The sand gave way beneath her and the salt air filled her lungs as she tried to center her focus. An icy chill permeated the thin cotton fabric of her shirt, but above her the heat from Ronan’s body left her skin flushed.
She wanted him so badly that she hurt. And right now all Naya wanted was for that soul-deep ache to go away.
“You might think it’s all too much,” Ronan replied, his tone as dark and rich as cocoa. “But for me, it’s not nearly enough.”
Proving once again that their bond was greater than both of them, Naya ignored common sense and let Ronan give her exactly what she needed. He lowered his mouth to hers, and instead of an urgent press of lips, his kiss was a slow, sensual tease. Soft. Gentle. But no less intense, as though he wanted nothing more than to linger in the moment and taste her.
His arms caged her in and Ronan’s body remained still, cradled against hers in the sand. Darkness surrounded them, plunging Naya into a state of sensory deprivation where nothing existed but the sensation of his mouth caressing hers. His tongue flicked out at the seam of her lips and Naya opened up to him and the kiss deepened. An indulgent savoring of each other that she never wanted to end.
Magic pooled at the center of Naya’s being and spread through her limbs in a pleasant tingle. The familiar giddy high settled in her brain and she twined her arms around his neck as she pulled herself up to mold her body against his. She rolled her hips, grinding against his erection. Ronan shifted, placing a staying hand on her hip that he eased back down to the sand. It was obvious who was in control here, and it wasn’t her.
She broke their kiss, reaching up to scrape her nails over the stubble lining his jaw. “The way I want you right now … like I’ll die if I can’t have you … is that how it feels to need blood?”
The quiet of her mind was interrupted by song. A beautiful, trilling melody that filled her near to bursting. Silver flashed bright in his gaze and she nuzzled Ronan’s throat, licking, kissing, nipping at the tender flesh. His scent swirled around her, warm and spicy-sweet.
“Yes.” Ronan’s voice was strained and raw as though he barely held himself in check. “I want to ravage you. Glut myself on your blood. Drink from your vein while I fuck you, and doing so would only chip the surface of sating my desire for both your body and your blood.”
Naya had never felt anything so visceral with any other male. Urgency reared up within her, pulling her muscles taut and sending a rush of adrenaline through her bloodstream. A low growl of resignation vibrated in Ronan’s chest and her pussy clenched as he thrust his hips, rocking her against the erection that strained against his fly.
“There’s power in blood, Ronan.” His mouth latched onto her throat, fangs scraping the skin. Naya shuddered as his tongue flicked out, bathing her in heat. “Magic in sex. You’ve awakened something in me that I’ve never been able to channel before.” He went back on his knees and his palms traced a path down over her ribs to grip the hem of her shirt. Naya raised her arms above her head as he stripped the garment from her and tossed it somewhere behind him. The cool evening air kissed her bare flesh and her nipples hardened. “That power scares me. Because I want more.”
“Naya.” Her name was a prayer on his lips, spoken with the sanctity of a vow. “Your blood is life. It gives me breath. Makes my heart beat.” His mouth found a sensitive spot beneath her ear and her pulse jumped. “And your body…” He continued the exploration of her bare skin, making his way back up her torso. A quick jerk pulled one cup of her bra aside and he smothered her aching breast with his palm. “Your body is the altar at which I pray. There’s no greater power than that.”
Gods, the way he spoke.
Ronan continued on his track, his mouth branding her flesh as it traveled down to her shoulder, over her collarbone, and lower between her breasts. Naya arched up to meet him, and when his mouth sealed over the pearled peak of her nipple a wave of pleasure crested over her. A soft rose glow infused the darkness that surrounded them and she bit back a whimper as his tongue swirled over her nipple, teasing it to an even stiffer point before he took it between his teeth.
Heat swamped her. Desire rose like a tide and crested within her. The rose glow of magic infused her skin and Naya was filled with a sense of power so heady, she felt as though she could take on the world, single-handedly. She shimmied her hands between their bodies and with shaking fingers unfastened her pants. It took only a moment to work them down over her hips before she abandoned the effort and went to work on Ronan’s slacks.