Page 11 of Sugar Plum Fae

The word was his undoing.

He couldn't deny her any longer. Positioning himself at her entrance, Roderick hesitated for a moment, their gazes locked. With a snarl, he thrust into her welcoming heat and lost himself in the sweetest torment he'd ever known. She clenched around him, a tight heat that made him groan with pleasure.

"Gods, you feel like heaven," he murmured, his voice hoarse with need.

"So do you," she whispered back, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

He began to move, thrusting slowly at first, savoring the feel of her around him. Her hips rose to meet his, their bodies moving together in perfect sync. The moonlight shone down on them, bathing them in a soft glow.

Candace's gasps filled the night air as Roderick's thrusts grew harder and faster. Her fingers dug into his skin, leaving marks that would be a testament to the passion that burned between them.

He could feel the sweat on her skin, her breaths coming in short, sharp bursts. She was getting closer, tightening around him, pulling him closer to the edge.

"Roderick," she whimpered, her voice straining with need. "Please, I need more."

He couldn't resist her plea. He picked up the pace, thrusting harder and deeper into her. He buried himself within her over and over again, and they both groaned at the exquisite sensations. As he began to pump harder, each stroke more powerful than the last, Roderick found it increasingly difficult to maintain control. His hands gripped her hips, steadying her as he drove into her with wild abandon.

"Roderick...yes!" Her cries of pleasure only fueled his desire, driving him closer to the edge.

"Tell me when you're close," he panted, his voice strained.

"Almost there..." she moaned.

"Good." He reached between them, his thumb circling her swollen clit. "Come with me, Candace."

The added stimulation pushed her over the edge, and she came apart in his arms, her body convulsing with ecstasy. Her climax triggered his own release, and Roderick followed her, lost in the blinding pleasure that consumed them both.

The air was thick with the scent of sex and crushed pine needles as Roderick came back to himself, heart poundingagainst Candace's breast. She clung to him, soft breaths stirring his hair, her legs still locked around his waist.

He shuddered at the exquisite sensation of her inner muscles clenching around his softening length, loath to withdraw from her embrace.

Roderick braced his hands on either side of her head, meeting her gaze. Her eyes were heavy-lidded, lips kiss-swollen, a becoming flush staining her cheeks. She looked well and thoroughly ravished, and a surge of possessive pride went through him at the sight.

In the aftermath, conflicting emotions warred within him as he watched Candace drift off to sleep, moonlight pooling over her bare skin. He knew he should regret their tryst, knew it could only lead to trouble, but holding her close felt so right he found he couldn't muster the will to push her away.

The wishing well was operational and ready for the townspeople's holiday wishes. Tomorrow they would be enemies again, but tonight she was his, and he would keep her as long as he was able before duty tore them apart once more.

Chapter Four

Candace

Candace lounged on her candy throne, the sweetness of its sugared surface a perfect complement to her daydreams. She allowed herself the guilty indulgence of reminiscing about that magical night she and Roderick had had last night while they were creating the wishing well. The memory of his smoldering gaze and the subtle taste of danger on his lips was enough to make her heart flutter. His kisses were dangerously addictive, like the finest chocolate laced with aged cognac. It was all she could do not to let out a wistful sigh.

"Isn't it a beautiful day?" Candace murmured as she ran her fingers through the cotton-candy clouds above her head, momentarily forgetting her responsibilities.

But as the first townsperson from Whitlock approached the well, a sudden pull summoned her back to reality. The dreamy haze evaporated, and she found herself standing next to Roderick near the well. His presence cast a cold shadow over her warmth, yet the intensity of his gaze still managed to send shivers down her spine. The moon hung heavily above them, casting an eerie pall over Whitlock, the town that had unwittingly become their chessboard.

"Guess we're on duty, then," Roderick drawled, arching an eyebrow at the approaching man, whose hopeful expression belied his ignorance at the divine beings observing him.

"Seems so," Candace replied, trying to maintain her composure despite the way her knees threatened to buckle under the weight of those midnight eyes.

"Any bets on what he'll wish for?"

"World peace?"

Roderick shook his head. "I'm going with riches beyond his wildest dreams. It's a classic."

The fate of Whitlock rested in the balance, and while her heart dared to beat faster at the thought of Roderick’s steamy kisses, her duty to the sweet dreams of the town remained steadfast.