A shaft of need, so sharp that it created a physical pain, ran through her. She closed her eyes and focused on the touch of his lips on her bare shoulder and his hands as he caressed her buttocks. A breathy moan slipped from her when he slid his hand across her stomach and cupped her breast. She opened her eyes and hungrily gazed at him.
“I… don’t think I can take much more worshipping, Asahi,” she confessed in a strained voice.
She reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt, savoring his warm skin as he unbuckled the belt around his waist and allowed his trousers to fall to the floor. She traced the muscles along his chest, down to his waist.
They moved like dancers across the floor, caressing each other as their bodies touched. Nali had never been so aroused nor so enthralled. This feeling was beyond physical needs. It was spiritual—a connection of their souls becoming one.
She tilted her head to the side when he trailed his lips along her neck. She lightly glided her fingers across his buttocks.
“I want to wash you,” he murmured as he clasped her wrist.
She uttered a low, strained chuckle. “Oh, Asahi. You are tempting a monster to forget her control,” she warned, the look in her eyes far more intense than her teasing voice.
“I wouldn’t have her any other way,” he murmured.
Nali waved her hand at the shower. Warm water flowed like rain from the ceiling. She wrapped her arms around Asahi’s neck and their lips connected in a passionate kiss. They moved as one under the water’s flow.
She feverishly glided her hands over his slick skin. Her heart thundered against her chest when he gripped her wrist and twisted her around, pressing her back against his chest. She instinctively tilted her hips back, pressing her buttocks against his engorged cock.
“My beautiful Empress,” he murmured between kisses.
Nali splayed her hands against the wall of the shower and bowed her head. She could see the droplets of water clinging to her aching nipples.
“Love me, Asahi,” she pleaded in a voice filled with need.
“Forever,” he promised.
She turned around, lifted one slender leg, and curved it over his hip. Then she slid her hands along his shoulders, pulling him closer, and he bent his knees, bringing his throbbing cock to the entrance of her channel. She stared into his eyes as he gripped her hips and slowly impaled her.
“Yes,” she moaned as he moved inside her.
Her taut nipples brushed against his chest as they moved. He tightened his grip on her thighs and buried his face against her shoulder, rocking back and forth, pushing ever deeper into her. She could feel each stroke of his cock as it filled her.
His heavy breathing teased her ears and brushed against her neck. She pressed her lips against his temple, cherishing the moment. Her lips parted on a loud gasp when he slid his hand up to her throat and tilted her head back so he could kiss her.
Their tongues tangled in a primitive mating union. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the ecstasy of the moment. Her arousal was building to a peak, and she thought she would burst into flames from the heat. She curled her fingers in his hair, then ripped her lips from his with a loud cry as her orgasm engulfed her.
Asahi tightened his hold on her chin and turned her head, capturing her lips again. He rocked his hips faster, and she clawed at him as his hunger reached a fever pitch. He pressed her back against the wall and grabbed her thigh, lifting her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. The position drove his shaft so deep inside that she swore she could feel it touching her womb.
She tightened her hold on his neck when he stiffened and groaned. His cock pulsed with his release, filling her with his seed. She locked her ankles behind him and pressed her heels into his buttocks, pushing him even deeper as she relaxed between him and the wall.
Their kiss became tender as their release took the edge off their desperation. She melted against him, savoring the taste of his lips. He caressed her thighs with his thumbs. They finally broke their kiss and rested their foreheads against each other.
“Aishiteru, Nali. I love you,” he murmured.
Tears of emotion burned her eyes, and she gave him a tender kiss.
Epilogue
The Gateway
Phoenix worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Curiosity filled her as she glanced back over her shoulder. She couldn’t shake the memory of her dragon changing into some kind of fire and her ability to pass through the man’s body. She blinked when Aminta gently laid a hand on her shoulder.
“You are very brave, Phoenix,” Aminta said.
She looked up at Aminta. “I don’t feel brave. At least, not all the time,” she confessed.
“Nevertheless, you are. Aikaterina chose well,” Aminta replied.
“What do you mean ‘chose well’?” Phoenix asked.
Aminta stopped and waved a hand at the surrounding universe. Phoenix’s eyes followed the movement. Her breath caught at the beauty surrounding them. Galaxies in all shapes and sizes, filled with the brilliant dots of numerous stars spread as far as she could see.
“The worlds are changing and they need guardians who are young and strong enough to help protect them. Long ago, the Elders of our kind had a disagreement. Some of us, like myself, Xyrie, and Aikaterina believed that seeding the universe was not enough. We believed that guidance was important, so we created Protectors. Those chosen by us to protect the star systems against
