Page 180 of Unbound

He pulls back, his eyes meeting mine, lips glistening. "What do you want, Nessa? Tell me."

"You," I manage, tugging at his shoulders. "Inside me. Please."

His hands slide to my ass, lifting me effortlessly in the water. I wrap my legs around his waist, gasping as the position brings his hardness against my core.

"You're sure?" he asks, searching my face. "We can wait. Do this properly, after the Crucible, when we have time?—"

I silence him with a kiss, pouring everything I feel into it—the want, the need, the fear that there might not be an after. When I pull back, his eyes are blazing.

"I need this," I tell him. "I need you. Now."

His hands shift, one moving to support my lower back, the other positioning himself at my entrance. "Look at me," he commands softly.

I open my eyes, meeting his golden gaze. The vulnerability there matches my own—the fear of loss, the desperate need for connection, the knowledge that after tomorrow, everything could change. In this moment, we're just Raith and Nessa, stripped of all pretense, all armor.

"I need you to be sure," he says, his voice tight with restraint. "Because once I start, I don't think I'll be able to stop."

In answer, I reach between us, gripping his thickness in my hand and roll my hips forward, teasing him with my body. "I've never been more sure of anything."

Raith nods. “There’s a trick fires can use… a little heat in the right place and we’re sterile for a day or two.” I feel a flare of his magic in the air and his lips curve slightly.

I chew my lower lip. “Have you… used that trick before?”

“No. You’re the only one I’ve wanted since I stepped foot on this campus.”

His words are like music to me. I thread my fingers behind his neck, urging him closer, breath heavy on my lips. “Please. Fuck me, Raith.”

He groans at my words, sliding himself into me with agonizing patience. His eyes never leave mine, watching for any sign of discomfort. I can feel his emotions. His desires.

He wants to grip me tight and pound into me, fucking me until I scream. But he wants me to feel safe even more. He wants to make sure I’m comfortable. That I feel protected.

There's a brief stretch and burn as my body accommodates him, but it fades quickly into pleasure so intense it takes my breath away.

"You're so warm in me," I gasp. "It feels so good, Raith."

"Gods," he breathes, his forehead resting against mine once he's fully seated within me. "You feel... incredible."

I roll my hips experimentally, drawing a hiss from between his clenched teeth. His hands tighten on my thighs, his fingers digging into my flesh. A devious part of me wants to unleash the beast I feel within him—the beast that wants to fuck me so hard everyone in this wing of the academy will hear my screams.

"Don't move," he warns, his voice strained. "Not yet. I need a moment or this will be over embarrassingly fast."

I smile, oddly pleased by his admission. I press kisses to his jaw, his neck, feeling his pulse racing beneath my lips. "Been a while?"

"It's never felt like this," he confesses, his eyes meeting mine again. "Never this intense."

The tether between us pulses, growing stronger with our physical connection. I feel echoes of his pleasure mingling with my own, creating a feedback loop of sensation that threatens to overwhelm us both. I can feel his thick heat filling me and stretching my walls, and... I can also feel a hint of my own walls squeezing against his heat, as if I'm feeling this from every possible angle.

"I can feel you," I whisper, awed. "Not just physically. I can feel your pleasure."

His eyes widen slightly. "I feel yours too. It's..." He shakes his head, words failing him.

When he finally begins to move, it's with controlled, measured strokes that make the water lap gently against the pool's edge. He watches me carefully and slowly zeroes in on the exact rhythm and spot that drives me absolutely wild with pleasure.

"More," I urge, my nails digging into his shoulders. "Faster."

Thunder rumbles overhead again and the clouds twist, churning with increased speed.

"Patience," he murmurs against my throat, but he complies, increasing his pace slightly. Each thrust sends water splashing, the gentle sounds mixing with our ragged breathing.

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