Chapter 11
Not even sure when they had changed positions, Arianna lay there with her head on his chest, and tried to settle her racing heart beat back to a calmer one. She was still shaking, and now wore a thin coat of sweat, but really didn’t care. She found just enough strength to lift one arm and pull her mask back in place so she could see again.
His breathing was no better than her own as he lay there sprawled under her. His hand moved in a continuous soothing movement up and down her back. His other hand was still wrapped in hers above his head.
“That was . . .” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You are . . .” He swallowed and then closed his eyes, with his chest still rising and falling quickly.
When she had learned to move like that, to do that to a man, she had no idea, but clearly she managed it more than adequately.
Her thighs quivered against him as she continued to stay half kneeling on him. He finally moved and grasped her thighs. Pulling her off his still-throbbing length, he turned her so she could straighten beside him.
She knew she should feel bashful lying against him like this in the aftermath of what they had done, but she honestly couldn’t find the sense to care.
He grinned at her and brushed back the hair that was clinging to her mask. He kissed her mouth and then snuggled her into his side and wrapped a strong arm around her while playing with her other hand again.
She closed her eyes and allowed this feeling of completion to wash through her. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and looked to see him lying there with his eyes closed beneath his mask looking very content. She grinned, liking that she had put that look on his face.
“Can I get you anything?”
She smiled at how breathless he still sounded. “No, I think I’m just fine.”
“Thank the gods! I don’t think I could move yet. And you my lovely witch surpass fine and move right into words not yet created.” He kissed her hand. “I feel as if my entire soul has just been branded by yours.”
What could she say to that? She didn’t know, so she kissed his neck and wrapped herself against him again.
~
Evan’s body buzzed as he held her against him. Never had he been driven to the frenzy he had just gone through. He looked at the hand his fingers caressed slowly and knew at that moment that he didn’t want to let her go. Not that he thought he would have before, if given this chance, but now, after having been with her and felt the complete synergy between them, he really wasn’t letting her go.
He was, he admitted, afraid to reveal to her who he was. If she rejected him, he didn’t know what he’d do. He needed more time.
He looked at her face and smiled to see the relaxed look on her face. Her body fit against his easily, and there were no awkward movements trying to find where to put what. He closed his eyes and, holding onto the moment, knew that shortly he’d have to start explaining a lot.
~
Shaking her hair back from her face, she noticed the clock. It finally filtered through the fog that she couldn’t be here after midnight. Panic quickly replaced the warm fuzzy feelings. She had to go. Now!
Reaching she found the edge of the sheet and pulled it. She clutched it to her and sat up. “I should go.” She quickly moved over to the edge of the bed and got up, not giving him a chance to touch her again.
“You should stay,” he said softly as he leaned back against the pillows, not moving to stop her.
Tucking the sheet so it wouldn’t fall to the floor, she searched through the cover hanging off the bed for her bra. She picked it up and tried to get the straps sorted out. It flew from her hands and landed on the chair.
“Stay,” he whispered.
A tingling sensation went down her spine. Damn it! Just damn it! He had magic! No wonder she was sparking off him like two pieces of flint! Like knew like. She clutched the sheet to her chest and gave him a wide-eyed look as he started to move down the bed toward where she was standing.
“Stay.” He kneeled with his legs tangled in the corner of the satin cover that was still on the bed. “It’s almost midnight. I’ll take off my mask shortly.”
The sheet she gripped tightly started to pull her toward the bed, without him touching it.
“Stay.” His tone was quiet.
The gentle pleading in his voice almost cut her in half. She reached the end of the bed and he moved to pull her down to him. His mouth was gentle and asking. His kiss drew her in and clouded her head.
He leaned back, pulling her on top of him, without breaking the kiss.
Arianna was drowning in the tenderness he was showing her. She no longer cared about the mask when he rolled her onto her back and kissed her deeply again. His hand gently pushed one of her stockings down her leg, then caressed her skin.
He did the same with the other leg and then started to move down her body, leaving a trail of warm kisses. She inhaled unevenly and watched him. When he moved out of her reach, she dropped her hands to the bed and closed her eyes.
The first time his mouth glided against her skin, it was just above her ankle. She closed her eyes and waited for the next one. It was placed on the inside of her leg beside her knee as he slowly bent her leg. He moved to the next spot, finding another sensitive place.
By the time he reached her lips again, she was quivering with need all over again. She grasped his hair and tried to kiss him deeply and show him what he was doing to her, but he pulled her hands free from him and held them beside her before brushing his mouth over hers in a slow seductive manner.
She released the hold she had on her magic and felt it tingle through her whole body in response to his. His mouth paused against hers, and without a word, she felt him let go of his own. It felt like a thousand butterflies moved over her skin, she sighed when his mouth moved against hers again.
He drew from her every ounce of inhibition she had and replaced it with a constant burning throughout all of her.
~
She yielded to his touch and responded to every move he made. Her magic scorched him and drove him to needing to give her every part of himself that he could give.
Each time he broke the kiss to taste another part of her, he had no choice but to seek her lips again.
He’d never needed before, but he did now. Her, it was only her.