chapter Five
Mace was a handsome fellow, if a bit quiet. Krysta had taken to him right away and enjoyed the solid camaraderie of the knight who seemed wise beyond his years. She guessed he was about the same age as she, but his eyes seemed older somehow. Perhaps, she thought not for the first time, there was some truth to the rumors about knights and how they stopped aging when they bonded with their dragon partners.
It was a well-known fact in Castleton that the royal family and the dragon knights outlived other people by many years, if they weren’t killed in battle first. There was a price to pay for the added years—if you lived to see them. The price was a life-long duty to the dragons and the land named for them. A life-long promise to protect and serve Draconia’s inhabitants.
But the trade off wasn’t too bad. Increased lifespan and a dragon to call friend and partner. No, Krysta thought that was a pretty good deal, and if she’d been born male and had the ability to bespeak dragons, she’d pray to the Mother Goddess every night to grant her a dragon partner of her own. As it was, Krysta was female and not of this land she’d come to call home. It was highly unlikely she would discover a rogue gift of dragon speech at this late date, and even if she did, women were never chosen to be knights, no matter how skilled with a sword.
All in all, she didn’t mind, though upon meeting Nellin, Mace’s dragon partner, she felt a pang of longing for the close bond she could sense between the two males. Wherever Mace went, Nellin was not far behind. Even now, while Mace and she enjoyed lunch in the small cafe, Nellin lounged outside in the square, entertaining curious children with puffs of warm air and waggling his wings to make them laugh. He was good with little ones in a way she hadn’t expected. Who knew a fearsome fighting dragon could have a playful, almost paternal side?
“Nellin gets silly around children,” Mace said, following the path of her gaze out the small window to the dragon. Mace seemed almost embarrassed, misunderstanding her interest.
“I think it’s charming. I mean, it’s obvious he can be fierce with such sharp talons and his large size, but I had no idea he could be gentle like that. I’m frankly amazed and altogether enchanted by him.”
“You hear that?” Nellin said into Mace’s mind, clearly eavesdropping with his keen dragon senses. “She finds me enchanting.” Smug satisfaction filled his playful tone. “Now if only she found you at least interesting, we might make a go of this.”
“Leave off, Nellin. Let me court her in my own way.” Mace fought to suppress the annoyance he felt at Nellin’s interference from showing on his face. Krysta didn’t know how closely he and the dragon were linked, and he didn’t want to scare her off just yet. She was far too lovely, too intriguing and too sexy, to let her scurry away from him and his dragon partner on only their second date.
“Courting? Is that what you’re doing? Could have fooled me.”
“Everybody’s a critic.”
The serving boy came over to ask if they wanted a sweet roll to follow their meal and Krysta declined, opting instead for a hot drink. Mace held up a finger to indicate he’d have the same, and the youngster left. Seizing the moment, Mace thought himself daring when he leaned across the table and took Krysta’s hand in his.
“I’ve really enjoyed this lunch with you, Krysta.”
“Whoa, a little too intense there, friend,” Nellin coached him from the square. “Ease off before you scare her.”
But Krysta smiled and folded her other hand over his. “I’ve enjoyed it too, Mace.”
He rubbed his thumb lightly over her skin, liking the way she shivered and her smile deepened. He could have sworn her eyes even twinkled, but perhaps that was a trick of the afternoon sun and his own overactive imagination.
“Enough to do it again? I mean,” he stumbled a bit, “would you share another meal with me? Tomorrow or the next day, perhaps? I really want to see you again.”
She nodded, the lovely smile still in place on her plump lips, and his heart lifted. “I’d like that, but I’m on duty all day tomorrow. How about the day after? I could meet you for lunch again. Or dinner.”
“Dinner!” Nellin counseled. “After dinner you can take her for a moonlit stroll or a night flight, if she’s game.”
“Dinner would be perfect. Shall we come for you at sunset? Nellin and I know a great little inn on the outskirts of Castleton where he can have as good a time as us, chasing his dinner with the other dragons who frequent the place.”
“Pushing it, don’t you think?” Nellin’s worried voice sounded in Mace’s mind. “What if she’s still afraid of me?”
“She’s not. You should see the way she looks at you. She wants to keep you as a pet, Nel. Trust me on this.”
“You mean…ride on the dragon’s back with you?”
Mace liked the way her eyes lit up as she shifted her gaze back to where Nellin lay, lounging in the sun with his flock of childish admirers.
“If you’re not afraid. As you can see, Nellin and I are pretty much a pair. Where I go, he’s usually not far behind.” Mace tried to look sheepish, but the excitement in her gaze reassured him that his fears on this topic at least, had been unfounded.
“I’m not afraid of dragons,” she said, and he inwardly crowed. “I haven’t been around them much, I’ll admit, but I’m not afraid of them. I’m actually kind of fascinated by them, I think.” She turned to look straight at Mace with those lovely gray eyes of hers. “I’d love to fly with you and Nellin, if he’s willing to carry me.”
“Do you have to be anywhere this afternoon?” Mace pounced.
She shook her head. “I was just going to do some chores. Washing and such. But that can wait.”
“Then how about we get the proprietor to pack two sweet rolls and some mead for us, and Nellin can fly us out to a little meadow we know where there’s a nice shady grove by a bend in the river. We can have our dessert picnic-style.”
“And the little lady can get to know us better. Oh, you are much more nimble than I gave you credit for, Mace. Good work.” Nellin’s congratulatory words sounded in Mace’s mind.
“I think that would be amazing. I’d love to go with you and Nellin.” Once again Krysta peered out the window to the square, her gaze lighting on the reclining dragon with both admiration and awe. Mace thought it was a very good start indeed.
Who was this knight, after all? Just when Krysta thought she had Mace figured out, he surprised her. She’d just about decided he was shy and somewhat staid when out of the blue he suggested a spontaneous picnic by the river and a dragon flight to get there. He’d surprised her in a totally wonderful way.
Not that she didn’t like steady men. Krysta actually craved a bit of solidity after the years she’d spent roaming with her Jinn family, but there was something to be said for spontaneity as well. Still, she would never have pegged Mace for the type to come up with such a plan, and it thoroughly enchanted her.
He was such a dear man. So thoughtful and strong in character. That a dragon such as Nellin had chosen him spoke volumes about his commitment to duty and to serving the people and dragons of this land. All knights were special men, but Krysta had felt drawn to Mace from the moment she’d first seen him.
Tall, dark and handsome, with a solid build and muscles that hinted at enormous strength, he had kind eyes and a tender manner with his dragon partner and his friends. He also moved well, like a well-trained warrior should, and she admired the fluidity of his steps. He’d be an excellent fighter…and a talented lover, if she were any judge.
They finished their after-meal drinks while the proprietor packed up dessert for them, and Mace tipped the woman well for her good service. Within minutes, they were heading out into the square. To the waiting dragon.
Nellin rose to his haunches as Mace made the introductions. They’d met formally once before at the Guard House, but it had been a rushed occasion with many others around. This time, Krysta was well aware of the dragon’s scrutiny as she bowed politely and he lowered his head in return.
“I’m pleased to see you again, Sir Nellin. Thank you for consenting to let me fly with you and Sir Mace.”
Mace cocked his head, smiling, apparently listening to the dragon before he turned to her. “Nellin says he likes your dress much better than your uniform, though the gray of the Guard’s tunic does match your eyes.” He looked over at the dragon. “Really, Nel. I never knew you were so keen on fashion.” Krysta chuckled as Mace teased his dragon partner. “He also says he’s happy to show you what it’s like to fly.” Mace winked at her. “He likes taking first-timers up in the sky. We spend a lot of our days off ferrying children around to give them a taste of the air currents. It’s one of his favorite things to do, since he loves flying and feels sorry for those of us who don’t have wings of our own.”
Mace’s tone was joking, but Krysta recognized the truth behind the teasing. With another bow, she addressed the dragon. “I think it’s a beautiful thing to do. We who have no wings thank you, Sir Nellin.”
Mace chuckled as Nellin dropped down to all fours so he could mount. “Save that for after you’ve been aloft. Some people hate it, while others can’t get enough. We’ll soon find out what kind you are.” Mace swung up onto the dragon’s back with practiced ease and held out a hand for her. “Use his elbow as a stepladder,” he advised.
Krysta took Mace’s big hand and stepped on the dragon’s bent front limb. His scales were slippery under the leather of her boot, but solid and firm. Boosting up with the help of Mace’s strong grip, she found herself seated before the knight, just over the dragon’s shoulder, where his long neck met his wide body, the gorgeous wings stretching out behind. Already, she felt more alive than she ever had, but whether it was the dragon beneath her or the hard-muscled embrace of the man behind her, she knew not. Mace was proving to be every bit as exciting and unexpected as his dragon partner.
Still waters did indeed run deep with this complex man. Krysta couldn’t wait to discover all his hidden facets.
Flying on the dragon’s back was like nothing Krysta had ever experienced before. She’d thought she might feel a bit insecure with little to hold on to, but the ridge where shoulder met neck on the dragon made a natural saddle that felt more secure than she would have credited. Mace’s strong arms around her added to the feeling of surety, and Nellin flew with obvious care not to frighten her.
“What do you think?” Mace raised his voice to be heard over the rushing air as they leveled out over the city.
“This is amazing!” Krysta drank in the incredible view of the city far below, the maze of streets and lanes resolving into an intricate web from above. “It's beautiful!”
Mace pointed out a few of the sights as Nellin did a quick tour past the castle. Krysta saw things she never would have noticed—little architectural details that were only visible from the air—dragon perches, carved reliefs on the side of the great walls and hewn into the mountain itself on which the castle was built.
Awe filled her both at her first flight and also at the beauty of the landscape and city spread out before her. She marveled at the chaotic symmetry of the city plan and realized for the first time the thought that had gone into its design both from a defensive stance, and an artistic point of view.
Before long though, they headed out along the curves of the river toward the promised meadow where Mace assured her a shady grove of trees awaited. The sun shone stronger against her skin now that she flew closer to it and the shade of those trees sounded delightful. The scent of the sweet rolls also wafted up from the small pouch the innkeeper had given them, and it was very tempting. Krysta had always had something of a sweet tooth but rarely had time or money to indulge.
“Hold on tight, now. The landings can be jarring with two aboard,” Mace warned her as Nellin made his descent, and his arms tightened around her waist, pulling her even closer against his hard-muscled chest.
The man was built like a warrior should be—hard where it counted but flexible. Krysta’s mouth went dry as she contemplated the very real, thick hardness against her backside when the abrupt descent of the dragon threw her back against Mace. He was aroused.
Krysta tucked that information away with an inward grin, happy she wasn’t the only one affected by their nearness. Mace smelled so good, she’d been salivating since the moment he’d pulled her up in front of him. And his arms felt so right around her. Not to mention his devastating masculinity, intelligence and hidden depths. He was a complete package, and Krysta was more than attracted to him. She was perilously close to becoming hopelessly enamored of the young knight.
Nellin landed with a lighter step than she had expected and all too soon, Mace was hopping down. He turned back, reaching up to catch her as she too dismounted, and she liked the way he held her against his hard body for just a moment. He wasn’t fresh, but he was letting her know in subtle ways that he was as attracted as she was.
He was taking things slow, which suited her at the moment. Krysta had commitments to the Jinn he would need to understand and accept if she decided to take him as a lover. It didn’t appear Mace knew much about the Jinn and she’d have to educate him a bit before this went any farther, but for the moment she was truly enjoying his slow, almost shy seduction. It was altogether sweet and something she hadn’t experienced in far too long.
Mace made her feel feminine. And treasured.
Krysta hadn’t felt either of those sensations in too long a time. It was only right to take a moment to bask in this honorable man’s flattering attentions. There was time enough yet to grab him by the hair, wrestle him down to the ground and have her wicked way with him.
All in good time.
Mace didn’t know exactly what was going on behind those lovely gray eyes, but he liked Krysta’s reactions to Nellin and flying with the dragon for the first time. If Mace wanted to get serious with a woman, it was vital she accept his dragon partner. And Mace wanted to get very serious, indeed, with Krysta.
She was a woman of many facets, and he liked each one he’d so far seen. She was a warrior, but she had a quiet femininity that appealed to him on a basic level. She didn’t compete with men like so many female warriors always seemed to feel the need to do. No, Krysta was comfortable in her own skin, confident of her superior abilities and secure in her femininity.
The result was all too attractive for Mace to ignore. This was a woman to be admired—and won. Mace wanted to win her heart in the worst possible way. He wanted her as his lover, but if the Mother of All were smiling on him, he would have her also as his life partner. His wife.
Nellin liked her, and she appeared to get along with the dragon. Now it was up to Mace to court her and pray that she found room in her heart for him, his dragon partner and whoever Nellin’s eventual mating brought into the circle of their family. For to be a knight’s mate meant the woman must accept two knights into her life and her bed.
It was the way of dragons and knights, though it was often difficult for women who hadn’t been born and raised in Draconia to understand or accept. Still, Krysta was an exceptional woman in all ways. Perhaps she’d be more open to the idea than other women not of this land. Mace could only hope…and pray.
They sat on the soft moss under the promised leafy branches of a small grove of trees. From their vantage point they could see the lazy current of the river and hear its gentle trickling sounds. They could also see the meadow that was overgrown with colorful and fragrant wildflowers. The scent of the blossoms floated sweetly on the gentle breeze that soughed through the trees overhead.
The afternoon was perfect. It was magic.
Nellin rolled in the meadow, enjoying the idyllic setting in his own way, skipping through the river for a while, chasing and catching a few fish that he quickly gobbled up. Mace watched Krysta watch the dragon. All the signs were favorable. She seemed truly interested and not the least bit frightened of Nellin, which was all to the good.
“What made you want to be a knight?”
Krysta’s words came to him out of the blue, it seemed, so intent had he been on his own observations.
“Nellin, of course. It’s the dragon’s choice. If the man can hear dragons, he is eligible, but the dragons choose who they will from the available candidates. Not all who can hear dragons become knights, though most do.” Mace leaned back on one elbow, twirling a long stalk of grass between his fingers. “My fathers are knights and I grew up in the Castle Lair. Being like my fathers—being a knight—was all I ever wanted.”
“You have two fathers?” Krysta seemed interested, and Mace took it as a good sign. This was one of the most important things he had to reveal to her before taking this relationship any farther.
“Well, Jir is my blood-father. I look just like him. But Kinnar is no less my father. They both raised me, and I love and respect them both.” He tried to be nonchalant, but this was the crux of it and he watched her expression carefully. “When dragons mate, their knights are caught up in the frenzy. It’s the bond, you see. The bond between knight and dragon is very close and what one feels, the other inevitably feels as well. Which is why fighting dragons are not permitted to mate until their knights find a mate of their own.”
“I’ve heard a little bit about this, but I’ll admit I’m curious as to how a three-partnered relationship works.”
Mace breathed just a tiny bit easier. She was curious. That was good.
“It works very well indeed and has for centuries in this land. It’s the dragons that tie it all together, and they claim the Mother of All plays a very large role in bringing the right people and dragons together.” He trailed the grass stalk slowly down her arm as she leaned back just a few feet away. “When the dragons choose their mates, the knights form a fighting partnership as well. The two men train together and fight together, with their dragons, from that point on. They also share their mate.”
“One woman for two knights?”
She didn’t seem shocked, merely intrigued, which lifted Mace’s spirits to a new level. He nodded in answer to her question, trying to hide his growing excitement. “One woman to share the love of two knights who will be devoted to her for the rest of their lives.”
“Does it always work out so well?”
Mace shrugged. “Almost always. There are few unhappy trios in the Lair, and those that do have disagreements always seem to find a way to work it out when the dragon side of the family takes to the sky in a mating flight.” He chuckled, remembering some of the more amusing instances of arguments being settled in just that way.
Mace was teasing her senses. He had a subtle way about him, vastly different from the in-your-face seduction of Drake. It was refreshing, but both men stirred her senses almost beyond bearing. Mace was a deep pool of dark water compared to Drake’s bubbling clear brook, but the more she got to know of Mace, the more she wanted to know. He was intriguing, mysterious and altogether sexy.
He had a warrior’s body and a strategist’s mind. His conversation impressed her, and the attention he paid to her comfort was oddly endearing. Jinn women were protected but seldom coddled. As a woman warrior, it had been a very long time indeed since Krysta had been taken care of with such solicitude. It ought to have annoyed her, but instead it made her feel intensely feminine in a way that was foreign to her.
Perhaps she’d spent too many years fighting and training. She feared she was losing her femininity as the years wore on, but one look from Mace’s admiring gaze and all her fears were put to rest. Add Drake’s rather obvious interest and Krysta was flying high on a wave of feminine confidence the likes of which she hadn’t felt since she was a teen, newly discovering her female power.
Mace surprised her by leaning closer, his mouth hovering near hers. She sensed he was giving her the opportunity to deny him, but she had no intention of doing so. Reaching up, she wrapped one palm around the nape of his neck and drew him closer. Her gaze zeroed in on his firm lips, knowing what she wanted and knowing too that she’d soon have it.
She wanted Mace’s kiss. She wanted to know his flavor and his passion. She wanted him like she’d wanted few men in her life, and now was the moment of discovery. Would he be as good a kisser as she hoped? Would he be as good a kisser as Drake?
Krysta tried to erase that last thought and concentrate on Mace, but it was there, niggling in the back of her mind, even as Mace’s lips descended the final distance to hers. He was warm and firm, and his hot body crowded close as he pulled her into his arms. His lips pressed, then opened, and his tongue rubbed over the seam of her lips before she opened to let him in.
The feeling was incredible. Her hands went to his strong shoulders and drew him closer. All tentativeness was gone as he lowered her to the ground, his chest rubbing seductively over hers, his tongue tangling with hers, his body making hers sing. Mace was all man and all powerful. Any idea she might have harbored that he was just the slightest bit inexperienced was wiped away forever by the way he took command of her body and her senses.
He kissed like a dream. His hands were gentle but firm as he stroked over her, working at the ties of her simple dress to bare the skin beneath. He moved with deliberate slowness, giving her every chance to object, but Krysta had no intention of stopping him. What he was doing felt too damn good.
She slid her hands under the hem of his shirt, dragging upward to caress the sinewy muscles of his rock solid abdomen. She felt powerful when his abs clenched under her exploring fingers and he pulled back, breaking their kiss.
“Do you want more?” His gaze mesmerized as he looked down at her.
Krysta licked her lips, liking the way his gaze followed the movement of her tongue. Smiling, she nodded with deliberate, seductive motions.
“I’ll let you know if I want you to stop.”
“I don’t think I can take much more, milady. You’re very potent.” Mace tugged her closer, setting his hard thighs between hers on the soft, mossy ground.
“I can take all you’ve got, sir knight.” She stroked his cheek with one hand. Boldly, she rocked her hips against his, loving the way he fit—even with their clothing still between them—into the notch of her legs. He felt huge and very hard, and she wanted that hardness inside her.
It had been too long since any man had made her feel this way. It had been years since Krysta’s last intimate encounter, in fact. After the broken heart she’d suffered as a young girl, she kept her liaisons short and as unemotional as possible, preferring to concentrate on her work rather than the Jinn rogues who were constantly in her path.
Mace, however, was a different story. The man was solid in every way. Grounded, mature, rock-hard in all the right places, but still he had a sense of adventure and unexpected humor. He intrigued her and made her want to risk her heart—just a little—for the first time in years. She knew he was courting her with an eye to the future. Knights didn’t bother coaxing short-term bedmates into accepting their dragon partners. No, this whole afternoon was a sure sign Sir Mace had a longer-term relationship in mind, and Krysta didn’t mind that one bit.
She just plain liked Mace, and Nellin too. She wanted a steady man in her life now that she’d finally found a permanent home in Draconia and a place to use the skills she’d honed as a warrior of the Jinn. She was planting roots and making a home. If her new life in Draconia included Mace, so much the better. She could do a lot worse than hook up with a knight like him.
“Are you sure?” Mace searched her eyes.
Krysta pushed his shirt off over his shoulders, drawing him down to meet her lips. “I’m certain, Mace. Make love to me.”
The words were music to his ears. He hadn’t planned on seducing her this afternoon, but she felt so right in his arms, he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to take things slow, but his heart recognized its mate and it didn’t want to wait.
Neither, apparently, did she.
Krysta tugged at his clothes and Mace pulled away long enough to rid himself of his boots. When he reached for her once more, she’d shucked her own soft, lace-up boots and he got his first glimpse of her shapely bare calves.
He rubbed his hands over her lean, muscular legs, raising the skirt of her simple dress higher and higher. Her skin was so soft. Mace didn’t think he’d ever experienced anything headier than the womanly scent of her or the strong muscles beneath her delicate, feminine skin. She was a wonder.
His lips trailed after his hands, kissing his way up from her ankles to her hip. He pushed the dress and undertunic up and away, taking it over her head and tossing it aside as he got his first look at her naked form.
She was lovely. Just incredibly lovely.
All the long hours of training showed in the sleek, lean muscles of her arms, legs and abdomen, but nothing could disguise the curves he found so appealing. Mace had never lain with a warrior woman before and after seeing her, he knew there was no going back.
Krysta was it for him. Possibly for the rest of his life.
Mace tucked that thought away as he moved over her. His palms fit perfectly over her generous curves. He kissed her deeply as he learned her form by touch, his hands finally coming to rest on her surprisingly large breasts. She was perfect. Round, soft and peaking for him. Her nipples poked into his palms as she moaned against his mouth.
He dueled with her mobile tongue as his fingers teased hard nipples, drawing another light sound of pleasure from her lips. He was greedy. He wanted it all. Her sighs, her groans…her screams of passion. And he would have it, he vowed, or die trying.
His lips trailed down her neck, pausing here and there to nip and suck as she writhed against him. When his teeth raked her nipple, she lifted off the ground, and Mace couldn’t help but smile. She was very responsive. He liked that in a woman.
“You’re beautiful, Krysta.” He looked up into her eyes as his lips closed over one nipple and sucked with steady pressure. Her gaze was half-lidded, drugged with passion. He’d never seen anything sexier in his life.
“Mace!” She whispered his name over and over as he tongued her, his hands moving lower to tease the wet folds that waited. Her legs spread without much urging. She was eager and very nearly ready, which was a good start. Mace didn’t think he could wait much longer himself.
“I want to make this perfect for you.” Releasing her nipple, he moved down her body, to the apex of her strong thighs. Her eyes widened, but she made no move to stop him as he spread her wide, his blunt fingers sliding through the slick folds. She was excited, but he’d make her more so. He watched, rapt, as his finger skated around the opening to her body, pushing inward. It was a tight fit. Much tighter than he was used to. The thought gave him pause as a triumphant feeling of possession raged through him. Krysta wasn’t a lightskirt, giving her body to any man that asked. It had been a while since she’d had a lover, judging by the slow yielding of her passage.
Mace would have to be careful at first, until she adapted to his girth. He wasn’t a small man and he didn’t want to hurt her.
No, pain was the farthest thing from his mind as he watched his finger disappear into her. She was wet, but he wanted her wetter. He needed to taste her cream and know every detail about her gorgeous body. Dipping his head, he licked at the little nubbin poking out of her folds, smugly satisfied when she jolted at the first, light contact of his tongue. Going back for another pass, he swept deeper this time, licking her cream and learning her taste.
She was divine.
He played with her that way for a few minutes, while his finger began to move, sliding in and out, building a rhythm and stroking her higher. Finally, he lowered his lips and latched onto her *, sucking and using his tongue. It took only a few moments of this treatment for her to come beautifully against his mouth, drenching his finger with her release.
He sat back, watching carefully as he added another finger, stretching her wider. She’d have to be as ready as possible to take him without discomfort.
“Did you like that?” he teased.
“You know I did.” Her voice was breathy with release. “Take off your leggings, Mace. I want to see you.”
He’d left himself covered for good reason. He didn’t want to scare her off as a few maids had been in the past. He also didn’t think he would last long once he got his leggings off. He’d wanted her to be ready before he gave in to the incredible desire riding him.
“I want to lick you.” Her low words sent a jolt through his cock. He knew he’d never last if she came anywhere near him this time. He was too needy.
“Hold that thought, sweet. Next time you can do anything you want, but right now, I’m too close to the edge.” His gaze burned into hers as he felt her passions rise once more. Little movements of her hips told him she was eager for his possession. Soon, she would be ready. “I want to be inside you when I come. I want to feel you around me, milking my cock.”
“I want that too.” She moaned as he continued to tease her. She was very nearly ready. All he could think of was sinking into her and he knew he could wait no more.
Mace worked the lacings on his leggings, pushing them down and away. His cock sprang free, aiming for the place it most wanted to go.
“Are you with me, love?” He rose over her, tucking himself into the notch of her splayed thighs.
“Come into me now, Mace. I want you.” She tugged on his shoulders as he lowered himself onto her…and into her.
She moaned as he took possession with slow, steady pressure, being careful to ease his way with short movements as he claimed her with his body. She was tighter than a fist, and Mace knew he’d never felt anything like the clasp of her warm body. She was heaven itself.
Settling finally all the way inside, Mace took just a moment to enjoy the grip of her inner walls against his most sensitive skin. He dropped lower, bracing himself on his forearms as he leaned in to kiss her. Mirroring the slow stabbing movements of his tongue in her mouth, he began to move within her hot sheath as she writhed and moaned against him.
She was a vocal little thing, and he loved every soft whimper from her elegant throat. He nipped at her lips, kissing his way down her body as his cock took over, demanding he fill her harshly, mark her and claim her as his woman. He was a little afraid of the powerful emotions riding him, but Krysta seemed to want as much as he would give.
This then, was how it felt to be with your mate. Mace knew for certain at that moment, he was looking at his destiny—if he could convince her to accept him—and Nellin. He would do all in his power to secure her agreement, and her love. He wanted her to love him and Nellin and, eventually, the knight who was partner to Nellin’s mate.
But all that could wait.
For now, he was experiencing the best sex of his life with a warm, willing woman. All thoughts fled as he sped his pace, gauging her reactions. She was eager for more, if the tugging on his shoulders was any clue. Her short nails dug into his skin, stirring his passion higher.
“More, Mace! Harder!” She whispered her need near his ear.
He gave her what they both wanted, speeding toward a hard, fast climax that sent them both into the sky. Crying out, he clung to her as his body seized with an orgasm unlike any he’d felt before, coming in her tight depths with pulsating spurts that went on and on, draining him and elating him at the same time. He lifted enough to watch her face, ecstatic that he could read her own gasping satisfaction on her beautiful face.
“Krysta,” he sighed her name as he began the slow journey back to earth. Her hands rubbed at his back even as her sheath continued to contract around him in shimmers of delight. He’d heard her call out his name when she came and it was a sound he’d never forget.
At length when he pulled back, she was smiling. The beauty of her stole his breath as she touched his face.
“Thank you, my love.” He kissed her with gentle motions, sated and fulfilled as he’d never been before.
“I think I should be thanking you.” Her light skin flushed. “That was incredible.”
He chuckled and kissed her again. “For me too. Want to do it again?”