She shattered twice and then he was taking her down to the floor, knowing he’d never make it into the bedroom. He framed her face with his hands and looked into eyes that were ringed heavily, eyes so amber they glowed at him.
“I never want you to think for one moment that I don’t love you. That I’m with you for my leopard, Ashe. I’m with you for me.” He brushed kisses over both eyes. He wished there was another word to use. People loved all kinds of things. Men said it to women everywhere, but then walked away. He could never walk away from her. He knew it would be impossible to lose the feeling that was so strong it shook him.
He guided his cock into her, determined to be gentle when his body was desperate to surge into her. He watched her face for any signs of discomfort. “Tell me,” he commanded when she winced. When he stopped, she tried to push herself onto him. “I need to know what this feels like.”
Her tongue moistened her lips. He groaned and kissed her. How could he possibly resist that invitation? When he did, he slipped a little deeper into her. She felt like silk wrapping around him tightly. Scorching hot. It was difficult to hold himself still.
“Good, Timur. It feels good,” she whispered, touching his face, skimming her finger over his rough jaw. She let that finger move down his chest, as if she was just tracing his muscles.
His body reacted to the feel of her touch, but it was his heart that seemed in the most jeopardy. “Tell me everything.”
“It burns, but in a good way. I feel like I’m going up in flames and only you can take the burn away. I don’t know how something that feels so good can make me feel so desperate.”
He kissed her, because he was feeling a little desperate himself. It wasn’t easy holding back, not when everything in him insisted he let the fire consume him. He threaded his fingers through hers and drew her arms up above her head.
“Look at me, Ashe. Look at me while I move in you.” He fought his body to give her slow. To give her gentle. Her eyes were wide open, staring into his. Her sheath clamped hard around his cock, scorching hot, the friction incredible, so that his entire body shuddered with pleasure. The way she looked at him shook him. Those amber eyes drifted possessively over his face, as if he was a good man, a white knight, the best man in the world.
“When you look at me like that, baby, I feel like I’m worth something.” The admission came out against her mouth where he took her breath into his lungs.
“You’re everything to me, Timur,” she whispered back.
His heart turned over when he heard the truth in her voice. Her hips moved, rising to meet his, until there was no holding back for either of them. He was loving her with every stroke, every surge into her, every streak of lightning that he induced in her. Then they both were going up in flames and floating together. He kept his hold on her, fingers tight through hers while they drifted down.
He took her twice more, once bent over the kitchen table and once against the wall. He tried to be careful, but their leopards drove them and there was no going back from that. He took her into the bedroom where he could press warm cloths between her legs in an effort to ease the soreness. She was small. He was on the larger side. Rough sex might sound great, and for him, felt great, but for her, no matter how good it was, the aftermath was something else and he didn’t like it, nor did he know what to do about it.
“How are we going to let them run? Godiva wants out. How are we going to let them mate?” Ashe whispered, as if the leopards wouldn’t hear them. “There are male leopards everywhere. Temnyy can’t fight them all off.”
Temnyy could and would, but Timur wasn’t going to tell her that. “Tell her a few more minutes.” He wanted to make certain Ashe had time to rest. He had a plan to let the leopards run, just not on this part of the estate. Not with so many guards out.
He stroked back her hair, enjoying just lying next to her, his body curled protectively around hers.
“Timur.” She rolled over and propped herself up on one elbow. “Is there any way out of all of this? I know you’re in deep, that it was something you were born into, but we don’t need to be a part of it, do we?”
Her voice trembled and when she touched him, he felt the same tremor in her fingers. He wanted to give her everything and knew she was thinking of a future with him, a future with children.