Page 17 of Bed of Thorns

His once perfect body was scarred, the ugly zigs and zags resembling a serrated edge, a horrific design carved into his skin. I reached out without thinking, pressing the tips of my fingers against one of several.

Edmond peered down, watching as I traced the edges, his breathing as ragged as mine.

“They did hurt you. Bastards.”

His silence was as telling as if he’d given any details of what horrors he’d faced. He allowed me to continue for a few seconds before placing his hand over mine, squeezing my fingers then pulling my palm to his mouth. As he pressed his wet lips against my skin, my breath caught in my throat, flutters forming in my stomach.

Every action he took methodical, he returned my hand to the bed, stroking my wrist several times.

For all the fantasies and harsh realities, all the fear I’d had for his safety and the utter dread I had when learning about what he’d been through, nothing had prepared me for what was about to transpire between us. The barrier was about to be broken, one so tender and vulnerable that there’d be no protective net to catch us when we fell.

And one day we would, spiraling into the unknown. But that day wasn’t here. Yet.

He hovered over me, his heated gaze igniting the last embers sizzling deep inside. When he peeled my tee shirt up over my hips, exposing my naked pussy, I held my breath to keep from whimpering. I’d never felt so many extreme sensations, the heat and cold keeping my muscles tense. He was gentle in his actions, easing the material over my breasts then glancing into my eyes.

His nostrils were flared, his mouth pursed and the look in his eyes was entirely different than before. He was no longer a man, but a primal beast who’d hungered for something he’d thought forbidden.

Taboo.

But there was no reason for him to think that way.

I was a prize he’d sought and now, he refused to back down from obtaining what he’d craved, taking me as his.

After pulling the shirt over my head, allowing the material to slip through his fingers, he took several deep breaths.

“You’re my everything.”

His words would haunt me more than whatever happened on this night, but it was too late to deny the tentative yet powerful bond we’d acquired only minutes after our first meeting. He remained over me, lifting his arm then sliding a single finger down my forehead to my nose, moving ever so slowly to my chin and down my neck.

There was no way to hold back a whimper as he continued his careful exploration, cocking his head as he eased the rough tip from one shoulder to the other, then further down, moving between my breasts. His breathing changed, so ragged the sound filtered into my ears. I continued shivering, gasping for air as he swirled the tip around one nipple.

I closed my eyes, turning my head. He gripped my chin, rubbing his thumb back and forth across my lips, tenderly turning my head toward him. “Open your eyes, Mercedes.”

His commanding voice refused to be denied. I did as he demanded, unable to stop shaking. I opened my mouth, but no words were spoken. I had no idea what I could say.

“You’re even more beautiful than I remembered.”

“I’m… I’m not.”

“Shush. You’re every man’s fantasy, the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen, and now you’re all mine.” He lowered his head as he’d done before, his single kiss like the soft brush of a feather. He returned to his exploration, shifting his hand to my other breast, repeating the action then rolling two fingers down my stomach, a strange smile crossing his face. When he shifted down a few inches, I tensed even more, biting my lip to keep from crying out.

Yet he avoided pressing his hand between my legs, instead dragging the backs of his fingers down one thigh, following his heated trail with his eyes. I used to be able to tell what he was thinking, but on this night it was impossible. He wasn’t the caged lion I’d thought he’d be, consuming everything in his path that suited him. He was something else altogether, but that allowed the anxiety to increase, my heart skipping several beats.

The sharp electric shock was more of a blast, a firecracker placed far too close to the two of us. His intoxicating scent had already created a fog around my brain, but now I was lost in the swirling clouds, surrounded as if a maze had been carved out of stone, keeping us locked in a moment in time. Escape wasn’t possible. There were no scenarios where we’d walk away from this without scars.

When he grazed his hand just above my pussy before easing it onto my other leg, I flinched, whimpering from the intense sensations. He slid his gaze toward my eyes, his full of danger and adventure where mine were likely surrounded by excitement yet anxiety.

“You’ve never done this before.”

I was surprised at how deep his voice sounded, even more so than before. He was making a statement, not suddenly realizing that I’d held off bothering to accept someone else. I thought I’d be embarrassed but the look in his eyes was as if I’d just given him a special prize. “Does that bother you?”

His smile was also different, more possessive than before, his expression full of unbridled lust. “Why would it ever bother me that you waited for me?”

Had that been the reason? Had I lied to myself, pretending as if I just hadn’t found the right man? Or had I already given myself to him a long time before?

“Because…” I’d never been the kind of woman to have words stuck in my throat, but at this moment, I was so lost that finding the right thing to say wasn’t going to happen.

He placed a single finger over my lips, his smile remaining. Then he teased my skin, rubbing the tip up and down my thigh, the strokes soothing. Everything about him was rough, but the way he was allowing my desire to unfold indicated a small portion of the gentle soul remained buried inside.

---