“Nic, what are you doing?” But he couldn’t stay away. As if of their own accord, his feet dragged him to her, his gaze rapt on the way she toyed with her breasts, so tantalizingly full above her narrow waist. Part of him—the plain farmer boy, no doubt—wanted to be scandalized, but the rest of him rose to the challenge of her provocative behavior, raging to touch, take, and ravage.
She cupped her breasts, lifting them like an offering. “Please touch me,” she breathed.
Realizing he still gripped his sword, as he had no sheath to stow it in, he set it aside, then lifted his hands. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m going to wash soon anyway.”
He brushed her hands away, replacing them with his, filling his hands with her full breasts, their soft weight delightfully overflowing his grip, her hard nipples pressing into the hollow of his palms. In a spasm of overwhelming need, he squeezed, desire hitting him hard when she sagged, mouth falling open with a gasp as she writhed against him.
“Mmm.” She put her hands behind her neck, arching her back to press more fully into his hands, tipping up her mouth, yet another offering. “Yesss. More.”
Unable to resist her blatant invitation, he lowered his mouth to hers, drinking in the heated sweetness of her generous lips, the scent of roses and red wine swirling into his senses. The taste of her settled him, reminding himself on a visceral level that she was all right. Still alive and healthy. Still his. The possessiveness roared up in him, and he slanted his mouth over hers, plundering, her groan scraping through him in answering need.
She twined her fingers into his hair, inclining her nearly naked body against his. Parting her legs, she slipped one slim thigh between his, nudging his aching balls and rolling her hip against his groin, raising herself to straddle his thigh. Deepening the kiss, he released one breast to press a hand against her lower back, pushing his thigh against her sex and lifting her onto tiptoes until she rode him with most of her weight.
She groaned, squirming against him, her sex scorching through the soaked leather of his pants. “Gabriel,” she panted against his lips, “is my bath ready?”
Lifting his head, he frowned at her. “What?”
Like a cat who’d devoured fresh cream, she smiled at him, practically licking her lips. “Be a love and fill the tub with hot water for me. Use my magic if you need to.”
“But I—you…” He trailed off in realization, aware that his water magic had begun to replenish itself, and that the rose-red, wine-dark richness of her magic swirled under her skin, waiting to be consumed by his insatiable hunger.
“But you have enough magic again, and so do I.” Though he’d stopped kissing her, she still clung closely to him, her heated body soft as she rode his thigh, her eyes half lidded.
Firmly setting her away from him, he rubbed his hands together, abruptly aware again of how filthy they both were. “That was all a pretense?”
Nic propped her fists on her hips, leveling a molten glare on him. “No. Idiot wizard. Give me your hand.” She held out hers in demand, holding his gaze with such obstinate determination that he didn’t try to argue, laying his hand in hers. She grasped it, stepped up close—and pushed his hand inside the ivory silk panties, his fingers skidding through her slick and scorching sex.
He caught his breath at the feel of her, at the rush of rich magic that flooded him.
“It’s very real,” she breathed, moving herself against his hand, moaning when he caressed her.
“My hand is dirty,” he said, then cursed himself for sounding like the idiot she named him. His brain moved sluggishly, his body full of need for her, seduced and enthralled by her.
She didn’t laugh, her sensuous mouth curving in a smile. “Fill the tub with hot water, wizard, and we’ll get you cleaned up. Then we can explore just how real this is.”
Entirely rapt in her sensual spell, he did as she suggested, willing hot water into the tub in the adjoining chamber, somehow unsurprised at how easy it was. “Your bath is ready,” he told her, giving her a long, luscious kiss.
“Excellent. And that didn’t take even a quarter of an hour.” She extracted herself from his embrace, cocking her head with a grin. “Once you’ve dealt with the garbage, get naked and join me.” With that, she bent over, giving him a breathtaking view as she released the leather boots, then sashayed happily into the bathing chamber, her croon of delight followed by splashing water.