Page 53 of Drawn into Oblivion

He nodded, panting, and squinted as though the keyword was trying to escape his memory. Then he took a deep breath, centered himself, and recited a phrase she didn’t recognize. Any remaining discomfort fizzled away, leaving only fullness and pleasure while taking away the only thing keeping her mind from going completely blank.

She began to move, and the blissful friction nearly took the air out of her lungs. Rosuke groaned sharply. His heart beneath her palm thumped as fast as hers did. His shaft moved inside her so easily, yet their fit was perfectly snug. She focused on nothing but him and the way he felt beneath her—inside her—his magic mingling with hers, the shake in her thighs as she worked her muscles in new and intoxicating ways.

Rosuke had thought he could remain as he was, spread and bound—at least this once, this first time. But he couldn’t stop struggling. He needed to put his hands on her, to pull her into every thrust, palm her bouncing breasts, and hold her tight against his chest so he could be touching every inch of her skin possible when—

His biceps bulged as he strained against his bonds. None of the cutting spells he’d tried had worked, but the leather creaked and stretched every time he pulled, so if cutting wouldn’t work, perhaps tearing would.

“Tsuyosa,” he croaked, grateful his magic wasn’t too distracted to obey his will. Mai continued working her delicious warmth over him, eyes shut as she concentrated on her pleasure. Raw power flared in his limbs, and sweat dripped down his temples. He flexed his chest and arms, yanking hard on the leather reins keeping him from her. Mai slowed.

“R-Rosuke, you’re—” She yelped as, with a triumphant shout, he ripped the leather straps with a loud snap.

He couldn’t speak—only sigh with relief—as he gripped her hips, shreds of leather still clinging to his swollen wrists. His last sane thought was to drop the strength spell, but then he lost his mind as well as his capacity for words. He held her in place as he bucked his hips, driving deep with every thrust.

Mai cried out, too shocked to speak or even think beyond the simplistic. The core of her sex smoldered like red-hot coals. The power driving between her thighs made her mewl plaintively, but only for more. She slit her watery eyes open and felt renewed embarrassment as their gazes met. His entire face was flushed from effort, and she wondered if she looked the same.

Something else reached inside her, making her gasp and her eyes flutter shut as she fisted her hands in the bedcovers. Before, only the warm fingers of his magic had been teasing her with light, electric touches, but now it plunged as deeply as Rosuke did. Her arms and legs shook. The room spun.

“Rosuke, please! I—I…!” She shook her head. She didn’t know what to say or what she wanted. All she knew was she felt completely overwhelmed.

He abruptly sat up, stopping everything, and took her mouth in a breathless, passionate kiss. She gripped his shoulders tight and didn’t know whether to feel relieved, confused, or frustrated when the fiery pressure in her core died back.

They were still connected when he slid them down the bed, his arms around her keeping her in place as his thighs rose behind her, sandwiching her in the V of his body. She vaguely realized he was untying his ankles. Once free of his bonds, he easily turned her to lie upon the bed. She instantly missed the feel of him inside her.

Rosuke knew it was selfish, but he wanted her beneath him the first time he made her come with his cock. He wanted her legs wrapped around his waist, and her ankles digging into his ass as he braced his knees and dug deep.

By the dueling gods, she was a vision. Her dark mane blended with the midnight-blue of his bed linens, a stark contrast to her light-amber skin and the many petals still hopelessly caught in her hair. Her knees were spread for him, her cheeks rosy and her eyes still full of that mysterious power.

Aching for her, he shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it aside before kicking off his pants. Then he crawled over her. His hair spilled over his shoulder, still barely held together in a leather tie. The intense look on her face gave him pause, but she drew her knees back and twined her arms around his shoulders.

“Make love to me,” she whispered.

He shuddered, his mind and body crying out with joy. He wanted to tell her how beautiful, brave, and frighteningly intelligent she was, but he couldn’t say anything, not a single word. None of it sounded right in his head. So he kissed her as he pulled his hips back. After a quick adjustment, he was inside her again and swallowing her satisfied moan. His magic joined in as he pumped his hips between her grasping thighs, slapping down to the base of his cock.

Mai broke off their kiss, too out of breath and full of wanton moans that needed out. He straight-armed away from her, and every stroke he made showered her with familiar sparks, only they were white-hot and mounting fast. She clamped her legs around him, not sure if she wanted him to slow down or keep going, to draw out their race for completion or take them to that final, searing moment of pleasure.

Perhaps her uncertainty showed on her face, or perhaps she looked like he did: focused and possessive. She rocked beneath his weight, clinging to his arms and gladly taking every thrust. He looked so right, felt so right. His hips between her thighs, his bed beneath her, and the warmth of his touch, his gaze, his devotion…

Something lifted from her heart—peeled away, clean and cool. Love swelled instantly, unleashed. She pulled him nearer. Their height difference made it difficult for her to hold him close, skin to skin, and meet his gaze, so he rested on his elbows over her. His hot stare didn’t stray. She didn’t want it to, didn’t want to look away. She wanted to see his face when the sensations took him over, and show him how completely he had satisfied her when the same happened to her.

She wanted him to see the love in her eyes.

The sparks ignited. Heat burgeoned. The air caught in her throat. He didn’t stop, only fanned the fire. Jaw clenched, she tried to ride the rising wave of pleasure, but it was different from before—too powerful and unpredictable. So she let it wash over her, drowning her. Her eyes watered, but she kept them open. Her swollen sex throbbed, creaming pure pleasure. Rosuke sank deep once more, bucking hard against her, and gave a rough, broken moan.

Then it became so much more.

His magic sank into her abdomen, not wispy like smoke but heavy and smooth, like warm honey. It wrapped around the shuddering ball of magic inside her, embracing it and penetrating to its center. She and Rosuke cried out together as pleasure exploded between them, liquefying every muscle in their bodies as their strength blinked out. His slack body was heavy and made it difficult to breathe, but she didn’t care.

The room spun and swayed, and she was forced to shut her eyes. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she mustered the strength to press a kiss to her lover’s shoulder, grateful she had decided to trust him, to choose him. And as soon as they could move again, she was going to tell him exactly how much she loved him.

Chapter Sixteen

Rosuke rolled onto his side, taking Mai with him. She fit perfectly against him and clearly belonged in his arms. His magic—warm, sated, and resting quietly inside him—lazily stroked Mai’s power. But regret was a cold ache in his chest.

“Why did I wait so long?” she sighed, nuzzling the underside of his chin. The gentle stroke of her hand down his spine made him shudder. He didn’t deserve her soothing touch and yet he savored it.

“I didn’t pull out,” he rumbled, wincing as he stared at a scroll that hung over his writing desk. It said one word in Mahou, beautifully drawn: honor. “I’m sorry, Mai. I…”

She stilled as his words sank in, but then sighed and resumed petting him. “It’s all right,” she said softly.