Damn it. This was not the way it was supposed to be. Their bonding was supposed to be easy. Natural. Maybe it would be best if he took her to the compound and went with Thomas himself.
“No. I won’t let you go alone.”
Drake felt a little burst of excitement go through him. “You heard that thought?”
She frowned. “I don’t know if ‘heard’ is the right word, but yeah. I knew what you were thinking.”
“That’s good. Try to do it again, only this time, I’m going to show you what I need you to do, okay?”
She nodded and Drake closed his eyes, trying to picture in his mind what he needed from her. He pictured his power as a light, a glowing pool of energy inside him. He placed his hand on her throat so that his ring made firm contact with the necklace. Immediately, he felt the flow of energy rush out of him. That light poured into her through the luceria until her skin glowed with the force of it.
He heard her make a shocked sound, but didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he visualized taking her hand in his and stretching it out toward the rock. He sent the light streaking out from her hand until it engulfed the rock; then slowly, he lifted her hand, making the rock float up inside the light.
Drake opened his eyes to see if she understood. Not only did she understand, but she was doing it. There was no glowing light, but her hand was held out and the rock hovered three feet off the ground.
“You did it,” he whispered, not wanting to break her concentration. Her bottom lip was held tight between her teeth and she shook with effort. A fine sweat broke out along her hairline, and her chest—her lovely, womanly chest—was rising and falling in rapid succession, playing havoc with his concentration.
Her arm lowered until the rock returned to the ground, and even though she was out of breath, she looked at him with an excited light in her eyes. Her mouth curved in a proud smile and let out a giggly little laugh. “I can use magic!”
Between the happiness shining in her features and the warmth of her joy filling him through their link, Drake couldn’t help but laugh along with her. “You sure can.”
“That is the coolest thing ever.” She twirled around in a circle and for the first time since he’d met her, physical separation didn’t hurt. He no longer had to touch her to be free from his pain. The link of the luceria was apparently enough of a connection. He wasn’t sure whether he was relieved because it was a lot more convenient, or he missed having the excuse to touch her.
He’d just have to come up with another excuse because he sure wasn’t going to stop touching her.
“I want to try something else,” she said.
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. What can I do?”
“I honestly have no idea. You’re going to have to figure that out for yourself. Each woman is different and has her own strengths and weaknesses.”
“How many more women like me are there?”
“Not many.”
“Can I meet them?’
“You’ll get to meet Gilda as soon as we go back to my home.”
That beautiful smile of hers made his breath catch in his throat. She was such a precious gift and he had no idea how to thank her for saving him.
“I know how,” she told him, as if answering his thoughts. She slid her hands over his shoulders and pulled his head down to hers. Her mouth settled over his in a tender kiss, and the gentle touch of her soft lips drove all other thoughts from his head.
Tender wasn’t enough for him. Not by a long shot. He wanted more. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close so that there was no space between them. The scent of lilac bubble bath filled his nose, and beneath that soothing smell was the much more exciting scent of warm, happy woman. He teased her lips open with his tongue until she granted him access to her mouth. Drake wasted no time claiming the space as his own, learning every slick contour and sharp edge. He tasted her sigh of pleasure and offered her one of his own.
His skin heated until the warm summer air felt cool brushing against him. His blood was pounding through him, hot and greedy for more of her. He let her feel his lust, forced it though the link so that she had no choice but to feel it. He wanted her to know how much he desired her. He wanted to let his own need magnify hers. He wanted her desperate for him. He craved it.
She let out a needy whimper and her whole body softened in his arms.
A heady rush of victory slammed into him, making him grip her harder to keep from being swept away by the force of it. Losing himself in her was so easy, felt so right. She was warm, willing, eager, and his for the taking. And taking was exactly what he had in mind.
He wanted to feel her naked in his arms again, only this time, he wanted to finish exploring her body and giving her pleasure. He wanted to taste every smooth inch of her until she was quivering in his arms, begging him for completion. The soft curve of her breasts against his chest teased him and the feel of her bottom filling his hands drove him wild.
He was hard, aching for her, arching against her so that she could feel just how hard she made him. He was ready to take her right there on the grass, under the stars. She would have let him, too, but some sliver of sanity held him back.
He pulled away from their kiss and sucked in a deep breath of midnight air. Crickets sang around them, heedless of the battle he waged to hold himself in check.
Her mouth moved on to new territory, leaving a hot line of kisses down his neck. Her fingers tangled in his hair and if he wasn’t careful, he was going to be bald trying to separate them.
As much as he wanted her, there wasn’t time for the kind of thorough loving he had in mind, and even if there was, both he and Thomas had bled giving her their oath. The scent of their blood would no doubt draw Synestryn from whichever dark holes they hid in.
“We have to stop before we can’t,” he told her. His breathing was harsh and his body shook in resentment that he had to let her go.