He knew she wanted him to move up, to be more blatant in his lovemaking, but he was taking his time. Feeling her squirm and hearing her pant and moan for him was enough for him for now.

Ahnvil left off her breasts and pressed his lips to her solar plexus. Then again to the area above her navel, and then again to the spot just below it.

“Christ, I can smell the heat on you,” he said fiercely. “It makes me want tae … I’m going tae taste you soon, Kat lass. And I’m going tae make you come while doing it.”

“O-okay,” she said.

That made him laugh.

“Well then, now that I have your permission …” He briefly dipped his tongue into her navel, making her giggle through the ferocity of her desire. Then he wedged his shoulders between her thighs, his hand stroking down the length of first one, then the other. He used the knuckles of his hand to run the full length of her, from curls to backside, letting her buck up against him as she tried to encourage him to move faster than he was willing to. Then, much to her relief, he touched her. The relief was short-lived, however, as fire seared across her flesh everywhere he stroked against her.

Ahnvil could feel just how wet she was, and how wet she was growing with each passing touch of his fingers. It began to make him impatient as well. He found the lip of her entrance and pushed his finger inside of her, groaning at the tight, sweet feel of her. As she clutched at his fingers, first one and then quickly two, he could well imagine what she would feel like around him. It was as though they had never made love. As though it were the very first time he would be getting to learn her. The perception amazed him. Shouldn’t this be familiar territory already? They’d made love several times before this, why did it feel so … so novel?

That was when he realized it would never feel old or tired. Not with her. He didn’t know why, he just knew. It was a humbling sort of thing to realize. He closed his eyes briefly, absorbing what it meant to him, knowing she was well beyond anything he deserved and yet unable to be selfless enough to let her go and find what she deserved somewhere better.

Yes, he was selfish. There was no two ways about it. And once realizing it he decided to be resigned to it. If she wanted something other than what he could give her, then it would have to be her that drew an end to things. He knew it wouldn’t be him. Couldn’t be him. For now, she was allowing him time with her, loaning him her sweet body. So he would do whatever he could to see to it she was pleased, to make her happy. He would not be running away from her again, would not be leaving her unfulfilled. He already had to repay her for what had passed before.

He heard her gasp, knew he was giving her pleasure, so he chased the sound down, touching her deeper, stroking his thumb around her clit until she made the sound again. Then that wasn’t enough and he had to aim for a long, deeper, throatier sound, so he dipped his head down between her thighs and moved his thumb away from her, replacing it with his tongue. He teased her a little … then a lot, not doing what was best for her but bringing her right to the edge of it once … twice … again. Until she ground out a sound of frustration. He chuckled and then she was on to him, thrusting a punishing set of toes into his ribs.

“Doona fash yourself,” he murmured against her thigh, giving her a brief kiss there. “I know what I’m doing.”

“You couldn’t tell from my position!” she grumbled.

He laughed again. “You feel what I want you tae feel. And now I want you tae feel more. So you will.”

And so she did. She cried out to the heavens as he worked against her with skilled flicks of his tongue and the occasional sucking of her swollen clit. Then he was swirling his tongue around her, driving her to the very edge of orgasm. All it would take was just a little … bit … more …

She whipped into the release sharply, for all she had been building up to it, and she unthinkingly clawed her nails over the flesh of his shoulder and through the roots of his hair. She clutched him in spasm, holding him to herself, as if he might escape her should she give him a single moment’s chance. She couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“Doona let go, lass,” he said huskily. “I’m no’ through wi’ you yet.”

“Wait!” she cried breathlessly.

“No. I’ll no’ wait.”

“Shouldn’t I have some … oh God … some say in this?”

“No.”

“Oh. Okay,” she said with a swallow he could hear.

“I want to give, you want to get. Where’s the harm?” he pressed.

“But I—”

“No.”

“Oh. Okay,” she sighed, finally relaxing back and letting him have his way. She didn’t complain again until she was rounding the bend of her third orgasm. “Please,” she said. “I can’t do it again.”

“Aye, you can. But doona worry, I’ve something else in mind.”

He pushed her thighs farther apart, making room for himself as he surged up the center of her body. He felt his own heavy weight in his hand as he took himself within his own fist and brought himself to the edge of her entrance. He kissed her, waiting for her to relax, which took a fair minute because she was locked up tight in anticipation. But he waited … waited … and when she exhaled and finally realized he was in charge and nothing she did would sway or hurry him unless he wanted to be swayed or hurried, then he moved forward, pushing into her in a sudden surge of strength. She blended a cry in with his, both of them stunned by the way the other felt. It took a bit of doing, getting himself fully inside of her without spilling himself too soon. She had just that much power over him … and was just that tight besides. It reminded him of their disparate sizes, made him worry for her for a moment. But then he reminded himself that this was the lass who had blown Panahasi to kingdom come and had managed to escape Apep’s stronghold. And now, thanks to her, they knew exactly where that stronghold was. It had been moved since Kamen’s defection from their camp, and although he had escaped from there as well, he might not have found it again without her as motivation. Without her having saved his life in the first place.

No. He was selling her short to think of her as fragile. Not after all she had been through and survived. A trap he had almost lost his life to. A situation that Jan Li had not made it out of even with knowing the grounds like the back of her hand.