Eden's Deliverance (The Eden Series Book 4)

by Rhenna Morgan

  His gaze glided down her torso, a wild and possessive glint deepening the blue in his eyes. “Only me.” He palmed her knees and pushed them up and wide, exposing her to his greedy perusal. Skating one palm along her inner thigh, the whites of his eyes glowed a soft but beautiful neon. Unnatural by human standards, but amazing.

  “What makes your eyes do that?”

  His avid stare snapped to hers, and the muscle at the back of his jaw twitched. His breaths grew heavier, chest rising and falling as though he’d bench-pressed a mountain. He slicked one finger through her folds. “Control. Mine’s close to snapping.”

  Her hips bucked, eager for more, and a tiny whimper ripped past her lips. “You think that makes me afraid?”

  A lewd and feral grin tipped the corners of his mouth, and he lowered his head toward her sex. “No. You’re not afraid. You’re fearless, at least in this.” He pressed a teasing kiss high on the inside of her thigh, then raked his soft whiskers where his lips had been.

  “Then let go.”

  His mouth whispered against her drenched and swollen labia, his hot breath dancing wickedly against her most sensitive flesh. “Oh, Brenna. I’m already gone.”

  He flicked her throbbing clit, and the contact ricocheted clear to her toes. Her eyes slid shut, any other sensation beyond the hot, velvet rasp of his tongue too much to process.

  “Oh no.” His hands slid under her ass, better angling her for his mouth. “You open your eyes. You watch me take you.”

  She couldn’t. Already her sex quivered, too close to release. She wanted him with her when she fell, inside her when she wiped her past clean. “It’s too much.”

  The warmth of his lips and tongue disappeared. “You want me?”

  She tossed her head, willing his mouth back where it was. “Yes.”

  “You want my cock?”

  Oh God. Flutters rippled deep inside, release so close it was all she could do to breathe.

  “Answer me.”

  She opened her eyes, every muscle from her neck to her toes poised and straining for his mouth. “Yes.”

  Pure predator stared back at her, his intensity fragmenting what was left of her reason. “Then you watch. Watch, and know I’ll give you what you want as soon as you’ve come on my tongue.”

  Her core clenched a second before he swept his devious tongue through her folds, moaning his pleasure as he devoured. She’d wondered, even fantasized what such a wanton act would feel like, but she’d been nowhere close. No touch could compare to this. No contact as intoxicating.

  He eased one finger inside her, pumping slowly as he played her clit with his lips and tongue. “Your pussy’s trembling. Ready for release.” He added a second finger, increasing his rhythm and pushing deeper. “I want that. Come for me, sweetheart. Give me what I want.” Twisting his wrist, he rubbed his fingertips against a spot inside her.

  Reality shattered, her strangled cry ripping free as the most beautiful climax took her. Nothing existed but emotion and Ludan’s carnal kiss. Over and over, her walls clamped around his devious fingers, and shards of blue and red danced behind her eyelids.

  “That’s it.” Slowly, he eased the pace, giving her time to circle back to earth, yet still rocking his fingers inside her, nurturing the simmering after burn. He kissed a leisurely path up her torso. “Look at me.”

  Her eyes. Somewhere between his naughty encouragement and his tongue’s cunning efforts, she’d let them close. “Sorry.”

  “I’m not.” He hovered above her, his voice strained and his eyes still glowing. “I love your eyes on me, but watching you come and hearing you shout my name was better.”

  He’d watched her. The muscles around his fingers fluttered, the mere thought of his eyes on her in those intimate moments sparking a fresh wave of desire.

  He chuckled low and dirty. “You like me watching you.”

  She did. Enough so it felt a little indecent. She sat up, forcing him upright on his knees, and brushed her fingertips through the trail of hair above his waistline. “Does that bother you?”

  The lazy smirk on his face evaporated, replaced with a scowl. “The only thing that would bother me is you denying what pleases you.”

  Oh, she liked that. The words and the protective edge that came with it. “Then you won’t deny me seeing you?”

  He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing so pronounced it looked painful. “I won’t deny you anything.” He tugged the opening to his jeans, popping the buttons free, then hesitated. He lowered his hands to his sides. “Take what you want.”

  Her confusion must have been evident, because he smoothed her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “You need to lead this. To know the choices are yours.”

  An odd sensation dipped and twirled in her belly, and her breath caught. She might have appreciated Ludan, even idolized him a little, but with his simple, profound words, he’d sunk lifelong anchors in her heart. Grazing her fingers along his barely opened fly, she pulled the edges wide. And nearly swallowed her tongue.

  His cock stood tall and proud against his abdomen, no underwear beneath to block her gaze. Thick veins ran from the base to the ridge beneath its flared head.

  She traced one and Ludan sucked in a harsh breath, his shaft jerking beneath her tentative touch. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen or touched a man, but it had never been like this. At her own pace, and under her own control, for nothing but pleasure. Odd how his skin could be so soft and still so hard beneath.

  “Wrap your hand around me.” He couched it as gentle guidance, but there was urgency underneath. Desperation and strain.

  She started to comply, noted her ugly, callus-laden palms, and stopped. She fisted her hand and sat back on her heels. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Touching you should feel good, not rough.”

  A rumble rolled from his chest, and he held out one hand, palm up, putting his own thick calluses on display. “You think I don’t like rough?” He fisted himself at the base, far more powerfully than she would have attempted. “I came thinking about you just like this not five days ago.” He stroked up and down, over and over, not once breaking his stare. “I’ve felt your hands on my back. Felt your nails in my skin.” He released his grip and let his hands fall to his sides. “Now I want them on my cock.”

  For long seconds, she sat there, too speechless to move, the image of Ludan working his shaft seared in her head. “For the record, I think I like watching, too.”

  He grinned and lifted his hand to resume.

  “No.” She caught him by the wrist and tugged his hand away. “I didn’t mean now. Definitely later, but this time I want to.” She wrapped her hand around him.

  So much strength and power. Raw and unyielding, like the man.

  Mirroring his actions, she marveled at his response. How his hips pressed into each pump of her fist and his heavy breaths. She had control. No one else.

  A drop of pre cum pearled at the tip. He’d tasted her. Given her unbelievable release. She licked her lips and leaned in close.

  He stayed her with a firm grip on her shoulder. “Not this time. I’d never last. Not with your sweet mouth.”

  Her shoulders slumped, and she opened her mouth to argue.

  Not this time.

  “We’ll have more than once?” The second the question came out, she regretted it, hating the vulnerability behind it.

  Ludan covered her hand and lifted it to his mouth, kissing the center of her palm. “As long as you want me, I’m yours. You have my vow.”

  The anchors in her heart etched deeper, and the desolate, fearful part of herself who’d lived in shadows took another step into Ludan’s light.

  He pulled away, stepping off the bed long enough to shuck his jeans, then crawled across the bed. He lay on his back beside her and fisted his length. Curling the fingers of his other hand around her wrist, he dragged his thumb across her pulse point.

  Praise the Great One, she could look at him like this for hours. A
ll muscle and masculine power, coiled tight despite his relaxed pose. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m giving you control.” He tugged her wrist and guided one leg over his hips so she straddled him. His cock lay thick and heavy just inches from her core.

  Her insides fluttered in a mix of excitement and panic. Not once had Maxis ever taken her in such a fashion. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “We’ll figure it out.” He pulled her closer, threading his fingers in her hair and slanting his lips across hers.

  The head of his cock grazed her labia, and she sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Easy.” His fingers tightened in her hair, and his heavy exhalations mingled with hers. Back and forth, he teased his mouth against hers, his hands guiding her hips. “Slide yourself against me. Use me. Build yourself back up.”

  She gasped at the first glide, his shaft slicking easily through her swollen folds. His cockhead nudged her clit and she ground herself against it, chasing her rousing need. They were finally here. At the moment she’d fantasized about with the one man she trusted. No more waiting.

  “Please.” She opened her eyes, her hips never breaking rhythm. “Tell me what to do.”

  “Lift up,” he rasped, strangled and broken. “Take me in your hand and guide me in.”

  Loath as she was to break contact, she rose higher on her knees and gripped him by the base. The angle was awkward. Not at all the sexy, sultry image she wanted to present.

  “That’s it.” The tip of his cock slipped inside, and he clenched his jaw, a strangled grunt muffled behind it. “Your pussy’s so damned wet. Tight.”

  Power fired hot in her veins. Sensual and primal. Cleansing and perfect. Slowly, she lowered herself around him, his girth plying her with a delicious stretch. Down, then up. Over and over, working his magnificent cock deeper and deeper and until he filled her completely.

  “Your pace.” Sweat dotted his forehead, and that wayward lock of hair that always fell across his face clung to one cheek.

  No, not her pace. Theirs. She rode him. Experimenting and gauging each reaction. The way he held his breath. His hungry gaze as he watched his length tunnel in and out of her sex.

  “Brenna.”

  Oh God, she ached. Needed release as bad as he did, but it hovered out of reach. “Help me.” She gripped his shoulders, squeezing tight. “Please.”

  “Lean over.” His big hand splayed behind one shoulder blade, and his tongue flicked out against one nipple. “Come for me, sweetheart. Let me feel you on my cock.” He sucked the tip into his mouth and slid his hand between them, pressing her clit with his thumb.

  Firework, heart-stopping release ricocheted through every inch of her body. She clenched her knees tight to Ludan’s hips and rode the storm, her core rippling around his shaft in hungry, avid clasps.

  Ludan bucked, slamming his hips upward and releasing a ragged shout. Around them, streams of fire swirled with no visible source. A blanket of deep golden flames tinged with blue at the edge. Beautiful like the glorious release blasting through her, body and soul.

  His arms coiled around her, his fingers buried in her hair as he bound her tight to his chest. Beneath her, his heart hammered ruthless and heavy, their torsos lined with sweat.

  She pulled in a steadying breath, his earthy scent and the aftermath of their sex filling her lungs.

  Rest and hold your mate.

  Eryx couldn’t be right. That could never be her reality, not as a human. But they had this moment. Explosive passion and a connection that transcended anything she’d ever imagined. Maybe, just maybe, it would be enough to keep him for a little while.

  Chapter 23

  Ludan tugged his last boot on and reclined in the chair beside Brenna’s bed. Nine o’clock in the morning and she was still out. He’d never seen her sleep so late or so deeply. Her hair lay tousled against the cream sheets, and her lips were barely parted. Perfect for fitting his mouth against and rousing her the same way he had throughout the night.

  He stood and shoved the temptation deep. She deserved the rest, especially after the night she’d given him. Prying himself away from her warm, naked body had taken ridiculous discipline. If it hadn’t been for the voices in the living room, he’d have said to histus with control and lazed the whole damned day beside her.

  Feeding his hunger a tiny crumb, he brushed his lips across her temple. Her scent gripped him, the same vanilla sweetness, but now mixed with his own.

  Mine.

  The thought knocked him back a step. No, not his. In the long run, she’d find someone more suitable. Someone who could give her all the things he couldn’t, like a fully functioning heart and emotions that weren’t as gnarled as an ancient oak.

  Using his mind, he silently opened the door and shut it just as quietly behind him. He’d be smart to keep her future in mind going forward. He hadn’t lied last night. As long as she wanted him, he’d see to her physical needs. Hell, he’d see to her every need to the extent he was capable. But losing sight of her end game would be an emotional cluster fuck he couldn’t live through.

  In the living room, Eryx sat on the couch in jeans and a T-shirt with his bare feet up on the coffee table. One hand gripped the television remote and the other fisted a cup of coffee perched on the armrest. A very fresh cup of coffee if the steam coming off it was any indication.

  “You just make that?”

  “Lexi and Brenna’s mom did.” Eryx aimed the remote at the flat screen and punched a button. “They left about ten minutes ago.”

  “Shit, I didn’t know she was coming.” Although he should have. The only time they’d spent apart was for Abby to keep her meager administrative assistant job.

  Eryx frowned at the television, punched the power button, and tossed the remote to the coffee table. “Don’t worry about Brenna’s mom. Lexi covered it.”

  “You didn’t have to stay here.” Though considering how things had worked out, he wasn’t complaining.

  “You’ve been covering my ass for over a hundred years. You really think I’d leave your back unprotected when your woman’s at risk?”

  “She’s not my woman.”

  Eryx cocked an eyebrow. “Really? You shout the house down and do pyrotechnics for all the women you jump in the sack with?”

  Ludan’s head snapped back as if he’d been punched.

  “Yeah, Lexi and I both scented the fireworks. Good thing you kept that shit contained. Not sure the other tenants would appreciate a fire drill.”

  Fuck.

  Ludan strode to the kitchen and snagged a mug over the coffeemaker. He’d need the whole damned carafe before he could deal with Eryx’s crap. Maybe he and Lexi staying wasn’t such a benefit after all.

  Behind him, Eryx’s signature silver and winter energy pattern pinged against Ludan’s senses. “She tell you she healed you?”

  Ludan nodded.

  “She tell you Galena couldn’t? That her energy was the only one your mind would accept?”

  In lieu of an answer, he shoved the coffeepot back on the burner, turned, leaned back into the counter, and glared.

  “I’ll take that as an obstinate yes.” Eryx thunked his coffee to the countertop. “You’re going to tell me you’ve found a woman who all but has a brand on her that says she’s your mate and you’re not going to honor it with a vow?”

  “She’s human. She can’t take that kind of vow.” His voice caught on the thought, and he swallowed to clear it. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I gave her the best vow I could last night.”

  “She’s a heck of a lot more than human,” Eryx said. “I haven’t seen any normal human heal a Myren. And I damned sure haven’t seen a human with her kind of energy.”

  Ludan pushed off the countertop and set his coffee aside so fast the hot brew sloshed over one side. “How the fuck do you know what her energy looks like?”

  Eryx grinned. A shit-eating oh-I’ve-got-your-ass-cornered grin. “I gave her a boost to mirror from. Your mat
e doesn’t have a normal human essence. Histus, I don’t think I’ve seen a Myren with energy like hers.”

  It was a platonic statement. Purely factual. But the fact Eryx had been inside Brenna that way, so innately intimate, made his fingers itch to choke the bastard. He paced his breathing and fought to keep from fisting his hands. “It’s the impact of your healing. She couldn’t mirror before. That’s the only thing that’s changed.”

  Eryx studied him, his shrewd, all too keen focus sucking in nuances few could escape. He rubbed his chin with the back of his hand and nodded. “Point taken. I’ll see if Ian’s up for sharing his. We’ll compare notes.”

  And if Ian’s wasn’t the same? What did that mean? Could she take his vow?

  Eryx chin lifted in Ludan’s direction. “Speaking of healing, how’s your head?”

  “Nowhere near what I felt yesterday. A little quieter than normal, but the voices always are when Brenna’s close by.” He cocked his head and focused on the chatter. “Weird though. I don’t hear the things I saw in Angus’s memory. I can pull them up, but the sound doesn’t echo like the others.”

  “Could be she wiped it before it embedded in long-term memory.”

  Maybe. Whatever she’d done, he was damned grateful. Living with his mother’s screams was torture enough. Relieving Angus’s abuse every day the rest of his life would be a whole new level of hell.

  The front door opened, and Lexi’s boisterous laughter spilled into the living room. A second later, she and Abby came into view, Lexi holding two big white boxes with green and red lettering on the top. “Hey, boys. Glad to see everyone’s up and about.” She scanned the room. “Well, everyone but Brenna. She okay?”

  “She’s fine.” Ludan focused on Abby. “Sorry we weren’t up when you got here. It was a rough night.”

  Eryx chuckled behind him. “Man, you suck at this. You’re talking to her mother.” The snarky remark came with a slight echo behind it, and given the smirk on Lexi’s face, it didn’t take a giant leap to figure out whom he’d shared it with.