One way or another, Toren was going to give her what she wanted.

He eased her back on the rumpled bed, his face a mask of determination. “Lie still.” His rough whisper left no room for question. That wasn’t a request; it was a command.

His gaze bore down on her, pinning her in place. With the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows, every inch of his naked body was put on display for her to delight in. She hadn’t been wrong about the color of his skin. There was a warmer glow to it now, though she wasn’t sure if it was because of his time here on Earth, or because of his heightened arousal.

And it definitely was heightened. His erection thrust out proudly, dark and thick. Her mouth watered at the sight, and a clenching need filled her belly.

He lifted her foot, pressing a kiss against the inside of her ankle. His hair swirled around her toes, dragging up her leg as his kisses progressed along her calf. As he moved, his hold became firmer, spreading her thighs wider with each hot, wet kiss.

Adria stopped thinking and simply enjoyed letting him do as he pleased. The heat of his skin blasted out of him in waves. Her whole body was trembling, and yet she could not find the ability to speak and tell him to hurry the hell up. Everything he did drove her higher, stretched her tighter, until she was sure she was brittle enough to shatter.

He gazed up at her from between her thighs, his eyes midnight purple, like his hair. His long, black lashes were low, and color burned in his cheeks. The contrast of his pale hands on her darker thighs only highlighted their differences. His strength made her feel safe, and yet somehow gave her a dangerous thrill. His determination warned her that he was going to get his way, and yet she couldn’t find the room to rebel at the notion.

He offered her another wicked smile and lowered his head. He didn’t just kiss her or lick her—he feasted on her, putting every ounce of his formidable power into tilting her world on its axis. And then he did that thing with his tongue right against her clit.

She lit up with sensations too intense to be called pleasure. It charged through her, taking control of her arms and legs. Her body arched up off the bed, and she grabbed his head in an effort to find some hold on reality.

It did no good. She spun away in a vortex of Toren’s creation, with no say over where she landed. Her orgasm hit fast and hard, giving her no room to breathe. There was nothing she could do to slow it down or stave it off. As sharp as the edge of a blade, the pleasure sliced through her, leaving her panting, filled with a languid weakness.

Toren gave her no time to recover. He slid up her body, filling her with one long, slow stroke. Little tremors fluttered along his cock as the aftermath of what he’d done to her. She felt him shudder with each one as his mouth moved over her throat and jaw.

Low sounds of his restraint vibrated against her skin. His hot breath made the hair plastered to her temples sway slightly. Again, whatever language he spoke spilled from him like music, and with each passing second, she could feel some kind of power gathering nearby to surround them. The rest of the world was shut out. Unimportant. All that mattered was the two of them entwined together.

He began to move, pulling from her only to fill her once again. The storm of lust he’d driven away only moments ago began to gather again.

This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Adria didn’t react like this with men. She didn’t give herself over to them, or allow herself to be swept away by physical sensation. That was fleeting and meaningless.

And yet what she shared with Toren now felt anything but. She barely knew him, but when he’d touched her mind, she’d felt him—felt his essence. She’d felt his love for his family, his devotion to justice, his determination to let nothing stand in his way of doing the right thing.

That same determination was flowing from him now. In every heavy thrust, in every achingly sweet kiss, she felt a force driving him forward. Driving her higher.

Heat from his skin built until she wondered how it didn’t burn her. In the back of her mind she knew that getting burned was inevitable. She’d grown too close to him and he couldn’t stay. All she could do was enjoy the ride while it lasted.

Chapter Six

Toren could not possess this woman enough. He was melded to her as close as a man could be, and yet he still wanted more.

The sweet, liquid clench of her body around him drove him wild. Like a beast, he moved within her, unable to slow down. Power radiated around him. He could feel it shimmering in the air, gliding out of him despite his need to conserve what little magic he had left.

It was as though the magic controlled him—something he’d been taught from childhood he should not allow. And yet entwined with his Adreeahbenwah, he could not hold it in.

She gripped his arms and pulled her legs high against his sides, giving him room to move as he chose. Each of his hard thrusts was absorbed by her soft flesh. He marveled at that miracle for only a moment before the next clinging glide of skin on skin removed all thoughts from his mind.

He needed to claim her—to mark her in some way for all to see. It was selfish for him to desire such a thing, but the urge was driving him on, loud and unyielding in its demands.

More power gathered below his skin, heating it further.

Her voice rang out in a note of surprise and surrender as he sent her spiraling through yet another climax. The rippling flow of her delicate muscles tipped him over the edge. He tried to hold back to give her more pleasure, but his own could not be stopped. It burst down his spine and out of his body.

Power roared through his limbs and gathered against his will. It spilled from him, filling her clenching body in time with his release.

She gasped and arched beneath him, holding him as tight as her slender arms would allow.

Slowly the storm eased, leaving them both limp and spent.

Toren braced his weight on his arms, but could not bring himself to slide from her warmth. He wanted to feel every last flutter of her pleasure.

His skin cooled. All his heat was now pooled in her belly, along with whatever magic he had spent. If he had his way, he would have stayed inside her all day, but he could sense her growing discomfort in the way her legs kept shifting slightly.

He eased from her and curled against her side. His thigh settled over her legs, and his hand splayed over her stomach. He could feel no lingering power within her. Whatever he’d done, it was gone now—a mystery he would likely never solve.

She wiped her hair away from her damp face and turned to him. “You have a hell of a way of distracting a woman.”

“Distracting? I meant only to bring us pleasure.”

“You definitely succeeded there.”

He trailed his fingers over her skin, enjoying the flush of satisfaction he’d given her. “Once I eat, I will please you again.”

“Oh, no you don’t. You have work to do.”

“Work?”

She sat up, looking at him with anxiety tightening her expression. “Please tell me you remember.”

Toren searched his mind for the work she seemed so concerned about, but his efforts revealed nothing. “Remember what?”

Fear bloomed in her eyes, so plain he looked behind himself to see if some creature was there to attack.

“Tell me what you remember.”

His mind was hazy, which he didn’t think was right. “I remember you and me. The feel of your skin on mine. The scent of your hair. The sound of your voice as I please you. I remember watching you sleep.”

She swallowed nervously. “Is that all?”

“What more is there?”

Based on the way her shoulders slumped in defeat, he was certain he’d somehow just failed her.

* * *

Adria could not let this happen. She could not let Toren forget everything that was important to him—especially not when she’d selfishly wasted precious time by having sex with him.

“Toren,” she said, giving him a little shake. “You need to concentrate. Remember you want to go home?”

“Home? I am home when I look at you.”

Tears stung her eyes. What she wouldn’t have given to hear any other man say such sweet things to her. As much as she cared for Toren, as much as she would have jumped at the chance to be with him, he didn’t belong here. Nothing she could do would ever change that. If he stayed here, he’d lose everything. She couldn’t let that happen to him.

Adria blinked back her tears and shook him harder. “Stop it. You need to finish that thing on the back porch. I brought you more supplies.”

He continued to stare at her blankly.

“Remember Elina? Remember the man who killed your sister?”

Like flipping a switch, he seemed to come back to his senses. Anger hardened his jawline and flattened his mouth. “Gyrnar. He killed her. I must get home and see him brought to justice. I remember now.”

Relief tumbled through her. “Thank God. You need to stay focused on building your device, okay?”

He gave her a short, jerky nod. “It is nearly complete, though I am missing some crucial components.”

“I found some more things while I was out today. And I got you some clothes.” Maybe they would help her keep her hands to herself. And even if they didn’t help, she was going to be good. No more selfishly letting him seduce her. He’d already given her more pleasure than all the other men she’d known combined. If that wasn’t enough for her, then she didn’t deserve more.

* * *

The fog at the edges of Toren’s mind was creeping over his memories again. He chanted Elina’s name silently as he worked, hoping her memory would act as a talisman against Obliterra’s power.

* * *

Adreeahbenwah brought him food, which he consumed as he worked. The items she had found on her quest were molded into strange shapes, but he used more of his dwindling power to form them to fit the transportal device.

Of course if he used all of his power, his memories would vanish, and no amount of effort was going to be enough to send him home. He had to retain enough strength to activate the device.

Darkness crept over the land, muting the vivid oranges and warm browns of the woods surrounding them. It really was a lovely place—the perfect backdrop for his beautiful Adreeahbenwah.

He was going to miss her once he was gone. She was so generous and gentle. He had sensed her inner turmoil when he had absorbed her language. She had come here to rest and regain her strength. To ponder her future and find a way free of the great loneliness and grief hovering over her. This time was valuable in some way he could not understand. All he knew was that once these few days of respite were over, she would lose the chance to shape her life into one that made her happy.

Here he was, eating up that precious time, and she had not once complained. Instead she had thrown herself into his dilemma, generously giving of her time. And her body.

The thought of what they had shared had the power to drive all other thoughts from Toren’s mind. The sweet sound of her voice, her yielding softness, the rippling cling of her body as she was fulfilled—all of that would haunt him until the end of his days.

He might not remember his home and real life while on Obliterra, but once he was back on Sorsca, every detail of his time here would blaze in his memory, as sharp and clear as it was now. There would be no fading over time, or muting the feelings he had shared with her. His mind would work as designed, holding every tiny detail in pristine condition for the rest of his days.