He takes two steps, cups my face in his hands, and kisses me ravenously. “I want you. I need you. For as many hours as possible, I don’t want to think about anything but you.”
My heart gives a desperate lurch. Griffin pulls me into his arms and kisses a scorching line along my jaw and down my neck, gently scraping his teeth over my hammering pulse.
“You need a lot of things,” I say, already breathless. “Like a Dragon. That doesn’t mean you’ll get one.”
“I don’t give a Centaur’s balls about a Dragon right now.”
“Griffin! Language!”
“Are you trying to sound like my mother?” he growls against my neck.
“Is it like a bucket of ice?”
He picks me up and tosses me onto the bed. “What do you think?”
I land with an undignified grunt. I think not.
He crawls on top of me, pins my arms above my head, and plants his mouth on my breast, sucking my nipple right through my dress. I yelp and twist, pleasure exploding under his mouth. Desire arcs through me. I pull on my hands, wanting to touch him, but Griffin’s grip tightens as he uses his teeth to pull down the neckline of my gown. My breasts pop out, pushed up like an offering. We both stare at the bare skin, at the dark peaks. Then he dips his head and licks one nipple. Heat rushes to my belly. He swirls his tongue over the taut bud before turning to the other side and sucking hard enough to lift me off the bed. I gasp, the drag of his mouth stirring an aching pull deep inside me.
I arch toward him, already damp with arousal. His erection presses against the most intimate part of me, sparking hot jolts of sensation every time he moves. He sucks, licks, and rocks while I writhe under him, my trapped hands curling into fists. Mindlessness sets in, feeling driving away thought.
Griffin lifts his head and lets go of my wrists. His callused fingers slide down my arms, adding a thrilling roughness to his unhurried touch. I tangle my fingers in his hair, powerless against the brewing storm and the heat and tension building between us. I wrap my legs around his hips because this fully clothed, grinding closeness isn’t nearly close enough. I long for him. I want him filling the empty, throbbing place between my thighs.
His lips find mine again, kissing me deeply. “You want me,” he rasps against my mouth. “I feel it in your body. Hear it in your breath.”
Emotion overwhelms me. His words are so intimate. And true. His hips press down on mine. Most of his weight is on his forearms, his biceps a steely cage. I touch his shoulders, feeling tension there. “It doesn’t matter what I want.”
“This is right,” he argues. “I know it.”
His kisses turn feverish, his tongue demanding. His tunic drags over my sensitized nipples, and it’s all I can do not to rip it off him in order to feel his bare skin on mine. I slip my hands under the fabric, smoothing my palms over his broad back. His skin is like sun-warmed marble, and there’s a delectable dip in the muscle along his spine. I trace the indent with my fingertips, marveling at the sheer physical power above me.
Griffin drops his forehead to mine. “You’re going to have to be a lot more convincing if you want me to stop.”
I try to quiet my breathing. “I have to convince myself first.”
“Don’t,” he urges. “We’re fated. You must know that.”
My throat tightens, starting to ache. “I can’t do this.”
“Why?” His question is a growl.
I have so many reasons, so many fears. “She’ll come after our children.”
He lifts his head. “I’ll protect them. I’ll protect you.” He frowns. “You’ll protect them, and I don’t see much of anything getting past you.”
A sudden sting hits the back of my eyes. “She’ll use them to get to me. She’ll use you.” A fierce protectiveness surges through me. I don’t even have kids, and I’m ready to sacrifice anything for them.
Griffin holds my face in his hands. His thumbs sweep across my cheeks. “I can take care of myself, and we don’t even have children, at least not yet. And she doesn’t need to know if we do. How would she even know?”
I laugh. It’s a little shaky. “You think I won’t bleed? It’s already challenging enough just getting rid of—” I blush until even my ears burn. “Monthly…stuff.”
His brow knits. At least he’s taking me seriously. “If it comes to that, we’ll go somewhere else and then come back with the baby.” He kisses me quick and hard, trying to reassure me.