Poppy’s hips rose, drawing a rumble of approval from me. I watched as I drew her clit into my mouth. Her head fell back as she writhed.
Fucking gods, I could come just from the taste of her, the sight of her breasts rising and falling rapidly, the jut of that stubborn chin, and the way she so sweetly gave herself over to the wildness building in her.
And I could feel it, the tremor in her legs, the quiver in her breath. I feasted on her, licking and sucking until I was drowning in her scent. Until I knew I could survive on her taste.
“Oh, gods,” she gasped, fingers digging into the sheet. Her legs straightened. “Oh, gods, Hawke—” She cried out, her body jerking and trembling as she came. Her spine flattened against the mattress as her unfocused gaze met mine.
I took one last taste of her, then lifted my head. As she watched, I drew my tongue over my lower lip.
“Honeydew,” I groaned. “Just like I said.”
Poppy shook, and I smiled.
The ache in my cock and jaw intensified as I prowled up the length of her body, clasping the nape of her neck. She watched me with those hooded emerald eyes and shivered as my thighs brushed hers. My godsdamn arms trembled when I positioned myself above her once more. Her eyes closed.
“Poppy,” I whispered, the desire for her becoming primal. I kissed her, letting her taste herself on my lips as my cock pressed against the hot dampness. My heart raced as I stared down at her. “Open your eyes.”
She did as I asked. “What?”
“I want your eyes open,” I said.
“Why?”
I laughed. “Always so many questions.”
She let out a soft little gasp. “I think you would be disappointed if I didn’t have any.”
“True.” I slid my hand from her neck to her breast.
“So, why?” she asked.
“Because I want you to touch me,” I said. “I want you to see what you do to me when you touch me.”
She shivered. “How…how do you want me to touch you?”
The way she asked that… It fucking killed me. “Any way you want, Princess. You can’t do it wrong.”
Slowly, she let go of the sheet. I watched her as she brought her hand to my cheek. Her touch was so gentle. She trailed her fingertips along my jaw, then my lips, and I felt that caress in every part of my body.
Then she explored as I had, gliding her hand down my chest, drawing a quick, deep breath from me. She continued between us, tracing the muscles of my lower stomach. When she reached the line of coarse hair below my navel, I might’ve stopped breathing. I sure as fuck didn’t move, other than to make lazy little circles around her nipple with my thumb. Not until the tips of her fingers brushed my cock.
My entire body jerked. “Please. Don’t stop,” I begged when she halted. “Dear gods, do not stop.”
Poppy did as I pleaded, her gaze locked onto me as she drew her fingers along the base of my cock. My lips parted as she followed the vein, stopping midway to curl her fingers around me. My head kicked back. I trembled as exquisite pleasure rippled through me. Her grip loosened, and my breathing picked up as she slid her hand to the tip. My entire body shuddered as her hold tightened once more.
“Gods,” I growled.
“Is this okay?”
“Anything you do is more than okay.” I groaned as she dragged her palm against my cock. “But especially that. Totally that.”
Poppy laughed and then did it again. My hips followed her movement, need rumbling from my chest.
“You see what your touch does to me?” I asked, pumping against her palm.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“It kills me.” I lowered my head, soaking in how she looked up at me. I’d never felt such anticipation, such pleasure. “It kills me in a way I don’t think you’ll ever understand.”
Her gaze searched mine. “In a…in a good way?”
Gods, it undid me. I lifted my hand, cupping her cheek. “In a way I’ve never felt before.”
“Oh,” she said softly.
Lowering my head, I kissed her as I eased onto my left arm. I slid my hand from her cheek down the length of her as I reached between us. My hand replaced hers. “Are you ready?”
Her chest rose against mine as she nodded.
“I want to hear you say it.”
The corners of her lips tugged up. “Yes.”
Thank fuck. “Good, because I might have actually died if you weren’t.”
Poppy giggled, causing the skin at her eyes to crease.
“You think I’m kidding. Little do you know.” I kissed her as I guided the head of my cock to her entrance. I pushed in, just a little, before stopping. I groaned at the feel of her heat and dampness. “Oh, yeah, you’re so ready.” I lifted my gaze to hers once more, seeing the flush had heightened. I grinned. “You amaze me.”
“How?” She sounded so confused.
“You stand before Craven with no fear.” I dragged my lips over hers. “But you blush and shiver when I speak of how slick and wonderful you feel against me.”
“You’re so inappropriate,” she muttered.
“I’m about to get really inappropriate,” I warned her. “But first, it may hurt.”
Her chest rose again with another deep breath. “I know.”
“Reading dirty books again?”
She bit her lip. “Possibly.”
I laughed, and fuck, that was stupid. It brought me deeper. Taking a deep breath, I pressed in slowly. She was slick with arousal, but she was tight. I didn’t want to hurt her. I’d rather tear out my fucking heart than do that, and maybe that should’ve concerned me, but I was too lost in the feel of her body accepting mine, her taking me, to dwell on that. Poppy’s hands went to my shoulders. I liked the feel of them there. A lot. Shaking, I clenched my jaw as I pushed in to the hilt. Gasping, her eyes closed, and she went rigid beneath me. Breathing heavily, I forced myself to remain still, even as I twitched all over.
“I’m sorry.” I kissed the tip of her nose, then each of her closed eyes, and both cheeks. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she said.
I kissed her lips, then dropped my forehead to hers. I still didn’t move. Her body needed time. She needed it, not because of the pain she felt, but because pain, no matter how brief, tended to make everything real. She could change her mind now, and I would leave her, but it wouldn’t undo the choices we’d made to this point. It wouldn’t change that she’d crossed that line with me. That I’d crossed it with her.
Poppy’s chest rose against mine, and then her hips lifted—
Fucking gods, my beautiful, brave Poppy. I squeezed my eyes shut against the sensation of her moving along my length. I shuddered as she did it again, holding myself still until her grip on my shoulders loosened. I opened my eyes.
Then I moved slowly, watching her closely for any signs of discomfort. If I saw it, this would stop. I pulled back until only an inch or so remained inside her and then slowly eased back in.
Poppy’s arms slid around my neck, and another shudder took me. Her hips lifted, following my lead once more. Then we were moving together, her rising as I pushed down. A rhythm of give and take took hold. I still moved slowly, keeping myself in check. This was enough—the friction of her heat and my hardness, her soft moans, the feeling of her so damn tight around me. This was her first time. She didn’t need to be fucked. She needed gentleness.