The taste of her, the sensation of such velvety softness against his lips . . . he lost all sense of self-control and feasted, licking and sucking, while she bucked and twisted underneath him. His awareness narrowed to two things, how immense and painful his erection had become, and the slick pearl of flesh he held with such tense care between his teeth.

She was sobbing now, and swearing like a sailor. He would have laughed, if he’d remembered what humor was.

Instead, he flicked his tongue faster, harder. He couldn’t shove his cock into her and suck on her at the same time, no matter how much he wanted to, so he made do by inserting two fingers into her.

Her inner muscles clenched on him, and she was so tight and richly plush inside, so wet, he just had to fuck her with those two fingers, he had to. The heat and carnality of it shoved him outside of himself. All his intellect shut down, until only the urgency was left, and it built to an excruciating level.

A low, shaking moan broke out of her, and her body rippled with more tremors. He felt her climax, inside and out.

As he held his mouth firm and steady to help her through it, he thought, Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

No. That ancient, long-dead author got it wrong.

Love is surprising and can strike the oldest, most world-weary heart without warning.

Love is so much stronger than death.

• • •

The strength of her second climax was so ferocious it overtook everything. She felt completely lit from the inside, bathed in the sweetest, most delicious fire she’d ever experienced.

It wasn’t that she’d never climaxed before. She’d had healthy, athletic sex, and she’d climaxed many times, both with partners and by pleasuring herself. Climaxing happened to be one of her very favorite things to do.

But she’d never before climaxed with Xavier.

The visual shock of watching him work between her parted legs was only matched by the sensual shock of feeling his mouth move on her with such intimate wisdom, and feeling his fingers pierce deep inside her body.

She’d never before climaxed with such emotion.

He had coaxed her out of her fortress until she stood unguarded, and the pleasure rolled over her like a tsunami. Sobbing for breath, she clutched at his shoulder, while tears spilled out of the corners of her eyes. He was the only thing strong enough to hold on to in the face of such a storm.

As the wave of pleasure peaked and ebbed, Xavier raised his head and met her gaze, the angles of his face pronounced and serious. He had such clarity in his eyes, as if he comprehended even more than she what they did together.

The muscles in his arms and upper chest bunching, he rose to crawl over her. A sprinkle of sleek, dark hair ran down the middle of his lean torso, winging out to touch both flat, male nipples, and arrowing down to the erect penis that jutted out of the opening of his slacks.

He had a beautifully masculine body, but it was only a naked body. It shouldn’t be so profound. Except she couldn’t lie to herself, and it was.

After two climaxes, she should feel sated, but she didn’t. Nothing was going predictably. Her body felt empty and aching.

Looking up into his eyes, she curled her fingers around his cock. He felt hot and hard, his penis covered with skin like silk. When she squeezed him, he hissed between his teeth and arched into her hand.

The most ravenous hunger gripped her. She arched her pelvis up, guiding him as he settled his weight on her. Nose to nose, they stared into each other’s eyes. The intensity was palpable and searing, like an arc of electricity sparking between them.

The head of his cock brushed the hypersensitive, swollen flesh at her entrance. Bracing his weight on his arms, he pressed, and the thick, rigid length of his flesh entered hers.

He came in, and in, moving slowly to let her accommodate his intrusion. She was so wet and ready he didn’t have to work but could push in to the hilt.

The same hunger she felt etched his features, and his eyes blazed with fierce wonder.

“Tell me it’s okay to fall in love with you.” The words tumbled out of her trembling mouth without her conscious volition, and when she heard herself say them, she flinched and felt crushed with humiliation.

She hadn’t meant to say it. For God’s sake, this was only the first time they had gotten together, and despite their earlier conversation there was no guarantee of another. How many times did people say stupid stuff in the heat of sex?

If she thought his gaze had blazed before, it was nothing compared to the heat and light that came out of him then. He looked wholly alive, wholly engaged, and so touched she didn’t have the heart to stammer out a retraction.

Eyelids lowering in a heavy, sensual look, he tilted his head to fasten his lips over hers in a light caress. He murmured softly, “I would be so honored if you did.”

It was okay. He made it better than okay. He made her welcome.

As he began to move, she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, and held him with her entire body.

He set up a gentle rhythm, sliding all the way in then pulling back until just the tip of his penis rested at her entrance. Leaning on one elbow, he stroked her face, her hair, and ran his fingers lightly down the side of her neck to cup her breast.

Pinching and rolling her nipple between thumb and forefinger, he looked deep into her eyes. “You’re beautiful,” he murmured. “So beautiful. You’re so hot and wet. God, I’m on fire.”

She couldn’t lie still. She had to move with him. He had always seemed cooler to her, but now she could feel the heat pouring off of him. As his hips rocked against hers, his whole body flexed, and she remembered the first time she saw him, how he moved with complete, seamless grace. Watching him move now, with such sensual abandon, was incredibly sexy.

His thick, dark chestnut hair fell about his face, shadowing his gaze. As she nuzzled him, he picked up his pace, fucking her harder.

She tightened her inner muscles, gripping his cock as strongly as she could as she raked her fingers down his back. Throwing his head back, he hissed as he pistoned into her.

His eyes flashed red and his fangs descended, and she had no business being shocked or surprised, but oh my God, she was. He looked feral, animalistic.

Just as he had when he had stood between her and Malphas, guarding her from a being that was so Powerful, if the confrontation had turned violent, he would have almost certainly been killed.