She sighed. “There’s a lot of work still to do. Those records I stole go back decades… there are a lot of missing shifters to chase up. But there’s a lot of shifters involved, now, and more every day. It’s in safe hands there.”
“I’m impressed,” he said, glancing sidelong at her.
“With me?”
“Virgos aren’t exactly known for being comfortable with relinquishing control.”
“I have grown and evolved,” she said primly, tapping him on the shoulder. “I’m a new woman, I’ll have you know.”
“Are you now?” He kept his tone innocent, but the wicked smile that spread across her face told him that she’d caught his intent regardless. “I suppose I’ll have to find out.”
So much better than the dreams… it wasn’t long before they were wrapped in each other, all the pent-up longing of their separation adding urgency to their movements and fierce desperation to their kisses. Conrad explored her body as though it was the first time he’d ever touched her, every exquisite curve, the firm, ample flesh of her breasts, her waist, her butt… they’d made short work of their clothes early on, and he luxuriated in the touch of her skin against his, the delicious friction of their bodies sliding against each other in the cool night air. Her breath was hot against his throat as she kissed him everywhere she could reach, but his impatience drove him down her body with hot, messy kisses that made her shiver and gasp as he moved lower and lower.
The scent of her was intoxicating, the wet heat of her sex inviting him in, drawing him closer. He buried his face in her folds, smiling a little as she buried her hands in his hair and crushed his face even more deeply against her most intimate place. He needed no further encouragement to devour her, exploring every part of her as though for the first time, reminding himself of the places that made her gasp and whimper, the particular angles of his tongue that she liked the most, what exactly would make her shriek and tighten her hands in his hair… he lost himself in her utterly, in the delightful game of drawing her closer and closer to her climax without quite pushing her over. She was panting, writhing, gasping beneath him, her curly hair damp with sweat and her eyes absolutely wild with desire as she choked out his name like she was begging him for mercy.
“Please,” she breathed, catching his eyes when he pulled away from his work for just a moment. “Conrad, it’s been a whole year…”
The entreaty was almost enough to break his heart. How could any man in either world say no to a request like that? He kissed his way up her body, pausing only for a moment or two to tease at her nipples with his lips until she groaned such a heartfelt protest that he had to stop himself from laughing aloud. It wasn’t as though he wasn’t fending off some fairly powerful desperation of his own… his body had been aching for her since she’d first pressed her lips to his, and right now part of him was convinced that he might actually die if he couldn’t have her, right this very instant…
But still, he lingered for just a moment before he pressed himself into her, leaning down to claim her lips in a kiss that he hoped was tender enough to remind her of just how much he adored her. Then he felt her legs wrap around his waist… and he almost lost control completely as he buried himself to the hilt inside of her. Every thrust of his hips seemed to bring more pleasure than he’d ever felt before, and his rhythm quickly grew frantic, her moans of ardent encouragement only spurring him on to greater and greater heights. A few times, he felt the great stone bedhead slam against the rocky wall behind them, and he hoped very much that the crack he could suddenly see in the ornate stonework had been there already….
Then Mira was uttering his name in a low, urgent voice… and in that moment, everything was utterly wiped from his mind except the orgasm that crashed over them both like a tidal wave.
Gasping for breath, alternating between panting and laughing, they held each other in the dizzy aftermath of their passion, breathing hard. Mira recovered a little quicker than he did, propping herself up on one elbow to gaze down at his face. He blinked dazedly up at her, well aware that he must look a mess… and not caring in the slightest. She loved him. The most wonderful woman he’d ever met loved him… and if she didn’t care that he looked a mess, then neither did he.
“How are you even better than the dreams?” she murmured, stroking his chest with one finger. He felt a flush rise to his cheeks, and suddenly his joy felt too enormous to express.
“You tell me,” he said softly, reaching up to kiss her. She leaned into the brush of his lips, falling into his arms like they’d been made for the express purpose of holding her.
No matter what happened, he knew that this was the most important thing in his life now… just this, lying here with her. If she wanted to back to her world, he’d go with her. If she wanted to stay, then he’d stay. For as long as he could remember, work and duty had been the most important things in his life. But that had been before he’d met the woman of his dreams. Tomorrow, they’d explore the Palace together. The day after that… who knew? His days of trying to control and predict the future were over. And Conrad couldn’t wait to see what kind of strange, surprising, exciting, brilliant future the two of them were going to find together.
*****
THE END