Page 52 of A Fae’s Guide to Tactical Botany

“It was a tactic,” she said. “You were my enemy, and I had few weapons.”

He was panting. “We had called…a truce.”

“Yes?” Mara pressed kisses to Ethan’s chest, since her hands were occupied.

“There’s rules about truces?”

“Are there?” Mara blinked innocently at him. “Do you humans have such rules?”

“For fuck’s sake, woman,” he growled, bending to suck on a nipple. “I knew you were trying to kill me. I knew it.”

Mara tugged him atop her with a smile. “I did not want you to die,” she said, opening to him.

He settled between her legs, rubbed his cock through her wetness. “I was dying.”

“Because you were denying us this,” she said sweetly, matching his rhythm. “I wanted you.”

“Did you?” He kissed down her throat. “And what do you want now?”

“I still want you,” she whispered. “I love you. Please.”

He kissed her on the mouth, deep and lush. “I don’t know,” he teased. “I had been planning on an extensive siege.” He rubbed against her again, managing to be both perfect and not at all enough.

She rolled her eyes, just to irritate him. “If you feel your manhood is not up to the task, your codpiece is within reach.”

“Excuse me?” He slipped his hand between them, flicking at her bud. “Can a codpiece do this?”

“I don’t know. Can it?” She arched into his touch, unable to restrain a whimper as quakes of pleasure slammed through her body.

“Mara,” he growled into her ear, “I guarantee my codpiece didn’t write any checks my dick can’t cash.”

An inelegant snort of laughter burst out like a dust devil. “What does that even mean?”

“It means something,” he muttered, sliding his cock through her wet cunt again. “I swear to god there was logic there somewhere.”

“And here I thought I had driven you mad with lust.” Mara stroked the hard curves of his ass, and then he was inside her and she moaned into his mouth.

“Oh, god,” he whimpered brokenly. “Mara.” He began to thrust, lush glides filling her and filling her.

“Yes,” she said, pulling him close, loving his weight atop her, his large hands on her, his red-gold hair a curtain around their faces as they kissed. “Say my name again.” She wrapped her legs around him and thrust back, desperate for more. She was glowing, unfurling, blooming, every part of her opening to incandescent sunlight.

He grinned down at her, bright as the dawn. “Oh, Mara. Give me a few minutes and I’ll scream it.”

And he did.

And a little while later, when Mara took him into her mouth, he screamed it again.

The skies might not have cared, but Mara’s heart soared.

Chapter twenty-one

Victory

Ethan stared up at the flowering branches above him. There was sunlight shining through the branches, setting the ironwood and mesquite blossoms aglow, but he couldn’t tell whether the sun was still rising or starting to set. Or hell, nearly at the horizon.

He’d lost track of time entirely, and he couldn’t find it in him to care. Not one bit.

Mara stirred, her warm skin sliding against him, and he turned his head to meet her sleepy gaze. Her eyes were bright, nearly glowing with affection, and a smile burst out on his face.