Night of the Tiger(25)

If only one of the others had been able to send some word, some sign of what they were up against, it would help give him the edge he needed to win. But he was on his own.

Roric didn’t even know if it was possible to return, to find the carnival again now that he was free. He vowed to be the first to do so. He planned on surviving whatever trials Hades’ demons had in store for him and breaking the curse. Once his soul was no longer in jeopardy, he intended to find a way to help the others and to free the Lady of the Beasts.

The woman on the bed moaned, pulling his attention back to the here and now. She was the key to his freedom, to his eternal soul. Whatever happened in the next twenty-four hours—less than that now—would either bring him freedom or condemn him to the deepest bowels of Hell. Forever.

He was determined not to lose. Not this time.

For now, they were both safe from the demons. Roric had the ability to sense their fiendish presence, and they were nowhere near. For whatever reason, he was alone with this incredible woman, and he planned to make the most of the situation.

All those years of celibacy had left him aching for the softness of a woman—her delicate touch, her soft lips, her enticing scent. But he didn’t want just any woman. He wanted the woman staring up at him with such overwhelming hunger in her gaze, the one who had set him free.

She was so much smaller than him, yet he sensed no fear of him in her. Her skin was incredibly soft, her muscles sleek. She was slender, yet strong, her thighs supple. Her breasts were barely enough to fill his palms, but they were perfectly formed and tipped with tight, pink nipples. He licked his lips, remembering how they felt against his tongue.

Lifting her slightly, he leaned inward, positioning the tip of his cock at the opening of her channel. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t protest. He let some of his weight fall forward, and his shaft sank into her heated depths. He met with slight resistance, as her sensitive flesh was swollen from her earlier orgasm, but he pressed forward, not stopping until her damp sheath gripped every inch of him.

Roric closed his eyes and chuffed out a breath, trying to maintain control. Her inner muscles squeezed him, rippling up and down his hard length. The urge to just slam into her over and over again until he came was almost overwhelming. He wanted to fuck her until neither of them could stand it any longer, until they both came hard and ended up in a sweaty heap of released lust. Then he wanted to do it again.

He’d been locked away and cold for so long he could barely remember any other existence. She had freed him from that prison. Now she offered him her warmth, her passion. Her generosity threatened to unman him.

It took all his willpower to slide back until only the tip of his shaft was still inside her. Slowly, he pressed inward again. His balls ached and drew close to his body. He’d loved the feel of her hands wrapped around his erection, so tentative at first, then surer and firmer. He longed to have her suck his cock. Wanted her lips around him, wanted to feel her tongue lap at him as she took him deep into her mouth.

His shaft jerked and he sucked in a deep breath. He’d had his chance earlier, but had stopped her. Just the briefest touch of her tongue against the tip of his erection had almost made him come. And he’d wanted to be inside her sweet warmth the first time he orgasmed in so long.

She moaned and the sound vibrated down his spine, making him purr with pleasure. Muscles tensed in his arms and legs as he slid in and out of her body. The urge to pound into her was overwhelming. His control started to slip, and he barely managed to leash it.

Leaning down, he gripped her in his arms and rolled. She shrieked as their positions shifted and he was flat on his back with her above him. “Ride me,” he commanded. This way she was in control and he couldn’t accidentally hurt her. He was on edge after being celibate for so long, and he no longer trusted himself.

Her eyes widened and she smiled. It was a sleepy, siren’s smile that made his gut clench and his balls constrict to the point of pain.

Gripping her hips, he urged her upward. She raised herself above him, placing her hands on his chest for support. She bit her bottom lip and slowly lowered herself again, taking all of him.

Unable to stop himself, he arched his hips upward on her down stroke, driving impossibly deep. She cried out, but didn’t stop. Her cream slid out from between them, coating her tender folds and his thick shaft. The smell of sex and woman permeated the air. Roric took a deep breath, savoring the rich scent. Exquisite.

This was life, this elemental connection between male and female. No matter what period of time in the history of the earth, this bond was the most powerful of all. Sex. Mating. Confirming life.