“I…” Her voice faded to a whisper as he remembered Lord Rell’s advice and slid his thigh between her legs, making sure he pressed the hard muscle against her clit. “Gwarnon, what are you doing to me?”
“Trust me, alyah. Let me give you pleasure. That is all I want, to watch you have your release. Allow me to give you this gift.”
“I shouldn’t…” Her gaze grew more luminous somehow as her passion heated her blood and she rubbed herself against him. “It feels so good…how can anything feel this good?”
A faint echo of feminine desire teased at his senses, toying with his cock like stroking fingertips. He unconsciously opened himself more to that sensation and realized that while Lacey had been keeping her end of the bond with him closed off, he’d been unknowingly doing the same. It suddenly dawned on him that, while they’d been trying to earn Lacey’s trust, she’d also been earning theirs.
Staring into her eyes, he watched her pupils dilate further as her hips rocked ever so slightly against his thigh. The heat of her against his leg drove him crazy, but he held himself in check, slowly stroking the side of her neck with his thumb. She responded right away, her eyelids lowering, the blue of her gaze giving way to green. The perfume of her arousal saturated the air, and he took a deep breath, the scent driving the need to claim his mate. Heat burned in his core, and he swore each aching throb of blood rushing to his dick was both the best and worst thing he’d ever experienced.
She pressed herself against him then gripped his ass with both hands, hard.
Gwarnon was so shocked, he lost his balance and fell. Instinct kicked in, and he shifted so Lacey would be protected, which meant he landed on his back with Lacey straddling his waist. Surprise widened her eyes then, to his delight, she threw back her head and laughed. She placed her hands on his chest for balance and shifted, her laughter tapering off as she realized what part swollen of his body she was on top of. The pink of her cheeks flared red as she gave a little twist of her hips, rubbing him just right. Gwarnon fought the urge to do what his inner beast wanted—to take charge and claim their mate—because first he had to earn her kiss.
Tension rose within him as he slowly gripped Lacey’s hips, helping her grind against him. Working that bundle of nerves at the apex of her sex brought her instant pleasure, just like his friend had advised him. A tremble ran through her, and she dug her nails into the muscles of his pectorals, then released as she arched her back. Her nipples were long and hard, pressing out from the sensory suit and practically begging for his mouth.
“This doesn’t mean I like you,” she panted out, the emotions coming through their bond giving away her lie.
“Of course not,” he murmured with a smile, his voice thick with passion.
“Or that…or that…” Her eyes closed all the way as she writhed atop him.
The bond between them opened a little bit more, and they both groaned in unison as their desires swirled and mixed together into the most intoxicating of aphrodisiacs.
Her passion poured into him, and he almost lost his balance he tried to sit up, his hands skidding out behind him in his haste. He sent a mental command to the training computer, and the ground grew solid but soft with pale gold grass. The lighting grew dimmer, mimicking the warm summer mornings when the night blooming flowers were on the verge of closing but still giving off their intoxicating scent.
Lacey was oblivious to all of this, her eyes closed tight as she ground against his thin black sensory suit. Small tremors jerked through her body as she said, “Just one small orgasm, just enough so I can think. I can’t…can’t think when you’re around. All I want to do is drag you to the nearest flat surface and fuck you until we both can’t walk. I want to ride you, I want you to take me. I want to taste your cum and scream your name. I’ve dreamed about fucking you and Chel every single night. I want you so bad, this isn’t natural. You’ve turned me into a sex starved nympho.”
“Wrong, my alyah.” He cupped her ass, easily supporting her weight and helping her rub herself against his straining erection. “This passion is completely natural between bondmates. The excitement between us will never wane, never grow cold. It is a gift from the Lord of Life that bondmates get to enjoy.”
“Not your bondmate,” she muttered, but the psychic connection between them continued to grow stronger.
Ignoring her words, he focused on bringing her to the edge of orgasm. He almost felt bad about what he was about to do to Lacey, but she had to give him permission to kiss her. Time was running out. While he’d love nothing more than to give her the satisfaction she so desperately craved, he needed to start her transformation.
Once she had her crystal implant fully activated, once she could feel their souls, everything would become much easier. She would know they spoke the truth, know the joy of sharing love with her bondmates. He tried to imagine what her bondmark would look like on her chest, if the Lord of Life would gift her with a large, elaborate piece or something smaller and intricately detailed. Hot, heavy desire, feminine and mysterious, built in his soul as Lacey threw her head back, balanced on the edge of orgasm. He could practically feel the almost painful tension tightening every muscle in her body.
With the utmost regret, he easily lifted her up by her hips a couple inches so her pussy had nothing to grind on but air.
Balancing her hands on his chest, she moaned out, “Why did you stop? I was almost there.”
Her beautiful eyes were dazed as she stared down at him, the pink suffusing both her cheeks and lips. Unable to help himself, he sat up and ran the tip of his nose up the curve of her neck, smelling her skin before softly licking at the heavy pulse beating in her throat. The flavor of her burst on his tongue and his hormones surged, demanding more of the taste of his mate. When Lacey wrapped her arms around him and fisted his dark braid, he growled. Lowering her down, he let her feel his shaft pressing against her heat, but allowed no movement. She was so on edge, her whole body shivered on the precipice of release, but he kept her in place.
“My alyah,” he whispered against her silken neck, gently licking his way to her ear. “Give me permission to kiss you, and I will give you pleasure like you would not imagine.”
“Gwarnon,” she moaned as he nibbled at her earlobe, and gave another delicious shiver. “This isn’t fair. I can’t think when you do that.”
“Don’t think,” he urged. “Feel. Feel how much I want you, how I cherish you. Feel my desire.”
He pushed as much of his emotions into her as he could, careful not to snap the fragile bond connecting their souls.
Lacey immediately pulled his braid so tight it hurt, her lips pulled back from her teeth in a snarl of pure lust. “Stop doing this to me. It’s not fair.”
“What was that Earth saying that Lady Roxy is fond of? All is fair in love and war. I love you. You know I do.”
Her lower lip quivered, and tears filled her eyes as she softened against him. “But how do I know any of this is real?”
He gripped the back of her slender neck, holding her in place as he lowered his head until their mouths were close enough to share a breath. Inhaling deeply, he took in the heady smell of her need, the curves of her body pressed tight to his as she tried to rub against his erection. To his embarrassment, he was seconds away from losing control and filling his pants. He couldn’t help it—she felt so good, she stripped away all of his careful control. Vibrations started to hum through his blood, and Lacey let out a moan while she rubbed herself against him.