Her gaze lowered to the hard length between her thighs. She gripped his cock, swiping her thumb over the head, and smoothing the precum over the rounded crown and the piercing.
“Fuck…” a groan escaped him. A pulse jumped on his tense jaw, his stare burning with need. For her. Her heart tripped. “Ride me, moró,” he whispered.
She blinked, then biting back a smile, she dragged herself down his body, letting him feel her heat. His irises flamed white. She settled between his thighs and licked him over the head and the barbell, then ran her tongue down his rigid length.
“Shadow.” A growl escaped him, and his fingers grasped her hair, stopping her. “It’s been too damn long. Don’t play with me.”
“What? Two weeks?” she teased.
He shook his head and brought her back up his body. “Later, you can do whatever you want, but right now, I need to be inside you.” He captured her mouth in a soul-scorching kiss, scattering her playfulness, then said softly, “Try millennia.”
She reared back, her mouth dropping open. “What? How—”
He kissed her, cutting off her questions. “I’ve been a Guardian for over three and half millennia,” he said against her lips. “There hasn’t been anyone until you.”
Happiness spread in a warm wave at his quiet words, melding into her heart.
He reached between her spread thighs, grasped his cock, and ran the head along her damp folds in a tormentingly slow motion, the barbell bumping her clit. Pleasure stirred, and she shut her eyes, just feeling—the sensation new, raw, and promising so much more.
“Nik, condom?” Her eyes snapped open, but he shook his head, his other hand tightening on her hip. “I can’t get you pregnant. With us immortals, only destined couples can have a babe.”
Oh. She nodded. “Good to know.”
His eyes burned bright with a need that ignited her own. “Put me inside you, Starshine.”
She lowered onto his erection. Her breath caught as her body stretched, widening, then the head breached her. She pushed more and froze, gasping at the burning pain.
“Shadow?” Nik stilled beneath her. His brow creased, then his eyes widened. “Is this your first time?”
Shadow blinked, shock stealing through her. It would seem so, wouldn’t it? Because she hadn’t known either. Stupid memory loss.
“It’s okay, I’ll make this better.” His tender tone broke through her own disbelief.
He moved and set her on her back, her hair fanning out like black silk, their bodies detaching. He shifted down between her thighs and ran his tongue along her cleft, circling her clit and gently sucking, drawing her pleasure to the surface again.
“Nik…” She writhed under his mouth, grabbing his head. “Now.”
He rose up and kissed her, then positioned himself and pushed back into her, stretching her once more. His hand slipped between them, and he rolled her aching nub, keeping her on the edge of pleasure. Her body tightened and moaned, her hips lifting. With a firm thrust, he slid through—
Shadow inhaled harshly, eyes blurring with tears, her fingers digging into his thick, inked biceps at the stinging discomfort.
Nik held himself motionless above her, the tendons straining on his neck as he waited for her to adjust to him. Then he gently brushed his lips over her wet eyes, her nose, her open mouth. “I have you, moró. Always.”
At his soft words, her heart drummed harder. Meeting his tender gaze, her entire world shifted, her emotions coalescing and expanding for this hard immortal who wanted her. And who she wanted so deeply, too.
The ache had receded, only a needy throb remained now. She touched his jaw. “I’m okay…”
Something powerful blazed in those pale eyes, then he was kissing her, deeply, possessively, and he started moving again. The slow retreat and thrust of his cock stroked her insides, the brief pain a memory as pleasure deepened…
Teeth gritted, Nik slowly pushed back into Shadow’s tight body, her core gripping him like a damn vise. Her gorgeous starburst-hued eyes shone with tears, yet she gave him a trembling smile. His chest tightened. The urge to claim her, so she’d belong only to him, gripped him by the throat, and he struggled not to pound into her. It was her first time—
A virgin? Stars!
He’d never thought or cared about that, yet a small part of him was so fucking glad. Because now, she’d belonged only to him.
Nik shifted up to his knees and sat back, letting her straddle him again. A sharp gasp escaped her, her eyes widening as his cock slid deeper into her, her body flush with his.
“This way, you have more control, Starshine.”
He squeezed her hips, trailing open-mouthed kisses on her jaw and down to her chest, then he sucked on one nipple. Her hands fluttered to his shoulders, she rose on her knees, and he let go of her nipple, she sank back on his cock. Soon enough, she found her rhythm, destroying his mind. Hell, he grunted, pressing his mouth to her moving torso.
Then his gaze caressed her flushed face, her eyes bright with desire. Her movement grew more frantic as she chased after her orgasm. And he let her, his own arousal ramping up.
By the damn stars, the sensation of her feminine muscles clenching and releasing his cock garroted him by the balls. “Fuuuuck—” he groaned.
Her eyes glazed over, her nails biting into his shoulders. Her body quickened around his dick, squeezing him like a vise. He angled his hips, giving her the added friction against her clit. With a raspy cry, her nails dug into him as her release broke free.
Jaw clenched, and in a move as old as time, Nik gripped her hips and thrust harder, faster into her.
His orgasm shot lightning-fast down his spine, tightening his balls. A harsh groan tore free, crashing, splintering his mind and his thoughts. His entire being flooded with an intense, joyful light as warmth spread through him. It was as if he’d passed from one form into another—as if he’d left his old, cursed self behind and were reborn.
Chest heaving, he pressed his mouth to the rapidly beating pulse on her throat, sucking the visible sign of life, unable to stop touching her.
Shadow pushed back, her eyes glowing with all their gorgeous colors, revealing streaks of lavender now, too. “Wow. That…” she panted, a beautiful smile curving her kiss-swollen mouth, “…was amazing.”
Breathing hard, Nik huffed out a laugh and kissed her shoulder. She pressed her mouth to his cheek in a soft kiss, and his breath stuttered in his chest. Emotions crowded him, overwhelming him. For someone who’d been shoved from pantheon to pantheon as a child, never really wanted, and as an adult always alone, he’d finally found the one person who accepted him as he was, who soothed all the cold, barren places within him.
“Nik?”
At her quiet tone, his stomach tensed.
Heavens, not now. He couldn’t deal with her talking about leaving, not after this gut-churning intimacy…and him claiming her as his.
“I’ll stay.”
It took him several moments for her words to sink in, and a shuddering breath of relief escaped him. He simply nodded, too overcome to speak.
“But—”
“No buts, Shadow. This is it.” He didn’t want to hear about the crap still hanging over them. The universe knew it wasn’t going to disappear easily, like some bad dream.