Third a Kiss (Goddess Isles #3) - Pepper Winters Page 0,80

lip; I stuck my tongue in her mouth. I plunged inside her, wishing it was my cock and not just my tongue.

She moaned, swept away by my urgent need for her, completely oblivious as I waded back into the waterfall and sank beneath the surface.

Her mouth opened wide as water crashed over our heads, submerging us mid-kiss. I held her tight as she squirmed for air, keeping her in the quiet serenity of liquid for another swipe of my tongue, sharing oxygen, life, lust.

Pushing off from the bottom, I held her head above the water, laughing as she swatted hair from her eyes and spluttered dramatically.

“You’re acting as if I drowned you.”

She glowered. “A little warning would’ve been nice.”

“I did give you warning.” I kissed the tip of her nose. “I told you to get your ass in the water. Otherwise—”

“You’re a pain in my ass.” She slapped my chest, sending water splashing. Her lips twitched, fighting off a smile.

I laughed harder, relishing in the freedom such a sound brought. Despite my shock that I was capable of such a thing, I was still uncomfortable with the sickly sweet sensation of happiness gushing through my veins.

Instinct told me to run from it. That within the sparkling brightness of joy, I would find the worst pain I’d ever been subjected to. But the other part of me…the risk taker and suicidal idiot just begging for a mate said fuck it.

I wanted to laugh.

I wanted to be free.

I want her and I’m fucking keeping her.

“I can be a pain in your ass.” I smirked. “Or…I can give you pleasure…depending on what you deserve.”

“I deserve a vow in writing that a damn Komodo dragon isn’t about to nibble on my toes.”

“They’re pretty delicious-looking toes.”

“Oh, please don’t tell me you have a foot fetish.”

“I have a you fetish.”

She blushed. “I think I broke you. I don’t recognise this Sully.”

“That’s ’cause you killed the old one.” I nuzzled her wet hair. “It’s okay, though. He was a cunt anyway.”

“Yet I fell in love with him, despite his cunty behaviour.”

“You poor, unfortunate soul.”

“Yep.” She nodded sagely. “I’m doomed.”

“Doomed for life.”

“Purgatory with a beast.”

“A beast who will nibble on your toes.” I laughed, drowning in this newfound sarcasm between us. Sarcasm not dripping in peril and foreboding but light-hearted fun.

Shit.

I’m…having fun.

My smile fell at the wonder of it. My laughter stopped at the shock of it.

I never thought I’d be happy.

That I could switch from the blackness of my everyday world and somehow find so much light just because of her.

All playfulness and teasing bled out of me, leaving the quaking need to fill her. To plunge my body into hers and never fucking let her go.

She gasped as I opened my arms, relinquishing her to the water’s embrace. “Come with me.” I struck off into a crawl, slicing through the refreshing coolness, heading directly toward the splashing, crashing waterfall.

I didn’t look back.

She’d follow.

She had to.

Her refusal would be unthinkable at this point.

My hard-on made it difficult to swim, the gush of water taunting me to find a different kind of wetness. A wetness I’d find the moment I fucked Eleanor.

Snatching a quick breath, I duck-dived under the heavy pound of water, buffeted by the torrent of currents and eddies, kicking my way to the small cave hidden behind the falls.

Breaking the surface, I swam to the small rock ledge about half a metre underwater and waited for her.

She didn’t disappoint me.

Her head popped up a few moments later, the shape of her face highlighted thanks to wet hair plastered to her sun-kissed shoulders. Her eyes seemed bigger, her lashes thicker, her lips redder. I couldn’t tell anymore if she was the most stunning human alive or a true immortal goddess sent to slay me.

She already had my heart in her keeping. If anything happened to her, it would kill me through sheer rules of biology. I couldn’t survive without a heart. I would die.

She can’t ever leave.

I would do whatever it took to provide her with every wish and desire, so that she never asked for her freedom. Because if I granted her her freedom, it would be like locking me in a cage all over again.

I can’t do it.

Not now she’d shown me what was possible between us.

I didn’t speak as she swam toward me, her small hands landing on my thighs under the water, keeping her in place from the swirling water around us.

My eyes snapped shut as her fingers trailed up my legs,