Saving Daylight

by Shannon K. Butcher

  Morgan let her feet slide to the floor so he could shut and lock the back door. The way her body grazed down his bare chest made him forget about everything else. The monsters outside, Sibyl’s dire warnings, the broken walls of their home…none of that mattered here and now. Only Serena and the raging heat of her body mattered.

  He could feel her nipples under her shirt, so hard and stiff, they felt like fingers grazing his chest. The soft press of her curves seemed to fit his body perfectly. Even his lifemark shivered in response.

  She took his face in her hands and held him still while she devoured his mouth. Her kisses were hungry, desperate things that left him struggling to breathe. She wasn’t timid or shy. Not his Serena. She knew what she wanted, and was going to get it from him. He could either come willingly, or be dragged along against his will.

  He’d never been more willing in his life.

  She took one long step back and ripped off her baggy coat and borrowed clothes in a frantic rush. It was no slow, sultry striptease, but the end result was far sexier than any staged show the world had ever seen.

  He’d seen her naked before, for a moment, but this time, she stood still, letting him look his fill. Letting him take his time.

  Her breasts were perfect, sweet, pink-tipped concoctions meant for a man’s mouth. Her tiny waist flared to womanly hips highlighted by a fiery tuft of hair he was dying to see beneath. Her legs were curvy in all the right places, and cushioned just right to wrap around a man’s hips and stay that way for hours while he drove her to scream his name in release.

  He wanted to possess her. Devour her. Claim her and leave a mark no other man would dare challenge.

  The possessive streak startled him, but he shrugged it off as a by-product of their recent bonding—maybe a trick the luceria was playing on him. As soon as he had her a few times, he was certain all that caveman clutter in his brain would be worked out.

  And there was no question that he’d have her. It would take more than once to work a woman like Serena out of his system. If such a thing were even possible.

  “Take off your pants, Theronai,” she ordered, imperious. “I want to see all of the man who may one day sire my children.”

  The way she talked about sex so brazenly thrilled him. He hadn’t tied himself to a squeamish, wilting orchid. No, Serena was powerful in her own right, and clearly not afraid to ask for what she wanted.

  He loved that about her.

  Morgan stripped out of his boots and jeans, but propped his sword nearby, just in case. When he was completely nude, his aching cock thrusting out in front of him, dark and throbbing with eagerness, she went still.

  She stared openly at his erection, as if it were some priceless sculpture to be housed in a museum for all to see. Or perhaps, that look was more about a woman who wanted him all to herself. He couldn’t tell. There wasn’t enough blood left in his brain to puzzle it out.

  She took two steps toward him, close enough to touch. He kept his fists clenched at his sides, letting her do what she wanted. Whatever it was, he was ready and willing to be on the receiving end.

  His body quivered in anticipation. Lust wrapped around him like a second skin, so tight his breath was shallow and uneven. Heat poured out of him. His heart pounded hard behind his ribs, making his erection pulse and twitch with every beat.

  Her hands pressed against his pecs, caressing his lifemark as they slid lower. The branches swayed across his chest, straining to reach her. He could hear wood creaking and groaning as if in a strong wind.

  Was that his imagination or was it real? He couldn’t tell.

  Those slender, delightful hands lingered on his chest for only a moment before they moved straight for his groin. Both of her hands wrapped around his erection, but she couldn’t hold all of him.

  Maybe if she used her mouth, too, he’d be completely surrounded by her heat, her touch.

  He wanted that so much, he trembled. He almost told her what he needed, but before he could, she spoke.

  “I’ve chosen well,” she said, her voice a little hoarse, her gaze locked on his groin. “You won’t have any trouble at all planting your seed deep.”

  He almost spilled into her hands right then and there, just from the images her words sparked in his mind.

  He’d wanted children for a long time. It had broken Femi’s heart that she couldn’t give him any. He’d told her that it was his fault—that he was infertile, not her—but she’d always felt guilty.

  Since then, his people’s fertility had been restored. The Sanguinar had developed a serum that cured the men. Babies were once again being born.

  He and Serena could have one, too.

  “You’re not afraid?” he asked her. “There are so many risks with pregnancy.”

  She frowned at him in confusion. “Why would I be afraid of doing something that countless generations before us have done? I’m no child, Morgan. I’m not afraid of anything you have to give me, including children.”

  “And if we don’t stay bonded?”

  “Then we don’t. I won’t find a better specimen of Theronai than you anywhere.” Her gaze heated as she openly stared at his body. “Whether or not we stay bonded, our children will be beautiful, powerful.”

  She hesitated and tilted her head to the side. “Are you afraid of having children?”

  Surprisingly, the answer was as simple as it was easy to find. “Not even a little.”

  “Good. We’re not a prolific people. Chances are it will take us years to conceive.”

  Morgan thought about how easy it had been for the other couples, but didn’t dare bring that up now. Not when he was standing at the gates of heaven, being welcomed inside.

  Besides, he didn’t think there was anything he could say to warn her off, as fiercely determined as she was. His heart might have been off limits, but his body was hers to enjoy as she saw fit.

  She offered him a sultry smile. “We may have to practice a lot to get it right.”

  “I can be very diligent,” he offered. “Put in long, hard hours.”

  She smiled, a secret, womanly smile that made his head spin. “Just what I wanted to hear.”

  Before he could speak again, she pulled his head down and covered his mouth with hers.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Controlling a man as powerful as Morgan was going to be impossible, especially when he made Serena’s insides go soft and liquid with a single, hungry glance. Besides, control wasn’t really what she wanted. That was her mother’s domain.

  Any man who would allow another to control him—even his wife—was too weak to please her for long.

  And after what the luceria had shown her, she didn’t think she’d ever find a man more perfect for her than Morgan. He would never expect impossible things from her, or demand she give him something she could never bear to give.

  Sex, partnership, power, children. That was all this arrangement would be.

  For her, it was enough. It had to be.

  Rather than dwell on whatever she might find lacking later in their relationship, she focused on what she found bountiful.

  Morgan was very likely more man than she could handle. At least without a bit of practice. But, oh, was she going to enjoy practicing.

  Her body was starving for his, empty and aching to be filled with his impressive manhood. The width of his shoulders and the visible power of his limbs sang to that deep, feminine part of her that reveled in their physical differences. He was hard where she was soft, dark where she was pale. He was thick and sturdy where she was delicate. He was all bold angles and sharp planes, and she was sweeping curves and yielding flesh.

  And all she wanted right now was to push him down and mount him until he had no choice but to bask in the dichotomy of their flesh right along with her.

  Before she could, he lifted her up in his big hands. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and felt the hot, hard weight of his manhood against her bottom.

  Serena wanted to wriggle d
own and fit herself around him, but he didn’t let her. Instead, he carried her into the living room and sat on the couch, her heated body straddling his.

  His mouth covered hers, claiming every nook as his own. He tasted like spice and citrus, and the joy of Christmas morning. She breathed him in as she feasted on his kisses, until her head spun from lack of air.

  She pulled away to ease the dizzy spin in her head, but the moment she did, he leaned her back over his thick forearm and drew the tip of her breast into the heat of his mouth.

  Pleasure. Keen, pure pleasure raged through her with every flick of his tongue, every suckling draw of his lips.

  Sparks danced between them, blinding her. Searing energy rushed through her limbs until they trembled. Her nipples drew tighter against his tongue and sent a wash of quivering desire straight to her loins.

  The smell of her arousal filled the space between them, heady and wanton. He pulled back just enough to slip a hand to her sex and gauge her readiness.

  She was slick and ready, and nearly mad with need. In truth, she’d been that way since she’d met him, her body knowing what it wanted before her mind decided to follow its lead.

  Serena was certain that he would take her now, but instead, he gave her a slow, wicked smile that showed off his bright white teeth. A moment later, he flipped her back onto the couch and lowered his head between her thighs.

  “Just relax, sweetheart. This may take a while.”

  The instant his mouth covered her sex and his tongue began to dance, she knew that it wasn’t going to take long at all.

  ***

  Serena climaxed within seconds. Morgan had barely even begun tasting her, and she was already rewarding him with the sweetest cries of release any woman had ever made.

  He wanted more. Needed it. A man couldn’t feel the rush of making a woman like her come once without craving it again and again.

  She gripped his head as he savored her. She was trying to pull him up to cover her body with his, but he wasn’t ready for that yet. He needed to make sure she was satisfied before he got inside her, because he didn’t think that after so many years of celibacy that he was going to last long. Especially not with a woman as sexy as she was.

  Morgan slid two fingers inside her pussy, and was bathed in the same slick, silken heat that wet his lips and tongue. He wanted nothing more than to sink his cock into that welcome embrace, but some things were more important than his immediate gratification.

  He couldn’t remember what right now, but he knew it had to do with making Serena scream in pleasure.

  His tongue loved her clit, sending tiny sparks of power into the tender bud. Each one made her gasp and arch her back.

  The seething ocean of energy inside of him wanted to be inside her as much as he did. As close as he was to her now, it churned and crashed against his bones in an effort to reach her.

  She wasn’t ready for that much power yet. She wouldn’t be able to hold it all. But much like his cock, if he took his time and was patient with her, eventually, she’d take everything he had to give.

  “Take me,” she whispered. “I can’t wait.”

  He almost gave in. Heaven knew he wanted to. His balls were aching for release. His cock was throbbing with need. But she wasn’t relaxed enough to take him yet. Her pussy was too tight, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

  “I’m not breakable,” she said, as if she’d heard his wayward thought.

  Maybe she had. The luceria was designed to allow them to merge, both mentally as well as physically. In battle, words took too long when split seconds counted. Thoughts were far faster to convey.

  But he’d thought it would take longer for them to connect that deeply. Weeks, at least.

  Maybe sex was helping speed the bonding process along, just as Serena said it would.

  If they bonded completely, and then she walked away, he wouldn’t survive.

  But what a way to go.

  The scent of her arousal went to his head. It mixed with the lavender fragrance of her skin, melding perfectly into a new, more intoxicating smell. Blood pounded through his veins and pooled in his aching cock. He slid another finger inside of her and sucked on her clit with renewed focus.

  Her hands tightened against his head, and her scream of completion echoed in the quiet house. A rush of hot liquid bathed his fingers, and he knew that there was no more restraint left in him.

  Before the last shimmering whimper of her pleasure had died, he rose over her body, and slid all the way inside her in one long, smooth stroke.

  Searing perfection gripped his cock, so tight he couldn’t breathe. He wanted to stay still and give her time to adjust to his size, but there was no more self-control left in him. Instincts and hunger ruled him now, forcing him to move.

  A flicker of something crossed her beautiful features, but he couldn’t tell what. Pleasure? Pain? Need? He was too far gone to figure it out. All that mattered was fucking her. Claiming her as his own.

  So that’s what he did.

  His hips moved in hard, powerful thrusts. Each one made her full breasts jiggle and sway. Each one shoved air from her lungs in a soft sigh. Her lips were parted, the same raspberry pink color as her nipples. He levered her up against his chest, and the instant he did—the second her breasts were pressed against his lifemark—a waterfall of sparks spilled out of him, into her.

  She let out a sharp cry that could have been anything from surprise to pain to enjoyment. Tiny flecks of light sprayed up between them, then clung to her skin for a second before soaking into her.

  She glowed like some kind of golden goddess, powerful and mysterious.

  And she was all his. At least her body was. For now, that was more than enough. For now, he couldn’t handle anything more.

  Morgan bent his head to kiss her, and the taste of her mouth made his head spin. She was intoxicating, making him forget that anything stood between them. Right now, their world was filled with pleasure and warmth and light. Utter perfection.

  Her fingernails bit into his back as she struggled to get closer to his body. There was no room between them, but it still wasn’t close enough.

  It would never be close enough if he didn’t give in.

  Give into what, he wasn’t sure, but his instincts were raging, pounding at him to listen.

  Morgan shut it out and put all his focus on making Serena explode for him one more time. He knew she had it in her, and he was going to find that pleasure and drag it from her.

  He pushed her knees up toward her chest, and angled her hips so he could slide a tiny fraction deeper. As soon as he did, he knew he’d found a sweet spot inside of her and was determined to make it his.

  Stake his claim.

  Before he was done with her, every inch of her would be stamped with his touch, his presence.

  Her gaze met his, and the wildness he saw there thrilled him. She was strong enough to take everything he had to give, and hungry enough to demand that he hold back nothing.

  That was exactly what Morgan did.

  He moved, setting a demanding pace that had them both screaming toward climax. Her skin flushed a deep pink and her breathing sped even further. She clutched and clawed at him, until they were plastered together and moving as one.

  Pressure caved in on him in a hot tidal wave. His orgasm hit him hard, giving him no time to slow down or retreat. All he could do was bare his teeth and roar out Serena’s name as the pleasure crashed into him and stole the breath from his lungs.

  Between the first heated jet of his semen and the second, Serena followed him into the storm. Her pussy clenched around him, milking every last drop of release from his body. He filled her to overflowing, and still had more to give.

  The riot of sensations went on and on, lasting longer than he could ever remember. Each second stretched out into an hour, extending their pleasure to the point he didn’t think he could take any more.

  He hung suspended inside the storm, able to feel every f
lutter of her body against his, every minute vibration of release. He’d never known something so intense could last for so long.

  Finally, when it was over, a familiar sense of vertigo wavered through him before passing a moment later.

  That’s when he realized what had happened.

  Serena had used her gift to manipulate time to lengthen their orgasm and make it last far longer than usual.

  Hell of a gift.

  He panted as he held himself up. His arms shook. His heart thundered. His pulse was so fast he could hardly tell one beat from the next.

  Careful not to crush her body, but refusing to move off of her, he propped himself on his elbows as their breathing evened and their bodies quieted.

  It took a long time to come down from the heights of pleasure they’d just shared. He enjoyed the ride and simply basked in the feeling of relief and satisfaction.

  After all those decades of celibacy, he’d really needed to come. So had she.

  Her eyes were closed, and a peaceful expression of contentment shaped her features. Her red hair was spilled out across the cushions in a chaotic tangle. Her cheeks were flushed and her mouth was a deep, ruby red, the same shade as one of the tendrils running through the luceria around her neck.

  She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Perfect. Exquisite.

  The thought gave him pause.

  There was a time when even the idea of someone else possessing qualities above and beyond Femi’s gave him a sick sense of guilt. He didn’t know when he’d lost the rosy glasses that saw only perfection in her, but his lack of loyalty to his beloved made him feel like an ass.

  Serena opened her eyes and frowned at him. “It doesn’t mean you love her any less.”

  “You can already hear my thoughts?”

  “Just the loud ones.” She touched his cheek and offered him a fragile smile. “We’re forging new ground here. It’s going to take some adjustment. Try not to be too hard on yourself. Femi would never want that for you.”

  Serena was right. Femi was the sweetest, most selfless woman he’d ever known, and she would have been horrified to think that anything having to do with her memory was causing him pain.