Page 73 of Death

He rests a firm hand on the back of my head as he slowly pulls the zipper down with the other. “Nothing,” he says, looking me in the eye, “in this world or the next will stop me tonight.”

My dress hangs loosely around my torso as his kiss drops to my neck. “Except me,” I say, jokingly.

His teeth etch a gentle line along my shoulder. “Yes, I will stop if you tell me to.” His desperate breath tingles my skin. “But I really hope you don’t.”

I kiss his cheek and he raises his head to crush our lips together, fueled by an aching fire between us. I clumsily open the buttons on his shirt, my fingers shaking with nerves from the top to the bottom. He straightens up as I push the shirt down his shoulders, exposing his perfect body to me once again. I admire him in the firelight, biting my lip and swallowing hard as urges strike me down.

His touch trails along my back, fingers hovering over the clasp on my bra. “Tannis,” he whispers my name, asking permission.

“Keep going,” I say, offering him a soft kiss. “I want you to…”

He easily unhinges it and the strapless bra tumbles from my breasts to my lap. Ari bites his lip as he keeps his eyes on mine and I nearly laugh at his restraint.

I shimmy my dress and panties down my hips. I cast them aside, letting them fall off the bed to the floor, and lie down on the pillow with my body completely exposed. For a moment, I feel silly as if I’m a platter of food on a table, but at the same time, not so silly at all. It’s honorable, in a way, to offer myself to my king.

Ari looks me up and down, his chest rising and falling fast. I study his face as a shadow falls over his eyes, blocking the extreme desire for a brief moment.

I reach out to caress his cheek. “What are you thinking about?” I ask.

He blinks twice. “It’s not obvious by now?”

I run my hand down his neck to his body, letting my fingers ride the waves his abs. “You went somewhere else for a second,” I say. “Where’d you go?”

He pauses, his throat bobbing as he swallows. “A hiker in Spain,” he mutters. “He fell.”

I sit up, sliding forward to be as close to him as possible.

He rests his head on my shoulder and exhales. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” I run my hands through his hair. “For doing your job?”

“For interrupting…” His voice fades away.

I kiss his head. “You don’t have to apologize,” I say. “You wanted a companion, didn’t you? Here I am.”

Ari lifts his head and gives a short smile. “You’re an amazing woman, my love,” he says.

I shrug a shoulder. “I’m all right.”

He chuckles as he cradles me in a warm embrace again. “When I touch you, it stops.” His lips graze mine. “I hear nothing, see nothing… but you… and I remember how it feels to not feel so numb.”

I kiss him and he clings to me the way I clung to him. “I’m here,” I whisper. “I’m yours.”

Ari takes hold of me and quickly shifts us both onto the mattress. I lie back, my pulse quickening as he towers over me. He kisses me with lust on his breath as I reach down to slide his belt free. His muscles flex as he watches my hands between us. I push his pants down over his rear and he sits back to kick them the rest of the way off.

I spread my legs and he positions himself between them as he balances over me on his arms. His hardness presses into my hip and I involuntarily clench as my body remembers the sharp pain from before.

“You okay?” he asks.

“Yeah, I’m…” I nod a few too many times. “Just nervous.”

He kisses me softly and shifts onto one arm. “So am I,” he says, smiling. “But I’ve got you.”

My skin tingles as he moves a hand down my body. My nipples bead beneath his wandering palm and I quiver as it touches my belly and lands on my inner thigh. He distracts me with a kiss before teasing his hand closer.

I gasp as his fingertip traces circles. “Ari…”

He silences me with a hard kiss, tasting my moans as he plays with me. Every touch rattles my core with new pleasures, igniting an instinct for something more. He slides a finger inside of me and I tremble from the wild thrill of it as I hold onto him. The heel of his hand presses into me and I buck from the throbbing sensations begging to be released.