon, she might cry with frustration. The taste of him lingered in her mouth.
"Please Gabe," she whispered. In answer, he dropped his head to her breast. A cry escaped her at the sharp suction. After the build-up, it was just what she needed. He switched back and forth, sucking at both nipples before giving one a gentle bite. She cried out again. Celeste had always loved this, the combination of hot, wet sucking and sharp teeth. Soothing with a bite of pain. A rush of wet heat between her legs as she helplessly pressed her breasts into his mouth. He licked and nipped, moving from one breast to the other. She writhed, control lost.
His hand stroked down her body, passing her ribs, skating over her navel to slip beneath the lace of her thong. One finger dipped between her spread legs.
"So wet," he said. "But not ready for me. Not yet."
His thick finger eased inside her. Moving in and out, drawing more moisture from her hypersensitive body. A second finger joined the first, spreading her with a pressure that was just short of pain. It had been so long since she'd had anything other than her own slender fingers inside her. Gabe released her breast with his mouth and moved his lips to her ear.
"I want you on my tongue." He drew his fingers from her pussy, bringing one to his mouth. It shone with her passion. Gabe licked the moisture away. "Sweet," he said.
Celeste's throat sealed shut. When he brought his other, still wet, fingertip to her lips, she only stared at him.
He drew the moisture across her lower lip and whispered in her ear. "Taste yourself. You're so sweet." She didn't resist. Her tongue snaked out. Salty, musky, faintly sweet. "I want more," he said. "Then I'm going to fuck you."
Celeste's body trembled at the promise. Big, rough, hands spread her legs farther, exposing a soaked pussy covered by a thin layer of damp lace. His fingers traced the swollen flesh with reverent strokes before he dropped his face closer. A hot, slow lick pressed the scratchy lace into her sensitive skin. She gasped. The sexy thong had become a major barrier. She wanted it off. Squirming her hips, she tried to push it down, impossible with her legs spread so wide. Gabe solved the problem with a quick rip of the skimpy fabric. The next lick brought his tongue right where she wanted it. The rush of sensation drew a groan from her chest. Celeste let her eyes drift shut, all her senses focused on the lavish attention being paid to her body.
Gabe must be experiencing the same echo of her pleasure that she'd felt from him. Or he was a virtuoso with his mouth. He knew what would drive her higher and when to pull back. He was ravenous for her, licking and sucking her tender flesh, tracing his tongue around her clit in teasing strokes that raised her just to the peak before he pulled back to press his tongue inside her. When he led her hand to her breast, she took his cue, stroking herself with mindless need.
Just when she thought she couldn't take any more, a finger slid inside, parting her swollen, pink heat. Another followed. Stretching her, getting her ready to take that big cock. She thrust her hips into him, trying to get his finger deeper. She needed it, needed him to stop teasing with his mouth and let her come. Giving her nipples a hard pinch, she bucked her hips again, almost getting enough friction to push her over the edge. Gabe gave a husky laugh and pulled his head back. Her lust-glazed eyes met his.
"Not yet," he said. His dark eyes burned into her skin.
"Please Gabe, please let me."
"Not yet. You're going to come on my cock, not in my mouth. Not this time."
He rose over her, sparing only a second to tear the bra away. Slick bare skin slid against his, her breasts dragging against the hair on his chest, tormenting her. The press of his thick cock was a painful tease. She knew he was big, knew it would hurt a little. She didn't care. She had to have him inside her. Now. He circled his hips, sliding the head of his cock through the moisture between her legs until he was slick with her juices. The second he pressed in the first inch, they moved as one. Gabe lunged forward as Celeste wrapped her thighs tight to his hips, driving herself onto his cock. She cried out with the shock of being filled. He stretched her wide, pressing deep where she'd never been touched.
The flash of pain as her body accommodated him was nothing beside the overwhelming pleasure of having Gabe all the way inside her. Had she thought she felt his pleasure before? It swamped her senses. Her own needy satisfaction at finally having him where he belonged, when it seemed she'd waited forever, was pushed higher by the razor edge of ecstasy, the sense of being wrapped in a tight, silken vise, that she knew came from Gabe. Nothing, not his teasing, not an earthquake, was going to hold back her growing orgasm.
Gabe pulled back to thrust in perfect concert with her rising body. Pleasure swelled inside her, growing so large she thought her skin would split from the pressure. Gabe fucked her harder, meeting her with every stroke. At long last, release exploded through her, a tidal wave of sensation unlike anything she'd known before. Gabe let out a hard shout and followed her, one hand gripping her ass, fingers sinking into her skin, holding her tight to him as he emptied himself inside her.
Celeste floated, her brain disconnected, suffused with liquid pleasure. Vaguely, she felt herself roll, then settle on top of Gabe, her head cradled on his shoulder. His cock, no longer a steel bar, but not quite soft, still filled her. So good, even now that the heady rush of lust had faded into contented satisfaction. Her muscles were jelly. She hoped he didn't expect her to move any time soon. One of his hands rested briefly on her head, then trailed through her hair, stroking. The gentle caress was soothing after the intensity of their fucking.
&nbs
p; Such a crude word. No question that Gabe had fucked her. He'd been too direct, too earthy to call it anything else, despite the care he'd taken to make her ready for him. She'd needed him too much to think about slowing down. Could it be fucking and making love at the same time? For all their hungry need, the connection between their bodies and minds had gone beyond lust. She'd felt him in her soul. His need and pleasure tangling with her own. Even now, sated and limp against him, the essence of Gabe's energy rested inside her, curling up in the depths of her cells, making itself at home.
She should have been alarmed. Now that the haze of passion had mostly faded, Celeste was very aware that this kind of connection was not supposed to be happening. Not with anyone, but especially not with a Warder. He was a part of her now, down to the marrow of her bones. She had no idea if she could get him out. Worse, it felt so right, she wasn't sure she wanted to.
His fingertips trailed down her side, skating the side of her breast to land on her hip, then sliding over the curve of her ass to dip between her legs where his cock still filled her. Her hips rocked in a tiny, almost imperceptible movement. He went from half hard to tempered steel in seconds. The press and stretch of him sent shivers up her spine. She rocked again, driving him to the hilt. Her concerns about what was happening between them evaporated, driven away by the growing insistence of his cock pressing inside her.
Rising to rest on her elbows, Celeste leaned over him, her breasts swaying over Gabe's face. His eyes were dark, intently focused on her body slowly grinding against his. He drew her down a bare inch, just enough to close his lips around one nipple. At that, the last of her reservations drifted away, lost beneath a new wave of need. The rhythm of their bodies, the rising pleasure, took them both under yet again.
Chapter Seven
Blake crouched in the woods, barely far enough from the odd stone tower to evade the dog's senses. Gabriel Wright was inside that tower. With the Shadow female. He wished for a moment that he hadn't been driven out of Warder society. How he would love to give Gabe's Handler a call and turn him in. Their elite Sicarius assassin, fucking a Shadow.
He didn't actually know they were fucking. But he'd seen the Shadow. He'd been following her for days. She was hot. He had plans for her. And now she was with Gabe. Hate boiled inside him, scouring his heart as it sent a burst of joy through the Voratus demon infecting him.
All that time wasted fighting the Vorati, when infection felt so good. No more doubts, no more questions. He'd spent his life eaten up by fear and envy. Unsure of himself, never fitting in. Too many years an outsider, until he'd met his savior. Now his Master. Such a simple process and the impossible became reality. He had a hitchhiker, one who made his already impressive Warder strength unbeatable. A companion nesting beside his soul, constant reassurance that Blake was right, he was the best, he would destroy everyone who had ever made him feel less than perfect. His Master had sent him back into the field with the key to passing his infection to other Warders. For so long they'd thought it couldn't be done, when it was so easy with the right tools.
Daniel had been his first infection. Kind, friendly Daniel Wright. Gabe's beloved younger brother. Getting Daniel alone had been too easy. Daniel had liked everybody. Why wouldn't he trust a fellow soldier? He'd fought the infection, but it hadn't been enough. Blake could still feel the shiver of triumph as he'd wrapped his hand around Daniel's neck and held him down while the essence of the infecting demon worked its way in. He still got a charge off remembering the bleak panic in Daniel's normally warm brown eyes. If only Daniel had been more suspicious, like Gabe.
Infection didn't change every host. Blake knew his own basic personality was the same. Maybe a little darker. But he'd never been good. It was the reason his Voratus allowed him to keep his soul intact. All his hate and rage provided a constant stream of food. As long as Blake followed its direction, the demon was content to let him drive his own body. Daniel, on the other hand, had been filled with goodness. The perfect soldier. Loyal. Dedicated. Friends with everyone. And only a short-term meal. Once his pain and fear at the demon inhabiting his body had passed, Daniel wasn't worth keeping around. His fall had been a triumph. Gabe's confusion and despair even better.
If Blake had disliked Daniel, with his open, generous nature, he'd hated Daniel's older brother. Gabe had looked right through Blake, as if he saw Blake's every failing and despised him for them. Gabe had never been social, never been a big talker. He'd left that to Daniel, more comfortable in the background. Always observing, cataloging everything. He'd had few words for anyone but Daniel, and had almost never spoken to Blake. As if Blake was the dirt beneath his feet, not good enough for a conversation. Blake didn't know what he'd hated more: Daniel's desire to be friends or Gabe's complete dismissal.
But Blake had gotten the last word. Stealing Gabe's brother, setting loose the demon to consume Daniel's soul until all that Gabe had loved in his brother was gone. Forcing Gabe to destroy the body that had once held his brother. He wished he could have been there to see Gabe drive the calix into his brother's chest. Gabe's agony could have fed him for months.
Unfortunate that Blake had been sloppy. Gabe knew too much, had reported his suspicions to the Directorate. Another Warder would have been ignored. A Sicarius with Gabe's service record? The Directorate had come after Blake, pinning a termination order on his head. They hadn't gone so far as to admit Daniel was infected. Officially, both Daniel and Blake were rogue. But it was enough to send Blake running. He'd lived so far under the radar the past ten years, at times Blake thought he'd suffocate. Hiding from an assassin of Gabe's caliber wasn't easy. If not for the extra spell crafting he'd gotten from his Master, Gabe would have found him long ago.
And now he was here. Blake had wondered if Gabe spotted him, hiding in a dense grove of trees as he'd waited for his Vorati to take the Shadow captive. She'd be heaven, all bouncing tits and long, shining hair. They could keep her alive for years, sucking up her fear and pain in sumptuous drops. From a hundred yards away he'd sensed her potential. Delicious.
If Gabe was still in the mountains, Blake was betting Gabe was here for him. The Shadow might be hot, but Gabe wouldn't stick around for pussy. The demon inside Blake soaked up the flare of fear before it drew the emotion away. Gabe wasn't a threat, it whispered. This was his chance. He would kill Gabriel and seize the Shadow for his own. This time, everyone was going to get what they deserved. Victory for Blake. Destruction for Gabriel. As it should be.
As if conjured by his thoughts, the door to the tower swung open, revealing Gabe. Blake stared as Gabe shut the door behind him and paced down the drive, oblivious to his surroundings. Blake gave a silent hum of glee. Decisions, decisions. Go after Gabe while he was distracted? Or take the Shadow now, while she had only the dog for protection? His inner demon whispered again, its suggestion sending a rare smile across Blake's face.
Chapter Eight
Gabe strode into the dark, needing the chilly air of deep night to clear his mind. He’d come awake with a jerk, disoriented when he found Celeste draped across his chest, her hair still damp from their shower. Gabe never slept with the women he fucked, but Celeste fit him as if she'd been made for him. He’d needed to get up. Get away from her. It was impossible to think with her naked body pressed into him, loose with trust and exhaustion.
Things between them had spun out of control, gone far beyond acceptable. The second Celeste's proposal registered in his brain, his entire plan had shot off course. It wasn't breaking the rules that bothered him. If doing his job meant going his own way on occasion, Gabe didn't let it keep him up at night. With this—not just taking the Shadow to bed, but allowing some kind of bond to grow between them—he'd betrayed his entire mission.
Gabriel lived to avenge his brother and discover how the Vorati were infecting Warders. End of story. He had no place for whatever was happening with Celeste. It would be easier if he understood how they had become so connected. Sex was easy. Sex was always easy. And he liked Ce
leste. Respected her. Enjoyed her company. Fucking her, he could write off as opportunity. Even strategy. Sex could be an excellent way to ensure a partner’s loyalty. But not the bond. The bond had snuck up on him, wrapping him in its trap before he realized the danger.
He'd sensed it when she'd healed him, but he'd never been that close to a Shadow before. Gabe had assumed the seeking heat of her energy was normal for a Shadow. Now he knew it wasn't. No way it could be. He'd pushed his cock into her tight, slick, pussy and sunk into more than mind-blowing pleasure. Her energy wrapped around him, tendrils winding into his soul, into the innermost parts of his being, invading every secret, hidden spot inside him. Worse, his own essence met her halfway, meshing with hers, wrapping her in silken bonds, holding her to his driving body tighter than his arms. Thinking back, Gabe wished he'd stopped it. Could he have stopped it? How much control did a man have when he was buried to the hilt in a woman as passionate as Celeste? In the heat of the moment, centuries of self-discipline evaporated.
Unacceptable. When had he ever been so lost in sex that he ignored his instincts? The Gabriel he knew would have walked away the second he'd sensed a complication. He barely recognized himself. If he'd left after the healing, would he have escaped her? He'd never know because he'd indulged himself, given in to what he wanted instead of focusing on his priorities.
Daniel was dead. Gabe had killed his brother and eleven years later he had yet to avenge his death. Gabe's might have been the hand that killed Daniel's body, but Gabe knew he'd done as his brother would have wanted. The bastard who'd infected him was the true murderer. Gabe was going to make him pay. But not if he got distracted by fucking the pretty Shadow. In the greater scheme of his life, Celeste meant nothing. She was an interlude, no more. He'd never forgive himself if he allowed her to ruin his best chance at killing Blake.
Shadow's Passion: The Shadow Warder Series: Prequel Novella Page 7