would end the feeling that even now threatened to devour her. Raeche backed up, tripped on the hem of her nightgown then dived around the curtain, her breath heaving in her chest and the sparks of fire and energy from Lanus still assaulting her senses.
In bed, though, she found a return of the perversion that had overtaken her. She pulled the covers over her head though the night was warm. Beneath, she tugged at the folds of her gown until it slipped up, gathered as high as her neck. She moved her hands to the bare soft insides of her thighs, up over her belly to touch her own breasts. She sighed and the sensual noise was louder than she had intended, but the feel of hands on her body–even her own–after so long was indescribable.
Raeche ran one hand over her own flesh, trying not to touch until the moment she absolutely had to. As her fingers hovered and moisture seeped from her body, a harsh thump and crack caused her to jerk her gown down, covering herself before sitting up to listen.
A hard knock at her door bade her answer.
“I go to the Clear Pool, Empress.” Her husband’s voice rumbled through the barrier. He never told her his comings and goings.
“The chill on the air tonight is violent.”
He opened the door, stepped inside, then stared at her in the darkness. “If the Spirit is good, it will kill me.”
“If the Spirit is good, it will come to me now and drop the Clear Pool on you.” Sometimes Raeche still forgot her power. Because she uttered these words with faith in the Spirit in her heart, freezing water from the Clear Pool rained down over Lanus’s head, drenching him.
Raeche gave a startled scream as he wiped water out of his eyes, stepped into her room, then slammed her door shut behind him. Steam rose from his skin and soaked clothing, curling white in the night as he strode in. The heated current of his Spirit was so strong that–
Lanus ripped the covers back and dragged her from the bed. Instinct made her fight. She grabbed for the sheets but his hold did not waver. Raeche was lifted from her feet. Reaching out for something to steady her, she grabbed the wet fabric of his tunic. When she met his gaze, his green eyes sparked in the dark. His jaw clenched, he held her too tightly and where he touched her, molten heat scorched her skin.
Raeche did not have a moment to lose or reason and memory would inject themselves and stay his hand. Tangling her fingers in his wet hair, she pulled him down so their lips could meet, their tongues collide. Brilliant flashes of color flared behind her eyelids. Lanus tasted of the beauty and wildness of the Clear Pool. He was the Spirit of Paradise. He deepened the kiss. Every nerve ending in her body tingled when he cupped her behind in his large hands and stroked her back. She moaned as she fumbled at his soaking wet clothing, stripping them from him even as she heard her gown rip. Cool air whispered over her skin, tightening her nipples and causing an almost painful contraction inside her. She moaned again. Lanus took the opportunity to slip his thumb across her lips and into her mouth. He pulled it out slowly as she drew on it with her lips and tongue. He slipped his hand low between them and parted her.
“Here I thought I was the wet one,” he remarked softly with a smile.
Raeche’s knees buckled, in part from the delicious feel of his hand working her, discovering how to make her squirm and flex her hips for more, in part because his passion surged high yet he played with her. He was not going to come to his senses and leave her wanting. In possession of all his faculties, still he wanted her.
Reacting to her, Lanus lifted her again, holding her close to his body. Her awareness of their nakedness, skin to skin, drove all rational thought from her mind. With her hands and lips, she frantically explored his shoulders, his arms, his back, his chest, savoring the perfection of his form as she had never done before and committing it to
In bed, though, she found a return of the perversion that had overtaken her. She pulled the covers over her head though the night was warm. Beneath, she tugged at the folds of her gown until it slipped up, gathered as high as her neck. She moved her hands to the bare soft insides of her thighs, up over her belly to touch her own breasts. She sighed and the sensual noise was louder than she had intended, but the feel of hands on her body–even her own–after so long was indescribable.
Raeche ran one hand over her own flesh, trying not to touch until the moment she absolutely had to. As her fingers hovered and moisture seeped from her body, a harsh thump and crack caused her to jerk her gown down, covering herself before sitting up to listen.
A hard knock at her door bade her answer.
“I go to the Clear Pool, Empress.” Her husband’s voice rumbled through the barrier. He never told her his comings and goings.
“The chill on the air tonight is violent.”
He opened the door, stepped inside, then stared at her in the darkness. “If the Spirit is good, it will kill me.”
“If the Spirit is good, it will come to me now and drop the Clear Pool on you.” Sometimes Raeche still forgot her power. Because she uttered these words with faith in the Spirit in her heart, freezing water from the Clear Pool rained down over Lanus’s head, drenching him.
Raeche gave a startled scream as he wiped water out of his eyes, stepped into her room, then slammed her door shut behind him. Steam rose from his skin and soaked clothing, curling white in the night as he strode in. The heated current of his Spirit was so strong that–
Lanus ripped the covers back and dragged her from the bed. Instinct made her fight. She grabbed for the sheets but his hold did not waver. Raeche was lifted from her feet. Reaching out for something to steady her, she grabbed the wet fabric of his tunic. When she met his gaze, his green eyes sparked in the dark. His jaw clenched, he held her too tightly and where he touched her, molten heat scorched her skin.
Raeche did not have a moment to lose or reason and memory would inject themselves and stay his hand. Tangling her fingers in his wet hair, she pulled him down so their lips could meet, their tongues collide. Brilliant flashes of color flared behind her eyelids. Lanus tasted of the beauty and wildness of the Clear Pool. He was the Spirit of Paradise. He deepened the kiss. Every nerve ending in her body tingled when he cupped her behind in his large hands and stroked her back. She moaned as she fumbled at his soaking wet clothing, stripping them from him even as she heard her gown rip. Cool air whispered over her skin, tightening her nipples and causing an almost painful contraction inside her. She moaned again. Lanus took the opportunity to slip his thumb across her lips and into her mouth. He pulled it out slowly as she drew on it with her lips and tongue. He slipped his hand low between them and parted her.
“Here I thought I was the wet one,” he remarked softly with a smile.
Raeche’s knees buckled, in part from the delicious feel of his hand working her, discovering how to make her squirm and flex her hips for more, in part because his passion surged high yet he played with her. He was not going to come to his senses and leave her wanting. In possession of all his faculties, still he wanted her.
Reacting to her, Lanus lifted her again, holding her close to his body. Her awareness of their nakedness, skin to skin, drove all rational thought from her mind. With her hands and lips, she frantically explored his shoulders, his arms, his back, his chest, savoring the perfection of his form as she had never done before and committing it to
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