Page 203 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
I ripped my mouth from his with a gasp. “I didn’t drink Mother’s Mercy.”
I haven’t had the potion in so long, I didn’t even remember the recipe to brew the potion.
Ryker frowned. “What in the underworld is that? An aphrodisiac?”
“No, a potion you drink to prevent those precious heirs from popping out before you’re ready.”
“Ah. We call it Lover’s Luck.” He nuzzled my neck as if we didn’t have a huge problem on our hands.
“Do you have some?” I asked, sounding too hopeful even to my own ears. Gods, wearing my eagerness so openly was strange.
“No need.” He kissed my clavicle. “You do remember I also have power, yes? Power which can control every single cell of the body–inside or outside it.”
Nowthatwas impressive. “You can prevent pregnancies?”
“Yes, for how long is required.” He stilled suddenly. “I only control my body, of course. Not yours. I remember what I promised.”
It took me a few moments for the memory to burst through the haze of pleasure.
On the day I woke up here, he’d used his power to freeze my body so I wouldn’t attack him.
A shiver coursed down my spine at the thought, but it wasn’t born out of fear, like before.
“I hadn’t even thought about that possibility. You promised, I believed you,” I said.
It was as simple as that.
The kiss he gave me was different than all the others. Not brimming with desire, not searing, not playful.
It was deep and slow and vulnerable. He took his sweet time tasting me sweetly, making my toes curl.
Caught in the moment, our bodies moved of their own accord, sliding against each other, hips lining up. It felt so natural. So easy. So…welcomed.
Without breaking the kiss, Ryker pushed inside of me achingly slow, filling me inch by inch, just like I’d craved. My hands grasped his shoulders and didn’t let go, as my world spun around me–only this time, in the best possible way.
We moaned at the same time, breaths mingling just like our bodies did.
Ryker lowered his head to the crook of my neck, where his breathing always lingered longest. “Breathe. Just breathe.”
I didn’t know if he was talking to me or himself. But when he started moving inside of me, the air whooshed out of my lungs.
Each little groan that escaped me spurred him on. His movements were gentle and controlled, but the sounds escaping his throat sounded feral. One of his hands tangled in my hair, pinning me down.
The other covered my clavicle, his thumb resting on my pulse point–and that drove me fucking mad.
I covered his palm with mine and tugged it fully over my neck. He stilled for the briefest moment, letting me take control for once.
I could only guess what he was thinking, but it must have been the same memories that whirled around in my head–Orion choking the life out of me.
But that moment had been about betrayal.
This was about trust.
I wanted that awful memory to fade. Vanish in a sea of pleasure until not even his scars remained on my mind.
Ryker still waited for my cue, obviously unsure where this was going–and I adored that.
I pressed my palm against his hand and increased his grip.
