“I’m not sure—”
“Yes, you are.”
Trail bar forgotten, she feasted on his mouth instead. His lips were full and soft, and he tasted of honey as his tongue wound lazily around hers, belying the urgent hunger she knew they both felt for the touch of skin on skin, the glide of hard against soft. Amanda stretched up on her toes, wanting more, pressing her mouth against his, biting hard enough to draw blood, whimpering with need as the coppery taste flavored the kiss between them.
He growled, his big hands fisting in her shirt to tug it over her head and off, groaning with impatience when she had to help him with her bra—which was not one of her delicate, lacy ones. It was the sensible, tight-fitting kind she wore for traipsing through the forest. He threw it aside and his hands came back to cup her naked breasts, thumbs scraping roughly over her nipples, sending little shocks of desire skimming over her skin and charging the unbearable heat building between her legs.
Wanting him now, Amanda yanked at his fresh shirt, complaining when it resisted her efforts, and hissing with pleasure when her naked breasts finally met his chest. She rubbed her hardened nipples against the soft hairs sprinkled over his pectorals, and let the fingers of one hand follow the silky, dark line down his hard belly and below the waist of his pants.
He groaned, then grabbed her wrist, stopping her from going further. “Amanda,” he said breathlessly.
She looked up and met his eyes, seeing the clear desire burning there. “Yes?” she asked in confusion. Had she misread the signals somehow?
“Birth control, acushla. I didn’t bring—”
“I’m implanted,” she said quickly, then seeing the puzzled look on his face, she explained further. “I have a birth control implant. Works like a charm.” She slipped her wrist from his grasp and reached for him again, cupping his balls in her hand and squeezing gently before gliding her fingers up and over the hard length of him. “Any more questions?” she purred.
“Gods, no.” Shoving his hands into the back of her pants, cupping her bare ass, he lifted her against his body until the ridge of his erection was nestled in the warm triangle between her thighs.
“Put your legs around me,” he growled.
She laughed for the sheer joy of it. Jumping lightly, she wrapped her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck, then took his mouth once more.
“You have the sweetest, softest mouth,” she murmured in between kisses.
“It’s the honey,” he panted, his fingers dipping between her legs from behind, teasing into her wetness.
“No, honey,” she whispered. “It’s you. Why are you still wearing clothes?”
He laughed, holding her with one hand while he scrabbled ineffectively with the other, trying to undo the ties of his pants. Amanda tsked impatiently and slid down his body to do it herself, dragging his pants down over his hips, past his thighs, lingering to take him in her mouth and suck him in deeply until he curled both hands in her hair and gasped, “Gods, don’t do that, I’ll never last.”
She looked up at him, her tongue swirling around his cock as she pulled it from her mouth enough to say, “I’ll bring you back.”
He growled and reached down to circle her arms with his strong fingers, holding her off long enough to let the loose pants drop to his ankles. He toed off pants and boots both, and she moved in closer, when he surprised her, sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her over to the lean-to.
Ducking inside, he settled her on the mossy bed and stretched out above her, whispering, “This isn’t exactly what I had planned either.”
“The hell with plans,” she snarled. She spread her legs, hooked her good leg around his hip, then reached down and grasped his rock-hard length, and lifted herself just enough that the tip of his thick cock dipped into her aching sex.
He did the rest. With a hungry groan, he plunged deep inside her in a long, slow thrust, and then kissed her eyes, her mouth, her neck as he drove himself between her thighs over and over. So big, she thought blissfully. So wonderfully big and hard. She wound her fingers through his long black hair and yanked his mouth back to hers. She could kiss him forever, and never grow tired of it. He had the most exquisite mouth. And oh gods, what… He lifted her legs higher, opening her wider and granting him even deeper access to her needy core. She cried out at a stab of pain in her thigh, moaning instead as ripples of pleasure began rolling through her body, her nipples, so sensitive now, crushed against his massive chest, her inner walls beginning to clench against his shaft, trying to keep him inside her, because he felt so very good there.
He growled, a rumble of noise from deep in his chest. It was an animal sound that had shivers of desire racing down her body to her clit, making it ache with need. Desperate tremors of sheer pleasure shook every nerve and muscle of her body as his cock pounded into her.
Drowning in sensation, she tightened her arms around his neck. She crossed her ankles over his back, squeezing him between her legs, afraid she’d be swept away on the wave of ecstasy building higher and higher until it crashed into her, shoving her over the screaming edge of orgasm. Every muscle in her body contracted at once, the walls of her sheath convulsed, rippling along his hard length, sucking him deeper and deeper as she tugged his mouth back to hers once again, desperate for the taste of him, drinking in his roar of climax as he joined her, the two of them coming over and over until there was nothing left.
They lay together, limbs wound so tightly it was difficult to say where hers ended and his began. His face was in her neck, his breath almost cool against her overheated skin, as they both gasped for air, their chests expanding in sync, bodies coated with sweat. She stroked her hand down his strong back and firm ass, smiling to herself when he shuddered with renewed desire. She wanted to say something, to tell him how wonderful he felt inside her, how it had never been so good, so right.
She didn’t say any of that. She didn’t want to spoil the perfection of the moment with what she feared would be unwelcome emotion. So she lay beneath him, feeling his cock still firm inside her, still twitching with the aftereffect of his climax, his big heart thudding against her breasts.
He moved finally, turning slightly so she could stretch her leg out, murmuring softly about not wanting to hurt her. He wasn’t. She didn’t tell him that either. He rolled over, taking her with him, tucking her beneath his arm and against his chest, holding her close. And she dared to hope that maybe it had been good for him, too. And wasn’t that just the worst cliché ever?
Neither one of them said anything for what seemed like a long time. They just lay in each other’s arms, breathing.
Finally, when the air had begun to chill the sweat on their bodies, he said, “We should have done this a long time ago.”
Amanda breathed a soft laugh, and let one teasing hand stroke down his chest to his groin and over his cock, her fingers stroking him into renewed hardness. “We’ll just have to make up for lost time,” she whispered.
He sucked in a breath, flexing his hips against her hand. “I don’t think there’s enough time in the world, acushla.”
“Then we better get started,” she murmured, as she shifted to her side and began licking her way down his chest and over his hard belly. She would have taken him into her mouth again, but he fisted his hand in her hair with a growl, his strong arms pulling her up and under him in one smooth motion, sliding his fully-hardened shaft into her soaking wet sex and starting all over again.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Rhodry woke the next morning feeling lazy. No, not lazy, he realized at once. Peaceful. Relaxed. Something he hadn’t felt since he’d left his mountain home, or maybe even before that. For the first time in too long he came awake without wondering if his enemy was close at hand, or if a new trap had been set for him.
Snugged against his chest, Amanda breathed out a long sigh of sleep, one arm resting along his ribs, her injured leg thrown over his hips so that he could still feel the slick heat between her thighs. H
e had a moment of guilt that he’d been so rough with her, that he’d forgotten about her leg in the urgency of taking her over and over again. Hell, just the thought of what they’d done had him hardening with need once more. He moved slightly, trying not to wake her, succeeding only in increasing the pressure of her full breasts against his chest. He stifled a groan as her lovely nipples grew to stiff peaks with the contact, and his shaft responded ever more eagerly, brushing against the soft skin of her thigh.
A low and sexy purr of sound washed over his skin as she laughed softly, letting him know she was awake. Without raising her head, she swirled her wet tongue against one of his flat nipples, undoing any good intentions he might have had about letting her sleep.
“You’ll be the death of me.”
She dismissed his words with a puff of breath. “Big strong shifter like you can handle it.”
With no warning, she rolled over to straddle his hips, her short hiss of pain becoming a long sigh of pleasure as she began to rock gently back and forth, sliding his hard cock up and down along her silky crease. He placed a hand on each of her slender hips, enjoying the rhythm of her movement, the friction of her sleek skin beneath his rough hands. Her blond hair was free of its perpetual confinement, slightly damp, wavy from its braid, and hanging loose over her full breasts, which swung enticingly with every sway of her body, her pretty nipples surrounded by wide, pink areolas. She leaned forward to kiss him, and her breasts crushed against his chest as their mouths met in a hungry tasting of lips and tongue.
He held onto her when she would have sat back, raising his head to take each breast in turn into his mouth, sucking each nipple to a plump, rosy nub, then biting gently before letting go. He could feel her already wet center grow slicker and hotter as he suckled, heard her intake of breath as she ground herself against him, increasing the friction on her clit.
“Rhodi,” she breathed, full of wanting. He felt his own hungry response to the need in her voice and tightened his fingers on her hips, lifting her enough to position his throbbing erection between her swollen lips, lowering her slowly to savor the feel of her tight heat against every inch of his cock, hearing her gasp of pleasure that matched his own groan of desire.
Needing to be closer, he sat up and wrapped his arms around her, gathering her softness against the hard muscles of his chest. Her breath was hot on his neck as she licked her way up to his mouth and he felt her smile against his lips. She began rocking faster, riding his cock with every stroke as he thrust against her, her breath coming in quick gasps of air until he heard her first cry of delight.
In a single swift movement, he rolled her beneath him so he could plunge deeper. Her legs tightened around him as her cries grew more frequent and more desperate, until her inner walls clenched and rippled along his cock. He swallowed her scream of climax, and thrust even harder, his own orgasm building until he came with a surge of release so powerful that it verged on pain. He hissed with desire, closing his eyes against the strength of it, wanting to roar with triumph as her body responded once again, milking the last of his seed as she cried out his name.
He collapsed, shifting his weight to one side and rolling them over again, so that she lay mostly on top of him. When she would have moved, he tightened his grip, not yet ready to let her go, to slide his shaft from inside her. She relaxed against him, and he slid his hands down to cup her sweet ass and hold her in place.
Her face was nestled beneath his jaw, and he tilted his head slightly, touching his lips to her sweat-warmed skin, finding her cheeks wet and salty with tears. He froze.
“Did I hurt you?”
She didn’t answer, only shook her head and kissed his neck, her hair tickling his chest where it spread out over both of them. Rhodry shifted his arms up to her back, holding her tightly and wondering how he could ever go back to the city, with its politics and conspiracies, after this.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Amanda lay almost on top of Rhodry, soaking in the heat of his body. His heart beat hard and strong beneath her ear, his lungs a rush of sound deep within his chest. He’d almost undone her this time. When he’d asked if he’d hurt her, she couldn’t have answered without sobbing, so she’d just shaken her head and snuggled closer. She was never this emotional about a man. Because no man had ever touched her soul before, made her feel the things that he did.
Maybe she was just tired. Overwrought, as her mother used to say. Every single day since she’d stood in the Guild Hall yard that morning before her trial began had been both emotionally and physically exhausting. Even so, it had been less than two weeks since she’d rescued Rhodry, so why did it seem as if she’d known him all her life? Sure, she’d wanted him, but this feeling was so much more than that. And how was that possible? How could Rhodry, of all people, have gotten to her? He was chauvinistic, old-fashioned, stubborn…handsome, charming, smart, courageous and strong. She laughed silently and he patted her back, as if he thought she needed comforting. Maybe she did.
“Rhodi?”
“Aye?”
“Do you believe I can hear the trees?”
He gave a long-suffering sigh. He was probably wondering what the hell she was on about now. “I’ve said I’m sorry for that, Amanda. Of course I believe you.”
She swallowed a laugh. It seemed he was the one who needed comforting this time. She stroked his chest dutifully, and thought about going back to the city and what it would mean. They would have to go back eventually. He had family who would be worried, and her mother would expect to hear something soon, even allowing for transmission delays. Elise knew about the trial, and knew when it had started. She’d worry if the silence dragged on too long.
And in addition to their families, there were their enemies, most of whom would be very surprised when the two of them showed up alive and well. Nando and his buddies clearly wouldn’t have minded if she’d ended up as dinner for that ice bear. And Serna and Daly probably believed Rhodry to be long dead by now.
The memory of how they’d left him to die sparked a renewed flare of anger. Damn right, we’ll go back. They had to deal with what had been done to them. Maybe they didn’t need to go right back, however.
Her stomach growled suddenly, reminding her that they’d barely eaten the night before. They’d been too busy devouring each other. She smiled in memory, and her stomach growled again, louder this time, as if daring her to ignore it.
“I’m hungry.” She sat up slowly and pushed her hair out of her face. “And you must be, too.”
He gave her a very predatory look through half-lidded eyes, his stare lifting from a study of her breasts to her face with an appreciative grin. “Hungry,” he agreed.
“Not for that, you goat. Feed me.”
“Feed you?” He sat up, taking a playful nip at one rosy breast. “I wouldn’t dare. This is your trial, Amanda,” he said, throwing her words of yesterday afternoon back in her face.
“So it is,” she agreed. “How about fish, then? If I’m right about our location—and you know I am—we should be less than a mile from the Leeward Stream. This time of year, the silvers are running fat and slow.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
She admired the graceful play of muscles as he rolled to his feet and held out a hand to help her up. She placed her fingers in his, giving a little yip of surprise when he pulled her up and tight against his chest, holding her securely with an arm across her back.
“You get dressed and gather our things,” he said. “I’ll break down the lean-to.”
She nodded breathlessly, feeling his cock stir against her belly, watching his playful expression become something else, something… Her chest tightened at what she saw in his eyes as they stood there staring at each other.
Well. That was unexpected.
Rhodry blinked, seeming as stunned as she was at first. Then he grinned and slapped her ass.
“Get moving, woman, or you’ll never get us fed.”
She pushed away from him, away fro
m the brink of the emotions hanging in the air, and started gathering their scattered clothes.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Fat dripped on the fire, sparking hot pops of flame as Amanda turned the spitted fish. Satisfied it was cooking evenly, she banked the fire a little, then stood up and began stripping off her torn and filthy clothes, which were the same ones she’d been wearing when she and Rhodry had fallen into each other the night before.
Rhodry hadn’t bothered to dress at all when they’d left the earlier campsite. He’d simply shifted into his animal form and taken to the trees. She didn’t have that luxury. There were too many things in the forest that would find her sweet human flesh munchable. She wasn’t worried about animals, not with her personal shifter around. It was the insects and certain breeds of carnivorous plants, too, that made it unwise for her to walk even a short distance naked.
All the same, she’d been loath to put on the clean clothes he’d brought for her, knowing she’d be cleaning fish before the morning was over. So instead, she’d pulled on the same leggings and shirt she’d worn for the past two weeks, and trudged the nearly three quarters of a mile to the Leeward Stream.
The stream was, in fact, a smallish river that cut across the Green in a long twisting route, starting from a spot somewhere in the glacier far to the north, then traveling through the Green and Ciudad Vaquero, until it disappeared again, swallowed up by the southern desert. Banks rose high on either side of the river to accommodate a water level that varied from a low of about two feet to a high, depending on run-off, of as much as eight feet.
In the aftermath of the recent storm and with the weather having warmed rather quickly, it was running just a little high today. If the mild weather held up, it would test its banks over the next several days.
Amanda lowered herself gingerly down the muddy bank, gasping as the icy cold water sucked every ounce of warmth from her body. One had to be desperate for a bath to venture into the damn thing so close to the glacial source. She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and bent her knees, dunking her entire body into the freezing stream and popping right back up again. Fuck, that was cold. She already couldn’t even feel her toes.
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