Rescued

by Presley Hall

  I stare after him in stunned surprise, my heart pounding in my chest.

  Holy shit.

  Chloe has never willingly reached out to anyone other than me. Not even Taloo, and she liked Taloo and was familiar with her. But she would never go to her; she always stayed clinging to me until I handed her over.

  This is something different. And it’s huge. Massive. It could change everything. It could make the decision so much easier for me to stay.

  Chloe has never had a father. I’ve never seen any man hold her, and the sight of Sorsir gently cradling my daughter as he puts her to bed sends a rush of emotion through me that I can barely contain.

  Lucy is standing next to me, watching Sorsir carry her off. After a beat of silence, she turns toward me, her mouth twitching in a smirk.

  “Oh, you are so in it now,” she teases me softly, and I can’t even come up with a response to that.

  Because she’s right. Oh god, she’s absolutely right.

  I was slowly growing to accept that I’ve become attached to Sorsir, but the explosion of feeling in my chest in this moment tells me it’s far beyond a crush. I’m in deep, and honestly, I can’t say I’m unhappy about it.

  “I’ll see you later.” Lucy gives my arm a gentle squeeze, and I mumble a “thank you” to her for watching Chloe. But even as I hear her slip out the door, my gaze stays fixed on the bedroom, my throat choked with emotion.

  I walk in slowly, not wanting to wake Chloe if she’s asleep already. Sorsir is resting on the bed, propped up on the pillows. His massive frame curls around Chloe as if she’s a small creature to protect, like a fragile kitten. He looks like a giant next to her—but not at all terrifying in this moment.

  He looks like a father should, protective and watchful, and the only thing I can think is, it’s perfect.

  I stay in the doorway, watching them both until Chloe falls asleep at last, her fist pressed up against her mouth. Sorsir carefully pries himself away, getting up slowly so as not to shake the bed. Then he looks up and sees me there, watching them.

  There’s some unreadable emotion in his face, and as he walks toward me, I can’t take my eyes off of him—his handsome, chiseled face, his strong, muscular body, every inch of him that I want so badly, more than I ever have before.

  You could have him forever, if you want him.

  The thought floats through my head like a whisper.

  It’s such a foreign idea that I can’t help but push it aside almost immediately. But as Sorsir approaches me, I reach out and take his hand, shutting the bedroom door quietly behind us and leading him out into the living room.

  I don’t know about forever yet.

  But I can at least have tonight.

  19

  Autumn

  Once we’re outside of the room, I lean up on my tiptoes, gently placing my hand on Sorsir’s cheek. I brush my lips over his, softly at first, and then when I hear his indrawn breath, harder.

  I slide my hand around the back of his head, pulling his mouth against mine as I trail my tongue over his lower lip, urging them to part so that I can kiss him more deeply. His hands grip my waist, and a shudder goes through him as he pulls me tighter against him. His cock strains beneath his loincloth, thick and hard as it presses against my belly.

  There’s only the scrap of clothing he wears and the thin material of my dress between us.

  That realization strikes me in a rush, and as I look up into his eyes, I can see that he’s thinking the same thing.

  “I’ve wanted to take this off of you all night,” he whispers huskily, toying with the gold cord that holds it closed over my breasts.

  “Do it. Please,” I whisper in return.

  Heat flares in his eyes, the deep green of them glowing gold as he picks me up and carries me toward the couch. He starts to lay me back, but I put my hands against his chest, shaking my head as I pull away.

  Sorsir gives me a startled look, something like disappointment crossing his features.

  But I’m not planning to stop.

  Instead, I guide him down onto the couch then throw a leg over him so that I’m sitting astride him. He groans softly as the motion causes his erection to brush against my inner thigh, only just barely covered by the soft leather of the loincloth.

  “Autumn…”

  My name falls from his mouth on a tortured groan. I press a finger to his lips, kissing his jaw softly before dragging my lips to his throat, brushing them over the sensitive skin there. He tenses beneath me, his cock growing even harder. The feel of it sends a rush of desire through me, and I can feel the same in him—the barely restrained need that’s been hovering under the surface all this time.

  “I want you,” I whisper, pulling back, my hands on his face as I gently run my thumbs over his high cheekbones, taking in every detail of his handsome face. “I want to touch you. Please, Sorsir.”

  He takes in a deep, ragged breath. His heated gaze slides over my face, down the column of my throat, and over my breasts as his hands tighten on my waist.

  The muscles in his throat work as he swallows hard and shifts beneath me, but he doesn’t protest when I move to kiss his neck again, my hands sliding down the smooth, muscled skin of his broad chest.

  I meant it.

  Oh god, I meant it.

  I want to touch him, to explore and discover his body in the way he’s done with mine. It feels almost greedy to want more than he’s given me already, but my need for him has only grown, and I need more of him.

  I need all of him.

  Moving down his body, I crawl off of his lap. Sorsir looks down at me speechlessly as I kneel between his legs, pushing them gently apart as I slide my hands up his inner thighs. I reach up to undo the leather cords that fasten his loincloth, and Sorsir puts his hand over mine to stop me.

  “Autumn, you don’t have to…” His whisper is ragged, and I can see the effort it takes for him to say the words, how desperately he wants me to continue.

  “No, I don’t. But I want to.” I bite my lip, gazing up at him. “Please, Sorsir, let me see you.”

  He swallows hard again, then lets go of my hand as he leans back against the couch, looking down at me with an expression of mingled lust, disbelief, and awe as I pull the ties loose, letting the slight covering fall away.

  He’s so beautiful.

  It’s the first thought that enters my mind, and it almost seems ridiculous to call such a massive, savage man beautiful—but it seems right somehow.

  He never wears more than the small loincloth, so it’s not as if I haven’t had plenty of chances to appreciate his body before. But seeing him fully bare in front of me takes my breath away. He looks like a sculpture, like something carved from stone, from his chiseled face to the rippling expanse of his chest and stomach, down to his powerful, muscular thighs, and…

  I blush, heat rising up my throat to color my cheeks as I finally see the part of him I’ve fantasized about, thought about, wanted to touch for so long now.

  Reaching up hesitantly, I brush my fingers over the velvet skin of his rigid cock.

  Sorsir bites back a groan, the deep sound resonating in his chest as he tries to be quiet. His shaft throbs against my hand, pushing into my palm as if begging for more. I wrap my fingers around him, leaning up as I slide my hand down slowly.

  Holy shit. I’m wet. I’m soaking wet just from watching his reactions—the way he pulses in my grasp, the way his thighs tense and his head falls back as if he’s been desperately needing this touch.

  My touch.

  He’s huge. Bigger than anything I’ve encountered in my meager experience. My fingers and thumb don’t even meet as my hand encircles him, and for a moment, a flicker of fear curls in my belly.

  But I want him too much to be daunted by it. He’s shown me time and time again that he won’t hurt me, and I refuse to be afraid of any part of him. So I lean forward, gently pressing my lips against the tip of his cock as I slide my hand up and down experimentally.

>   “Desh, Autumn!”

  Sorsir gives a muffled groan as my tongue flicks out to circle the tip, his hand going to my hair. I feel his blunt fingers flex with the effort not to grasp the strands harder, and he strokes my hair as I explore further.

  Growing bolder, I slide my tongue just under the tip, toying with the small ridge there, and I’m delighted as the muscles in his thighs tense and tremble at that, his hips thrusting up helplessly.

  God, I never knew this could feel so good. So hot. I don’t feel forced or compelled or guilted into it. Instead, I feel powerful, despite the fact that I’m on my knees in front of an alien warrior, a man who could take anything he wanted at any time.

  I feel beautiful, desirable, and more aroused than I’ve ever been in my life.

  My whole body is aching with the desire to feel him touch me.

  To have his hand between my legs.

  To climb atop him again and slide him inside of me.

  But first, I want to make him groan like that again—to feel him shiver and tremble under my hands.

  With that thought spurring me on, I stop teasing him, sliding my lips over the tip of his cock and taking him inch by inch into my mouth. I keep stroking his shaft with my hand as I envelop him with my mouth, and Sorsir throws his head back. He presses a fist against his mouth to muffle the sounds coming from him, and even that turns me on.

  He’s trying to be quiet, probably conscious of the fact that we can’t wake up Chloe.

  But I can tell it’s almost impossible for him to do it.

  Sorsir’s thighs spread wider, his hand dropping away from my head as his hips move in small pulses beneath me. I keep going, taking him deeper every time I slide my lips down his cock.

  Finally, he makes a strangled noise in his throat and reaches down to grasp my arms, pulling me up. A flash of disappointment fills me, but it dies out quickly, replaced by heat. He picks me up as if I weigh nothing, shifting so that he can lay me back on the couch, his large body hovering over mine.

  “If you keep doing that, my Irisa, this is going to be over far too soon,” he murmurs roughly, and I flush with pleasure at the idea that I brought him so close to the edge.

  Sorsir reaches down, gently tugging the cord at my breasts loose. When the material slides away, he groans softly, reaching down to cup one breast in his broad palm as he slides his thumb over the nipple.

  He leans down to kiss me, gently sucking my lower lip into his mouth as he presses his forehead to mine.

  “I want you, Autumn.” His breath is warm against my mouth. “But I won’t take you unless you’re sure.”

  His large hand rests at my hip, toying with the gauzy strip of fabric that holds it belted closed there, and I arch my back, pressing upward against him. The material slides apart at my thighs, and his shaft slips between them, his naked flesh pressed against mine.

  Sorsir breathes in sharply as he discovers that I’m wearing nothing beneath the dress, and the sensation of my flesh pressed against his makes his eyes flutter closed for a moment.

  He looks wild and beautiful. Like he’s holding on to control by the barest thread.

  I know how he feels. I’m more aroused than I’ve ever been, soaked with it. My core is hot and aching with need, and his hips move convulsively, his shaft sliding against me, suddenly slick with my arousal.

  “Autumn,” he whispers, his voice almost choked. His eyes are glowing golden, his hand curled into a fist gripping the edge of the couch. “Oh, desh. Tell me what you want. I’ll stop if you don’t want this, if you’re not sure.”

  He shudders again, his hips rigid against me. My hips move without my meaning for them to, rubbing against him, and a shock of pleasure hits me, making me move again, seeking more of it.

  “Autumn…”

  “Yes,” I whisper, reaching up to run my hands through his hair. “Please, Sorsir, I want this. I want you. I need you inside of me.”

  Sorsir moans at that, a sound of desperate relief, and suddenly his body is crushed against mine as he kisses me hard, the weight of weeks of lust and need crashing into us both as he reaches down between us, guiding the tip of his cock down between my legs.

  “You can tell me if you need to stop, and I will,” he murmurs, his gaze locking with mine. Then a hint of amusement crosses his face. His lips twitch into a smile as he holds himself there, this last moment before he claims me hovering between us. “But by all the gods, I won’t want to.”

  Then he kisses me again, long and deep, his hand cradling the back of my head as his hips glide forward.

  I’ve never felt anything like the first inch of him sliding inside of me, filling me as bright, sharp shocks of pleasure race over my every nerve. My whole body responds as he pushes forward, possessing mine inch by careful inch. My legs wrap around his waist, my hips moving against his to urge him on until at last, he’s buried inside of me.

  Then he stops for a moment, shuddering as he looks down into my eyes.

  “Krax, Autumn. You’re so perfect.” He whispers the words reverently.

  I reach up to touch his face, then move my fingers higher to trace the outline of one of his horns. He shivers at the touch, his hips jerking forward, and the movement of him inside me makes me shudder in response, my back arching as I moan softly against his mouth.

  “Please,” I whisper, my inner walls clenching around him. “I need more.”

  That’s all it takes.

  He’s been careful with me so far, but it’s as if my words break something loose in him. He kisses me hard as he begins to move, sliding in and out of me with long, slow thrusts. The shocks of pleasure begin to build into something more, something deep and tight inside of me that I recognize now.

  I move with him, wrapping my arms around his neck as I return the kiss, our bodies matching each other’s rhythm effortlessly. There’s nothing awkward or clumsy about it, even though I haven’t done this in years—it’s as if we were made for each other, seamlessly melding into one as we push each other closer and closer to the edge.

  The sensation is incredible. His body drapes over mine, his cock stroking in and out of me with each powerful thrust, and I press myself against him, our skin touching from forehead to toes as we wrap ourselves around each other, desperate to be closer, as close as we can get.

  And then I feel it.

  I gasp against his mouth as the orgasm hits me, my back arching so that I’m pressed even more tightly against him. Every muscle in my body tenses for one brilliant moment before it explodes, and then I’m lost, shuddering and quivering against him. My fingers dig into his back as an orgasm rolls through me, pleasure arcing through my blood and over my every nerve-ending.

  The sensation of him moving inside of me draws it out, and I press my mouth against his shoulder, muffling the long moan that escapes me as I give myself over to it, dizzy from the intensity.

  “Oh gods, Autumn,” Sorsir breathes.

  I feel him go rigid above me, his hips thrusting forward powerfully as he buries himself with one stroke as deeply as he can go. His cock seems to fill every part of me as I clench around him, pulling him into me as he comes hard, his entire body quaking with the relief of his release.

  He slumps against me after a moment, breathing hard. I feel a rumble in his chest as he starts to laugh softly, his mouth pressed against my neck.

  “What’s funny?” I ask breathlessly, turning my head to look at him.

  I’m slightly alarmed. It’s not exactly the response a girl hopes for after her first time back in the saddle.

  “I’m not laughing at you,” he manages, giving another chuckle that’s half groan. “It’s just… gods, I’m glad you didn’t ask me to stop.”

  “Oh.” I relax a little, then grin up at the ceiling. “I think I would’ve killed you if you’d tried to stop.”

  He laughs harder at that, his body shaking with it as he rests on top of me. He’s heavy, but the weight of him doesn’t feel uncomfortable. It doesn’t make me feel s
mothered or panicked. It makes me feel… safe.

  After a moment of contented silence, Sorsir lets out a sigh and pulls out of me. He rolls to one side and tugs me against his chest, settling me into his arms. My dress lies crumpled around me as he runs his fingers through my hair.

  “That was unbelievable, Autumn,” he murmurs. “I didn’t know it could be like that. I’ve never come so hard in my life.”

  I flush with pleasure, nestling against him as I kiss him softly, reaching up to touch one of his horns. I slide my finger gently over the tip, and he shivers lightly, enough to make me grin.

  “Does that feel good?” I ask curiously.

  He nods. “Yes. Even more so now when I’m… well, when I’m still very sensitive.”

  I wriggle my hips a little against him at that, grinning mischievously, and he lets out a low groan, bending to kiss me softly as his other hand slides down to squeeze my ass.

  “Woman, I can already tell you’re going to be the death of me,” he growls, kissing me harder. And then he opens one eye, glaring down at me playfully as he gives another squeeze. “And next time, I’m getting this dress all the way off.”

  20

  Sorsir

  Whether I die tomorrow or fifty years from now, I will never forget that night.

  Claiming Autumn was far beyond what I’d anticipated or fantasized about, better than I could possibly have dreamed.

  The thought of her kneeling between my legs, looking up at me with those wide blue eyes as she wrapped her hand around me and then her lips—I have to push it out of my head frequently, because even the slightest hint of that memory is enough to make me rock hard, no matter where I am. And the rest of it…

  I’d dreamed of what it might be like to bury myself inside of her, to feel her wet, aching body envelop mine, and to spill myself inside of her… but the reality far exceeded anything I’d imagined or ever experienced before. I felt bonded to Autumn in a way that I’d never known was possible, as if in taking her I’d made her a part of myself—and given her something of myself in return.