Willing Sacrifice

by Shannon K. Butcher

  “Enough,” he said as he eased her onto her back. “It’s my turn to make you burn.”

  Chapter 23

  Grace didn’t know what Torr meant. She was already about to combust.

  Her skin danced with tingling flames. Every inch of her body ached to get closer to his. She wanted him to cover her, consume her. There was too much space between them, and if he didn’t give her what she needed, she was certain it would kill her.

  He rose above her, supporting his weight with his arms. Muscles bulged beneath his tan skin. A mist of sweat glistened across his chest. His scent filled her head, making her insides melt, but it was his eyes, bright and gleaming with wicked intent, that were her undoing.

  He stared at her body, devouring her inch by inch. She felt that stare like a physical touch. When his gaze moved over her breasts, her nipples tightened until they were almost painful.

  She needed his mouth on them again, soothing them with his tongue.

  Grace tried to tell him that, but as soon as her lips parted, he kissed her again, robbing her of all ability to speak.

  His hands roamed her body. They were so big, leaving wide swaths of heat wherever they went. He was gentle but gave her no chance to resist what he wanted to do. By the time he pulled away from her mouth, his hand was covering her mound, with just the tip of one finger sliding between her labia.

  As soon as he felt how wet she was, he went still and pulled in a hissing breath. His eyes shut tight, but when he opened them, his gaze locked with hers.

  “Sweet Grace. You have no idea what you do to me.”

  “Is that bad?”

  “No. Not even close.”

  His finger slid along her folds, gliding easily to her core. If anyone had ever touched her like this before, she couldn’t remember. Didn’t even want to. Her entire world was right here, right now—just her and Torr.

  He watched her while he moved inside her, as if expecting her to tell him to stop. She couldn’t even imagine such a horrible thought, not when his hand was between her legs, his skin lightly grazing across her clit as he entered her.

  The sensation was almost too much. He’d barely even begun to touch her, and she was already feeling a steady kind of pressure building where he moved.

  She grabbed his wrist, unsure if she wanted to make him slow down or move faster. Instead, he froze.

  Sweat lined his brow. “Do I stop?”

  “No. It’s just . . . a lot.”

  A dark smile of conquest spread across his face. “Not yet, it’s not.”

  He pressed deeper and stroked some magical spot inside her that made her see stars. Her fingers dug into his wrists, but all that did was allow her to feel his tendons shift with whatever it was he was doing to her.

  He slid out, just long enough for her to mourn the loss of his touch before he gathered her juices on a second finger and moved within her again.

  The stretch was good. Really good. She forgot all about trying to restrain him and simply let go and gave in. By the time he had a third finger easing inside her, it wouldn’t have mattered if she wanted to stop him or not. She was too boneless, too breathless.

  His mouth latched onto her nipple. He blew across the wet tip, making it tighten more. When his teeth grazed across her, biting just hard enough for her to feel it, that pressure he’d built within her detonated like a bomb.

  She shattered, flying apart into a million sparkling pieces. Just when she was sure that the pleasure was over and what was left of her was going to drift off on the slightest breeze, the next wave of her orgasm crashed against her, shocking her with its intensity.

  Torr’s hand kept moving, kept urging her through the next shimmering pulse until she was shaking and unable to catch her breath.

  His head lifted and he wore an expression of complete male satisfaction. “You are such a miracle. Utterly stunning.”

  She couldn’t speak. There wasn’t enough air in her lungs for anything more than her rapid panting breaths.

  He cradled her body close, stroking her while the storm eased. As soon as she felt whole again, he lifted her and moved until he was lying flat on the ground with her sitting astride him. His erection lay heavily on his abdomen. She could feel its thick length hot against her sex, see the tip of it rising past her mound. Wetness welled at the end of his penis, forming a pearly drop. His big hands cupped her hips, and she could feel her own juices clinging to his fingers. More coated him as she rubbed her labia over his hard length. Blatant male need tightened his jaw, giving him an almost feral expression.

  Grace had just had the first orgasm she could ever remember, but seeing him look at her like that—like she was the answer to his prayers—made need rise in her again.

  She moved her hips, experimenting with the feel of his slick skin on hers. Every few strokes her clit would slide against him just right, making her whole body clench and shiver.

  Torr groaned, and a rush of feminine power swept through her. Before she was done here, she was going to make him feel as good as he’d made her feel.

  She leaned down, covering his body with hers. The brush of her nipples against his hard chest sent a riot of sensation cascading along her spine.

  His groan deepened, and his fingers tightened around her hips. A strand of restraint vibrated through him, taunting her to find a way to make it snap. Just the thought of Torr completely unrestrained with her was enough to make the wetness between them thicken.

  She kissed his mouth. His erection pulsed against her, hitting her clit. She sucked in a breath that tasted like him, and then suddenly had a remnant of memory flash in her mind.

  His mouth on hers. Him breathing for her.

  The feeling was gone so fast she wasn’t sure if it had been real or something she’d imagined. And when his tongue swept in to tease hers, all she could think about was finding a way to get more of him.

  He was right there, hot and hard between her thighs. All she had to do was shift her hips, lift up and take him inside.

  She was more than ready for it.

  Grace broke the kiss and sat up. The image of the tree on his chest seemed to sway madly with his rapid breathing. She gripped him in her fist, holding his gaze while she centered his erection.

  She couldn’t remember having ever done this before, but her instincts guided her, urging her onward.

  She eased down. The pressure of his broad tip made lightning dance in her veins. He was slick, hot and so incredibly smooth that it didn’t take long before her tissues parted and let him in.

  Her breath caught in her chest. An aching stretch strung her taut. She already felt consumed and she’d barely accepted any of him. She truly wasn’t sure how she was going to take more.

  Torr must have sensed her hesitation. He sat up and cradled her in his arms, dropping soft kisses over her cheeks and eyelids.

  “I’ll wait as long as you need, honey. And if you want to stop”—his words cut off in a strained, choking sound—“then that’s what we’ll do.”

  “No stopping now,” she said, easing down to take another inch of him.

  His breath came out in a long hiss of pleasure. He took her mouth with his, staking a claim without a single word. There was a kind of fevered franticness to his mouth, his hands, as if he had to gather as much of her as he could before she slipped away.

  Grace wasn’t going anywhere. Not now, not when he surrounded her and filled her so completely.

  She started moving, lifting and lowering herself in small increments. Each sweet glide of skin on skin was better than the last, pushing her back toward that glittering place where she’d been ripped apart and re-formed.

  The stretching pressure of him filling her was her whole world. Her body kept surprising her with its hungry need, its ability to accept more than she would have thought possible. It wasn’t just his physical presence in her body, but also the shimmering pleasure he gave her with each stroke of his hand, each hot, wet kiss.

  He seemed to know just wh
ere to touch her to make her need more. He never pushed or hurried her, but the glide of his mouth on her neck made her want, and the gentle tug on her nipples made her hunger.

  Finally, when they were joined as deeply as possible, he went still and simply looked at her. Some kind of declaration burned in his amber eyes, but he said nothing. Instead, he stroked her face with the tips of his fingers, touching her as though she were the most precious thing he’d ever beheld.

  Her body burned, but it was her heart that she felt most in that moment. It seemed to expand and swell, as if it had been waiting for him to fill a void she hadn’t even realized she had. When he looked at her like this, she felt strangely complete.

  “I’m going to love you now,” he told her. “I can’t wait any longer.”

  She wasn’t sure what he meant until he started to move. His powerful body flexed, lifting her up. The clinging glide of her skin on his made her nerve endings sing. The feeling of emptiness barely registered before he slid back home again.

  Grace clung to his shoulders, holding on while he moved her. Each stroke tightened her belly and wound her up until she couldn’t think of anything but pure sensation.

  Sweat coated their skin, allowing her nipples to slide over his chest. The added sensation was too much for her to hold.

  She opened her mouth to warn him that she couldn’t take any more, but all that came out was a breathless cry as her body exploded. One wave of pleasure crashed into the next until all that was left were demanding ripples that squeezed the last of her energy from her body.

  Torr’s muscles bunched, clenching hard. His voice came out in a strangled roar, and she felt his erection swell and pulse inside her as his semen erupted from him.

  He collapsed back onto the ground, bringing her down with him to cover his body. His heart hammered under her ear. His arms tightened around her as if he was afraid she’d run away.

  Not likely.

  Even if her legs could support her weight—which she knew they wouldn’t—there wasn’t a single place she wanted to be more than where she was right now.

  When their breathing evened out, he rolled her beneath him and brushed her hair away from her sweaty brow. “You okay?”

  “Never better.”

  “I got a little carried away.”

  “I loved every second of it.”

  His erection was relaxing inside her, but she felt it twitch with interest. “That’s good, because I have every intention of doing it again. Soon.”

  She didn’t think it would be possible for her to want more. She already felt boneless, weak and completely sated. Still, her body knew a good thing when it heard one, and a little rush of excitement flooded her. “Now works for me.”

  He flashed her a breathtaking smile as he eased from her body. “I’m going to feed you first.”

  “With what? I saw you drop all our food.”

  He pushed to his feet, putting his gorgeous body on gleaming display. For as long as she lived, she would never forget how he looked now, with only the faintest glow of sunset painting his nude body. “Don’t worry. I’ve been hunting longer than you’ve been alive. I’ll find us something.”

  Suddenly, the idea of being alone in this cave was terrifying. Maybe it was clingy of her, but she didn’t want him to run off—not after what they’d just shared.

  Her unease must have registered in her expression, because he leaned down and kissed her, long and slow. When he came up for air, that familiar look of hunger was back in place, tightening his jaw and mouth.

  “I’m only going because we need to eat. I’m not running away. I promise.”

  His vow took her by surprise, its weight settling gently over her shoulders like a warm blanket. “Okay.”

  “I won’t be long.” He pulled on his clothes and set a short sword within her reach. “I’ll stay close. If you need me, call out and I’ll come running.”

  She nodded.

  He swept her hair behind her ear and gave her a look so filled with delicious intent it made her thighs squeeze together. “When I get back and have fed you, I’m going to spend the rest of the night inside you, Grace. And I’m going to see to it that you love every second.”

  About that, she had no doubt.

  Chapter 24

  Torr had been lying about not running away, just a little.

  Grace overwhelmed him. Made his head spin. Made him wish for things that were impossible.

  Just the idea of being with her like that every night for the rest of his life was enough to scare him. Not because he couldn’t imagine it, but because he could. He could also imagine the lengths he’d go to keep her at his side.

  Now that he’d gotten a taste of her, he knew he’d never have enough. Anyone who tried to stand between him and Grace now was in for a world of pain.

  He would die for her, kill for her, raze entire worlds for her.

  For a man with his abilities, that was a dangerous way to feel.

  He knelt on the damp ground and simply breathed in the thick night air. He had too much emotion rioting inside him—too much love, lust and territorial greed. Grace was his. No other man would ever touch her, human or otherwise.

  He could keep her here on this planet where there were no other men. He could stay and spend the rest of his years loving her. Or at least the rest of her years.

  Even as the idea sparked to life, it died a sudden death. He couldn’t stay here. His vow wouldn’t allow it. Eventually, his need to protect humans and guard the gate to Athanasia would overcome him and he would spend all his time desperately trying to find a way home.

  For now he was content. Protecting Brenya and the women here was important. The children here were vital to winning the war. And protecting Grace, the only human he’d sensed here, was a true joy. But it wouldn’t last.

  Once he’d dealt with the threat, that contentedness would fade. He would become restless and, eventually, frantic to return home.

  That wasn’t the kind of thing he wanted Grace to witness.

  So what were his choices? Take her home with him? Watch her age and die?

  It would destroy him.

  Even as he thought about it, he felt one of the leaves on his lifemark rip free and fall. The pain made him suck in a breath and dig his fingers into the damp ground.

  It was a cruel fucking joke that a woman who touched him so deeply could never be the one he needed to survive.

  Suddenly, a strange sense of calm came over him.

  If anything ever happened to her, it would destroy him. He wouldn’t have to suffer endless centuries without her. He would simply go with her when she left this life.

  It was such an obvious solution, it was a wonder he hadn’t thought of it before. He would have his life with Grace and then let go when she did. No more war, no more fighting, no more pain.

  His brothers would be one warrior short, but they were having children of their own now—more fighters to fill the void he’d leave. They wouldn’t miss him for long.

  His decision made, Torr went foraging in the woods to feed the woman he would spend the rest of his life with.

  All he had to do now was persuade her to have him.

  • • •

  Grace washed in a trickle of icy water seeping down the cave wall. There was no more light to guide her, so everything took twice as long. Still, it helped pass the time while Torr was gone.

  Her body tingled with the memory of what he’d done to her as well as his dark promise for more. She didn’t care about the food he’d bring back, only about the man who would bring it.

  When she heard the slight swish of brush outside the cave entrance, she froze, stuck somewhere between fear and excitement.

  “It’s me,” he whispered, and all fear drained away.

  She couldn’t see him, but she could sense him drawing nearer. The disk along her back vibrated slightly, but she couldn’t tell if it was in response to the one he wore or if she was simply shaking with anticipation.

&n
bsp; “I’m over here,” she said.

  “I can see you.”

  “Oh, right. I forget other people can see in the dark.”

  When he spoke again, he was much closer. She could smell the forest clinging to his clothes and skin, feel his body heat reaching for her. “If I could give you the power to see at night, I would. As it is, the best I can offer is a small fire at the back of the cave.”

  He was so sweet, always worrying about her needs. “Will the light give us away?”

  “No. I’ll cut some brush and create a screen. I need to cook the meat anyway.”

  “What can I do?”

  “Rest,” he said, his tone promising wicked delights. “You’re going to need it.”

  Grace stifled a shiver and stayed where she was until he had the brush screen in place and a small fire going to light the space. It was little more than a single flame but seemed incredibly bright after so long in the dark.

  He scrubbed a rock in the trickle of water, then set it by the fire and laid out several thin strips of raw meat.

  “Good hunting?” she asked.

  “Good enough. I found some berries, too. They look like the ones we ate earlier, but you should check them out, just to be sure.”

  She took the pouch he offered and saw that he’d found the sweet red ones that ripened this time of year. She popped one in her mouth. “They’re safe.”

  He adjusted the strips of raw meat so they’d start cooking, and opened his mouth for one of the berries.

  Grace moved closer to where he knelt. Giving in to the pull he had on her felt good. Right.

  She took one of the berries and fed it to him. Before she could move away, his lips closed over her finger, sucking on it in a way that made her nipples harden.

  He let her go, grinning as he chewed. His gaze was fixed on her chest, where the very obvious outline of her nipples was visible.

  “I love it that I can do that to you,” he told her. “Makes the playing field just a bit more level.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”