Page 38 of Ransomed to the World
Even battered and bruised, he was magnificent.
And he was hers.
Not wanting him to ever doubt it, she let him feel her emotions through the mark.
He sucked in a startled breath, his lavender eyes darkened and latched onto hers. His hair stood upright and proud.
He finally believed her.
With a growl, he leaned down and kissed her.
Her world blurred as he swept her off her feet and into his arms. His mouth was hungry and demanding, and she had no desire to resist. Craving more, she wrapped her legs around him, humming her approval when she felt his massive erection between them.
When a rumble of pleasure escaped him, her whole body tingled, and she was helpless to resist rubbing against him. He gave a growl of approval, his arms tightened around her, and the rest of the world fell away.
She slid her fingers into his hair, pausing when she felt the hard ridges of his horns. She’d swear they were bigger. Then she gave him a devilish smile and very deliberately ran her fingers from the tip to the base of one horn.
Mason shuddered and stilled in her arms. He lifted his mouth from hers, and their gazes clashed, his eyelids heavy with lust. His hair tangled with her fingers, stopping her…then tugged her hand closer, urging her to continue stroking him.
“You play a dangerous game.”
The rough tone of his voice tingled along her skin, her nipples hardening at the sound, and it was all she could do not to squirm in his arms and rub harder against his erection.
Fuck it.
She traced the horn again, lightly, giving him a wicked smile. “I play to win.”
His hips immediately slammed against her, and it was her turn to groan, all thoughts of the game vanished. “Mason.Please.”
Instead of complying, he tore his mouth away from hers, his breathing ragged, his lavender eyes nearly violet with need. She tightened her legs around him when she feared he would pull away and glared at him, not liking the stubborn tilt to his chin. “Don’t you fucking dare say I’m not ready.”
A growl of pained laughter came from him. He dragged one hand over his wild hair, static crackling through it, and it sprang right back up. “I want our first time to be perfect. You’re my one and only love. There will never be another. I want to shower you with chocolate and roses, take you out on a date and show you off. I want—”
“Mason…I don’t need any of that. Anywhere with you will be perfect. You can give me romance later, when the danger is over. Don’t take away what could be beautiful memories for a time that may never come.”
He looked troubled by her response. He pressed his forehead against hers, trembling slightly and whispered, “I want it to be perfect. I want you to enjoy it. I’m afraid I’ll hurt you and scare you away.” Strands of his hair stretched forward tentatively to caress her face.
“Never.” She untangled her hand from his hair and ran it along his jaw. “You could never scare me away.”
He bent, carefully setting her on the ground, and she struggled to stay upright on unsteady legs. When he knelt in front of her, he still remained slightly taller. She should be intimidated as hell, but it took all her control not to crawl up his body and stake her claim.
Fuck it.
Annora threw herself at him, then let out a startled squeak when he tipped over backwards. Mason swept his arms around her, dragging her with him, cradling her close, until she ended up sprawled across his chest. She looked down, studying every nuance of his face, then gave in to the urge to do what she wanted and kissed the daylights out of him.
Any hesitation on his part vanished. His arms tightened around her, crushing her to his chest, and she moaned at the delicious pressure of being caught close. His skin was slightly rough as she explored him, and she pushed away, needing to see all of him.
As she straightened, his erection was big and thick between her legs, and he froze beneath her, barely breathing. Wanting him to forget about his fears, she grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, then quickly unlatched her bra and dropped it.
After years of confinement and abuse, she’d lost what little shyness she had about being naked. Wonder sparked in his eyes as he caressed her exposed skin, and she shivered, amazed at how much she’d been missing in life.
Until now.
Until them.
Desire sizzled along her nerve endings, and she couldn’t stop herself from squirming against him. A moan, part pleasure, part pain, escaped him, and she stilled. His eyes immediately snapped open to meet hers, and she squirmed again, deliberately this time, watching as lust dilated his pupils.
His hands came to settle carefully on her hips, guiding her as he gently thrust against her.
