The Barbarian Before Christmas (Ice Planet Barbarians #17.5)(14)

My Ell-ee is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen like this, sprawled and content underneath me. I press a kiss to the inside of her thigh, well pleased at her response. "I have missed that, my mate."

She gives a long, trembling sigh. "Oh, Bek."

I love the contented sound of her sigh. "I am here, my Ell-ee."

"Good." She curls her toes and stretches her arms over her head, then slides them back down to caress my face. "I missed you far too much. Missed this. Missed everything."

I kiss her thigh again, then continue upward, pressing a brief kiss at her curls before moving to her belly, and then up to her teats. They are small but perfect. I toy with the sensitive nipples and drag my tongue over them as she murmurs my name. Did I miss her? Like breathing. Have I dreamed of this? Every night. But I am here now, and my cock is a brief span away from where it belongs. I move over her, letting my larger weight settle carefully against her body. I prop myself up with my elbows so I do not crush her, and when she slides her legs apart wide in welcome, it feels as if I am truly home.

I rub the head of my cock against her slick folds, and then sink deep. Her sigh of pleasure is almost as wonderful as the hot clasp of her cunt around my length. I groan and hold her tightly against me, kissing her face as I ease into her. My Ell-ee is always tight, and no matter how deep I push with my initial thrust, I must always work my way deeper with slow, careful motions so she can take all of me. I push shallowly into her, rocking my hips as I whisper her name, and she digs her nails into my shoulders, closing her eyes and giving herself over to me with such trust that it makes my spirit ache with how much I love her.

And then I am seated fully inside her, and it feels…perfect. She sucks in a shuddering breath and then squirms underneath me. "Your spur," she murmurs, shifting. I know that it rubs against her third nipple, and the very sensation makes her crazed with need. She is already sensitive there, and this will just add more to it. I know that my Ell-ee can come at least twice before I do, and I am determined to make sure that when I pump her full of my seed once more, she is right there with me, clenched tight in her own release. When she comes hard, she bites at my skin.

I love that. I want it again.

So I do everything I can to ensure that our joining is all about her pleasure. I take one of her hands and stretch it over her head, making her arch underneath me. She opens her eyes and watches me, her lips parted. With every thrust, she gives a little gasp, as if I am giving her brand new sensations every time and she does not know what to make of them. Her eyes locked to mine is intense, and every time I slide deep into the clasp of her body, it feels a little more intense with our gazes locked. As I thrust into her, I take my time, moving slow at first, and then speeding up. I flick my tail along her leg, teasing her because I know she is ticklish and more touches just add to her pleasure.

My Ell-ee does not keep her hand over her head for long. She pushes back against my grip and then whimpers when I thrust deep. Her hands come up and she clasps them against the sides of my face, as if she needs to anchor herself to me. "My Bek," she whispers, and there is such love and intense devotion in her eyes that it breaks my control. I want to go slow, but I cannot. Not when she looks at me as if I have placed the stars in the skies for her enjoyment alone. Fast and hard, I claim my mate, pumping into her slick heat with one forceful thrust after another, until we are moving across the furs with the clash of our bodies. She clings to me, utterly silent except for small sounds of pleasure that let me know she is here with me, riding this. Wild with my desire for her, I claim Ell-ee over and over with every stroke, as if I could paint into my soul the way she looks at me in this moment.

Her body clenches tight under my assault, and she arches under me, her mouth parting wide, her blue eyes seeming to grow darker with the force of her need. I hear her khui's thrumming song grow louder, and then my mate clutches at my neck, burying her face against my chest as she comes, her cunt tight and rippling around my length. With a shout of pleasure, I give in to my own release, emptying all of my desire for her into her welcoming body. When I have come so hard that it feels as if all of the seed has been wrung from my cock, I collapse on top of her, holding her close as our sweaty skin sticks together. She wraps her arms even tighter around me, pressing her mouth to my neck as she shivers with the aftershocks of her release.

It takes several long moments before she stops her trembling, and I roll over onto my side and tuck her body against me protectively. I cannot stop kissing her, though. Her eyes are closed and she looks tired and sated, but I kiss her brow and her nose over and over, fascinated by her delicate features and feeling as if I am the luckiest male alive because such a perfect female is mine. It is incredible to think how much my life has changed since she came into it.

To think that I once wanted a mate—any mate. Now I feel foolish that I would have settled for anyone less than her. Of course my khui waited many long turns of the seasons for her. It is far wiser than I am.





6





AEHAKO



My Kira looks well. I am relieved to see her standing tall and proud, and I grab her and swing her around in my arms at the sight of her. She laughs and bats at me playfully, encouraging me to put her down. I do not, and pull her close to me instead, holding her tight, my hand cupping her head. I have not slept at all since Rokan insisted that I return with Bek and Vektal. My mind has gone through all kinds of terrible scenarios, wondering what could possibly be wrong. Is my Kira unwell? Has something happened to my solemn little Kae? Or is it the village itself? Is that why I am needed at home? But now that I have my mate—whole and smiling—in my arms, the knot of worry that seems to have lodged permanently between my shoulders eases a little.