Julija couldn’t help staring at Isai’s face, all those edges and planes. He was strong. He’d seen countless battles. He had an implacable strength and it showed, stamped in that strong jaw and ruthless set to his mouth. Right now, his face was soft, gentle, loving even. His expression turned her heart over.
I like knowing you’re mine, too. She still had a difficult time believing he wanted her. There was a tiny part of her that kept expecting her father or Barnabas to jump out at her, laughing cruelly to tell her she’d fallen for one of their illusions.
You will be certain of me over time, little mage, he whispered, reminding her he could read her thoughts easily—as she could read his. It was very difficult to lie to someone or carry on an illusion when that person was in your head.
His mouth was making it impossible to think. Or breathe. He took her every thought away, sweeping her into another realm, another dimension where there was nothing but pure feeling, all good.
She’d never felt sensual or beautiful or just plain sexy. Isai made her feel all three. She heard her own gasps, those little ragged pleas as he made his way down her body, taking his time. It felt as if he was worshiping her. He was almost reverent—almost. The nips and licks became more demanding, more passionate, until she couldn’t think at all. There was only Isai, surrounding her with his heat, his strength and the pleasure that bordered on sin.
Then his mouth was on her and she cried out, the sound reverberating through the cavern, sounding breathless, sexy and needy. His hands were strong, stroking caresses over her body. He didn’t feel greedy. He didn’t feel as if he was simply preparing her body for his pleasure. He felt . . . loving. Stroking love over every inch of her with hands and mouth, with his tongue and teeth. Showing her love.
Isai took his time, wanting to know every inch of her. What made her gasp? What made her cry out? What made her wanton with need? His woman. She needed care when it came to loving. She needed to know the man with her wanted to give her every pleasure and pain wasn’t in any way part of that equation. It wasn’t about him. This was for her. All for her. His pleasure came with the scorching heat of her body, the sound of her cries, the way her legs wrapped him up and her fingernails dug into his shoulders.
She was his world and she needed to know that. After the deception that had been played on her, the dark world of the mage, pretending to love her, to care about her, and taking her down that dark path out of some spiteful need to see others suffer, Julija needed to be reassured every time he touched her. He wanted her to recognize love when she felt it, so she would never doubt, never ever feel as if she could be touched with anything but love.
“Isai, you have to hurry.” She whispered the words aloud in a rush of heat and need.
He kissed the inside of her right thigh, rubbing his gleaming, shadowed jaw there so it scraped gently over her sensitive skin. “Do I?” he asked and switched to her left inner thigh, rubbing like a cat. He blew warm air on her glistening body.
Blood pounded through her, hot and wild. Her hips bucked. His hold on her tightened as he guided his shaft between her legs. The moment he touched her with his heavy cock, she felt fire spreading. He wasn’t even in her, but he had taken his time, not missing a single inch of her body and she needed him so much she tried to push herself onto his thick, hot erection.
“We are not in any hurry,” he assured her. “We have all the time in the world.”
“We don’t!” she wailed. “We really don’t.” Because if he didn’t take her, she was going to go up in flames. Burn right there with him probably looking down at her wondering what happened.
A smile broke out on his face. She hadn’t thought anything could make him look younger, but all at once, that weathered, rough mask was gone, and he looked carefree. Hers. Isai belonged to her.
“Get on with it,” she said, clenching her teeth as he held her deliberately still.
“I am contemplating.” He held very still, not breaching her entrance.