His voice sounded thick in his own ears, barely one step above a growl. He struggled for clarity, battling the red need pounding through his blood. He had to make sure she understood. The last thing he wanted was for her to be hesitant or fearful.
“The mate bond cannot be formed accidentally,” he said. “We must wish to be joined, consciously and deliberately, with all our hearts.”
And oh, I do, I do…
He swallowed that futile longing. If pleasure was all that she would take from him, then he would give it, and gladly. No matter how much more he wished she would accept.
Count yourself lucky for this much, and do not dwell on what cannot be.
“We must both wish to be joined,” he said. “Mating requires us to exchange vows. The exact words are not important, but they must be spoken out loud, with sincere intent, in order to link our fates. Mere physical pleasure will not bind you to me, nor me to you. And…I understand what this is, that you are offering me. Not a promise, nor a pledge. Just a temporary grace, a moment of joy. I am—”
He stumbled on I am content with that. Because it was too close to a lie. He was grateful, yes, and thankful, and awestruck.
But not content.
“It is more than I ever expected,” he said instead. “You have already given me the greatest gift imaginable. Thank you.”
Her smile broke over her face like sunlight. She fumbled at her shirt. “We’re not done yet, big guy. Help me get this off.”
He was only too happy to oblige. Buttons seemed far too complicated to handle in his current state of mind, so he simply grasped her blouse and pulled.
The fabric parted. She wore some strange garment underneath, a kind of harness over her breasts. For the briefest moment, he wondered if she was carrying a hidden dagger strapped against her ribs—but then her soft belly pressed against him again, and he lost all interest in understanding her peculiar human clothing. His only concern was how to get it off, as fast as possible.
Happily, her weapon-harness—if that was indeed what it was—turned out to be of atrocious quality. It shredded as easily as dry leaves. Her breasts spilled into his eager hands at last, fat and luscious, with nipples as dark and plump as ripe berries. He sank down to feast.
“Cuan!” Tamsin’s hands fisted in his hair. “Cuan!”
She was gloriously responsive. With every twitch and gasp, he learned what pleased her. Where to circle and where to flick; when to tease her with the lightest of breaths, and when to suck her deep into his mouth.
She twisted in his grasp, one leg coming up to hook over his waist. Her pelvis ground against his thigh, demanding and urgent.
Even with clothing between them, he could sense how wet and ripe she was. If she had been wearing skirts, he would have lifted them to lap at her sweet juices. Unfortunately, she was still clad in those peculiar stiff, dark blue human trousers. He hadn’t the faintest idea how to get those off, except perhaps with a blade.
You cannot summon a sword now, idiot. Some tiny part of him that still retained an ounce of common sense was appalled. Not unless you wish to slay the mood.
He could not spare the time to puzzle out how to strip her of the frustrating pants. Not with Tamsin clawing at his shoulders, needing release, now.
He curved his hands under her gorgeous full buttocks, raising her higher. All those incredible curves, and yet she weighed nothing, nothing at all. He could have hoisted her to his shoulders and buried her face in her wet folds, if not for those cursed pants.
Cuan was beginning to think that the absolute worst thing about the humans was their clothing.
Still, the fabric was not so thick that he couldn’t make himself felt through it. Especially when he was as hard as iron, straining his own garment near to breaking point.
He kept licking and sucking at her nipples as he angled her against his hardness. He thrust against her hidden sex, seeking the right spot.
Her back arched, thighs clenching around his sides. Stars burst behind his eyes as she ground against him. Every muscle in his body knotted tight, shaking with the effort of holding himself back from tumbling into his own release.
It was worth it. She came undone at last, shrieking his name, and he had never heard sweeter music. Every helpless spasm of her body filled him with deep, fierce satisfaction. He held her steady as she writhed, never ceasing to tease and thrust. He coaxed out every last wave of pleasure, until she was limp and gasping in his arms.
“Wow,” she whispered, shakily.
The sentiment was clear, even if the word was unfamiliar.
“Wow,” he echoed in agreement. He pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “Wow indeed.”
“Uh.” She dropped a hand to his groin, tracing the thick ridge of his straining shaft. His faemarks pulsed with white-hot fire at her touch. “But you haven’t…did you?”
He caught her wrist, raising it to his lips. “No, though it was a nearer thing than I care to admit. You are a serious test of a man’s willpower, Tamsin. I must beg you to keep your hands to yourself a little longer.”
“Why?” Her eyebrow quirked once more. “Hasn’t honor been satisfied?”
“Oh no.” He scooped her up in his arms, carrying her to the bed. “Not yet. Not by a long way.”