Page 68 of Tik-Tok

“I was trying to beromantic,” she said with a glare. “Throw me the ladder.”

Tik-Tok simply watched her little boat bob along the silver swells. If he left to get the rope ladder, if he took his eyes off her for even a single moment, he worried she might magically disappear. And then what?

Then I would find her and bring her back again.

He shut the idea down immediately, determined to let her make her own choices, and reluctantly stepped away from the rail. It took mere seconds to grab the ladder, hook one end to the rail, and release it. The rope hit the side of the ship with a heavythwack. He chanced a look down again and North began her ascent.

She’s really here.

Something nudged at the emptiness inside him. Heat. A pulse. Sparks that weren’t quite magic but might as well have been. Every second he waited for her to reach the top of the ladder was torture. He beamed down at her as she climbed. “Seems like you’ve made a decision.”

“Stupid dress,” she muttered to herself, ignoring his comment.

As soon as her hands curled over the top of the railing, Tik-Tok grabbed her under the arms and hoisted her over the edge. Chest heaving, she blew a strand of hair from her face and smoothed down the front of the dress. The fabric was covered in small, embossed flowers and gold ribbons crossed through eyelets, holding the panels of her bodice tightly together. Finally, she stopped fussing and met his gaze. “Hi,” she said quietly.

“Hi,” he replied.

She smiled, holding up his old compass. “I found you.”

“I see that.” He swallowed hard. “Why, exactly?”

The smile faded, replaced with uncertainty. “You don’t seem happy to see me.”

“Why are you here?” he asked, voice cracking. He knew, deep down, she’d come back to him, but there was still a new, uncertain feeling inside him. Only hearing hersayit would alleviate the twisting nerves.

She tilted her head, examining him, and he was suddenly very aware of his appearance. Rumpled clothes, hair tied into a messy knot at his nape, stubble on his cheeks. It was a fucking miracle he’d bothered to bathe that morning.

“I want to stay with you.” North bit her bottom lip and looked at him from beneath her lashes. “I came back to be withyou… if you’ll have me.”

Fuck. Me.He would do anything to have her. To keep her. She was his North Star, his new purpose, and he would be damned if he let her slip through his fingers again.

Tik-Tok moved to her then, his lips capturing hers. His kiss was desperate and rough, his fingers tangling in her hair. With one swipe of his tongue, he parted her lips, and she let him in. A sigh escaped him as he tasted her sweetness. He felt himself come alive against her mouth as he took from her and gave everything he had in return.

She’d come backfor him.

Her fingers tugged up the hem of his shirt and he broke away only long enough to pull it over his head. The sensation of her fingers trailing down his chest, over his abdomen, toward the tie on his pants, had him groaning with anticipation. His cock pressed painfully against the fabric, and he tightened his grip on her hair. With his other hand, he pressed against her lower back until she was flush against him.

The feel of her body, even through all the layers, made him moan into her mouth. “North,” he breathed.

“I know. I need you too.”

Tik-Tok groaned and backed her up against the outer wall of his quarters. With deft fingers, he began untying the front of her bodice. Each tug loosened it a bit more, exposing smooth skin beneath. The curves of her breasts peeked through the ribbons, teasing him. He cupped one of them over the fabric and slipped his thumb inside, running the pad down the small crease of her cleavage. Goosebumps rose on her skin in response, and he licked his lips.

“Wait,” she breathed, her eyes widening. “They’ll see us.”

“Everyone’s gone into town.” After everything they’d done together, she was still so innocent. It made him impossibly hard knowing he was the only one who had seen her writhe in pleasure—pleasurehegave. “They won’t be back for hours.”

With a final tug on the ribbons, the bodice gaped open, revealing her breasts. The hard, pink tips pressed over the fabric like an offering. His cock throbbed at the sight, his tongue yearning to trail across each slope of her body. Sliding his hand inside her top, he gave the soft flesh a gentle squeeze.

She sighed and arched into his touch. He grinned at her, eyes sparkling, as he sucked a stiff nipple into his mouth, rolling the other between his fingers. North grabbed his head, holding him there as she rolled her hips into his.

“Patience,” he murmured, though he was hanging on to his by a thread.

North slipped the tips of her fingers into the band of his pants and tugged him against her. “Gods, you make it hard.”

Tik-Tok licked his lips and stared at her, seeing his own lust mirrored in her eyes. A sinful smirk played on his lips as he slowly—sopainfully slowly—slipped her skirts up around her waist. His breath hitched when he found her bare beneath. “How presumptuous,” he teased.

“You forget I rowed here, and it was hot.” North panted.

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