Page 142 of The King's Man
Again. Again. Again.
With each thrust of those powerful wings, it seemed he might drive me into halves, but then gravity did its work and we slowed to hang in the air together. He’d pulled himself out halfway so I felt the drag of him, then flap again.
I wanted to kiss him, leaned aside to urge his mouth and tongue against my neck. And then, as I was trembling, helpless and turning into a puddle in his arms, he reached around with one hand and buried it between my legs to stroke me in time with those glorious, flapping thrusts.
I was mindless. Riding him into the sky. Utterly unaware of anything but his body, his voice, his warmth in contrast to the chill of the night and the wind fluttering against my face.
And then he spoke. A low, ragged rasp in my ear that contended with the thundering wind, but warmed my heart as much as his body warmed my skin.
“God, you’re so beautiful… It’s a joy to feel you want me. To know you aren’t afraid anymore.”
Afraid the wind would steal my voice, I sent my answer to his mind.‘The joy is mine. You make me ache, Jann. I need you. And not just like this, but—oh…’
As I spoke, he’d grunted and flapped again, and for a few seconds we both rode that glorious thrill of our bodies slammed together, then he tilted his wings and spiraled us down towards the earth.
‘Promise me, Dee… Promise me you’ll tell me if the fear comes back.’
‘I promise.’
‘Tell me you’ll let me win your heart.’
‘You already have!’
I trembled as he stroked me again at the same time he pulled back and flapped, pushing us high once more. I cried out with the desperate pleasure of having him within me, and feeling histouch, of the wind against my skin, and his kiss on my neck. Of his love thrumming in the bond, and his body swelling for mine…
“Jann…Jann…”
“I have you.”
As my body climbed as surely as our flight, I could do nothing but hold onto him and beg for more. When my hips bucked and that coil of promise made my body tighten on him, he groaned, but stroked me faster, and tipped us into a dive and rise, dive and rise, the sweeping of our bodies coiling together with the sheer bliss of riding him, taking him, being touched by him.
I was a trembling mess, unable to even form his name, but crying out to the sky as he flapped once more, then again, and again, driving into me with his own desperate cry as I broke. Starlight exploding within me, I clenched on him, my body twitching and jolting.
Jann swore, then his head snapped back and I felt him pulse within me as he followed me over the crest of that beautiful wave.
For long moments, he opened his wings and we floated, bodies alight, minds consumed, in the cool dark together.
And when finally that wave of ecstasy drew out, Jann sucked in a deep breath, then clamped his arm around my stomach and buried his face in my neck.
‘My mate… There is no more beautiful sight than your skin in the moonlight, and no better sound than my name on your tongue as you come.’
God, he was a poet.
Overwhelmed and still scrambling for my wits, I gripped his arm and pressed myself back into his body, wishing every moment could be this one.
‘I love you, Jann. I am… all yours.’
It was only the simple truth. And he knew it, because the bond swelled, light flaring on that cord that tied our souls together. And for a long time we drifted on the winds, bodies slack, but hearts full to bursting.
49.Weary Traveler
~ JANN ~
The further we traveled, the more time I was forced to spend with my feet firmly on earth. My muscles strengthened over the weeks, but without time for true recovery, I never ceased feeling achy and exhausted, utterly spent at the end of the day. And yet, even in that cage of pain, the hours with Diadre in my arms were precious.
Over those two weeks crossing the continent, her heart bloomed like a flower opening to the sun. And the joy of watching her lose her fear spurred me forward and made the difficult days worth the pain.
After debating for days which capital to visit, in the end the decision was taken from my hands when a storm blew up from the north, pushing us further and further south. My choice was to exhaust myself further fighting the storm, and slow our progress, or let the winds carry us south, towards Braventhall and the Centaurs.
