Polaris Rising (Consortium Rebellion, #1)(61)

“Which way to a spare room for me to clean up?” Loch asked.

Rhys grinned and rolled his eyes. “Go up a level and pick whichever room you want,” he said.

Loch strode over and offered his hand to me. He stood still, a conquering warrior waiting for his lady’s favor. His scorching gaze locked on my face. Tingles spread throughout my body even before I slid my hand into his. He pulled me to my feet with effortless strength and the arousal I’d been feeling all day ignited into burning desire.

Loch took the stairs two at a time. I laughed and kept pace, driven by the same urgency. Once upstairs, he stopped at the first door on the right and clicked on the light to reveal a bedroom in shades of blue. He stepped inside and closed the door behind us. He backed away a few steps, leaving me next to the exit.

“If you stay in this room, we’re going to fuck,” he said plainly. “If that’s not what you want, you should leave now.”

He was asking for consent and doing it without trying to coerce me. He might not know how to escort a lady to dinner or which fork to use for salad, but at his core he was more of a gentleman than a good chunk of the Consortium.

So long as I remembered it was just sex, I would be fine. My body throbbed in need. Opportunities for what I hoped would be mind-blowing sex didn’t happen every day, so I would guard my heart and have a night of fun. Tomorrow he would be gone and I’d go back to being alone. I refused to dwell on why that made my heart ache.

“I’m staying,” I said quietly.

“Are you sure, Ada?” he asked again, seeking confirmation. The rumble of his deep, gravelly voice sent a little frisson of lust through my system. I shifted restlessly. “Yes,” I said. “Yes, I am.”

He stepped close and pressed me against the door. “Good choice,” he murmured against my neck. My whole body came to attention. He smelled like warm, sweaty male, but under that was the musty, metallic scent of blood. Conquering warrior or not, the blood had to go.

“You really do need to clean up first,” I said. “But if you ask me nicely, I’ll wash your back.”

Loch groaned. “You’re going to kill me, darling,” he said. “Hold on.” He hooked my legs around his waist then picked me up with strong hands under my ass. He carried me to the en suite bathroom. He set me down and turned to start the shower. “Get naked,” he said over his shoulder, “unless you don’t like those clothes and want me to help.”

I shucked my clothes with economical motions, but from Loch’s expression you’d think I was performing a striptease. Anticipation tightened my stomach. It had taken a number of years, but these days I was comfortable in my own skin. I knew that I was slender and toned, and if my breasts were on the small side, well, they went with my body.

Then Loch dropped his pants and it was my turn to ogle him. His jutting erection was an obvious clue to his state of arousal, but it was his smoldering stare that had me crossing the room to kiss him.

His mouth fused to mine and the hot, hard length of him pressed into my belly. “Shower,” I growled, “now.”

We fumbled into the shower stall, and I sighed in bliss at the cascade of warm water from every direction. Trust Rhys to have guest room showers with more heads than any one person could ever need.

I ran my hand under the soap dispenser then smoothed it over Loch’s chest, grazing his nipple. He sucked in air. I liked that reaction, so I repeated the motion on the other side. His hands clenched on my waist.

I washed away the blood from his chest and back, and made note of the cuts and bruises, checking to ensure nothing needed immediate attention. He would be bruised to hell in the morning, but nothing looked serious. “You’ll live,” I told him.

“Not if you keep this up,” he muttered. “Turn around.”

I turned and he pulled me back against his chest. His left hand flattened on my lower belly to hold me in place while the other glided across my chest with soapy slickness. He circled both breasts while ignoring my nipples. I whimpered and ground back against him.

His right hand slid down my front while his left traveled upward. He glided a finger over my clit at the same time he pinched my left nipple and that was all it took. I’d been on edge for so long that I fell into the orgasm without any warning.

I moaned and shivered as he held me through it. Then he scooped me up, turned off the shower, and headed for the bedroom. I clung to his neck when he would’ve dropped me on the bed. “Not the bedspread!” I said.

He snarled and ripped the bedspread and part of the sheets off of the bed then dropped me in the middle of the remaining mess. I didn’t mind. He climbed over me, all bronzed flesh and wicked intent. He claimed my mouth in a fierce kiss and I moaned as I sucked on his tongue.

I spread my legs in welcome and reached down to caress him once, twice. He groaned, his eyes glowed, and then nothing mattered except where our two bodies met. He rubbed against me, then slid inside, centimeter by delicious centimeter. He was big and he hit nerves I didn’t even know I had. I flexed around him and he slammed forward with a growl.

I wrapped my legs around him and tried to press closer. He retreated then slid back with a measured stroke. Another and another until he hit somewhere that caused stars to explode behind my eyes. “Yes,” I hissed. “Do that.”

As if my words had unleashed him, he drove into me with abandon. Every stroke wound me tighter until I was clutching at his back just to stay anchored.