Page 51 of Tattle Tail
He pumped into her, each thrust growing more erratic and less controlled. Her hands twisted into the sleeping bags, the fabric ripping. She clenched around him, hot, tight, and never letting him go.
She cried out, her pleasure ringing off the trees and filling the night.
He grabbed her ankles and tossed them over his shoulders, leaning forward. With the new angle, he hit a spot that made her wild. Her moans went from low and throaty to keening and desperate. She bucked, her hips meeting him for each thrust. All control was gone. The entire cosmos narrowed to where their bodies met, skin on skin, and heart beating with heart.
His release built, coiling tightly until he could no longer hold back. His mouth captured hers. Fangs nipped against his lips. His beautiful Peaceable, marking him up.
He tensed, releasing deep within her. She moaned, wrapping arms and legs around him. He fell forward, pressing his weight against hers. Limbs tangled, they fit perfectly together.
Kiss chased kiss, growing softer and less fevered. He wanted to explore her, to taste every inch of her skin, but there would be time for that later.In the morning, he silently promised himself. He wanted her flushed with the soft morning light and sleep still rasping her voice. He adored her sleepy voice. Until then, holding her was perfection.
“I adore you,” he whispered.
“You carry my heart,” she replied. His breath caught at the words.
A comfortable silence settled between them. He wanted her to say the words again and again. He wanted to bring her to ecstasy, make her lose all control, and shout that she loved him.
Instead, he gently caressed her back and kissed the top of her head. Her ears flicked.
“I ruined the sleeping bags,” she said, hiding her face against his chest and laughing softly.
“You can ruin every set of my sheets. I’ll buy more.” He didn’t care if he spent a fortune so long as it meant Peaceable stayed in his bed.
Chapter 15
Peaceable
After a long day of not making much progress, she wanted a swim in the river.
“Would you ever consider visiting Earth?”
Joseph’s question caught her unawares, so she replied, “Now?”
“Yes, now, Peaceable,” he said, his voice thick with sarcasm. “In a ship with no breathable air and holes I can put my hands through.”
She tramped through the grass. “It is very far away.”
“I was just thinking that Earth has these ancient observatories and they’re like celestial clocks, and I thought you’d like them.” He ran a hand up the back of his head, as if nervous.
The gesture warmed her more than the sunshine. She snagged his hand, pulling him to a standstill. “Yes, I’d like that. Thank you for asking.” She stretched up on her toes and placed a soft kiss on his lips.
“And we should visit the Thirteen Towers on Talmar after we deliver the piano,” he added.
The reason they had been on route to Talmar seemed so removed from herself, like it happened a lifetime ago.
“I’d like that,” she said.
As she approached the river’s edge, she stripped off her clothing, tossing the garments on the ground. Sweat and dust clung to her skin. She could shower on the ship, but how often did she get a chance to swim?
She waded into the river, the water warmed by the sun. Cool mud squished between her toes. When the water reached her waist, she dunked herself under. The deeper water braced against her skin, shocking her body into alertness.
Gasping for air, she emerged to find Joseph watching her from the bank.
“Join me,” she said.
He shook his head. “I never learned to swim.”
“I thought you went camping as a kit.”
