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,
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.
“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
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 scooped 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.
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.”
