The Alchemy of Desire

by Crista McHugh

  Oni arched her head back to give him better access. “I like your lips anywhere on my body.”

  “Good, because I’m just getting started.”

  Her dress flew over her head faster than she could blink, leaving her chest bare to the chilly night air. She covered her breasts as her nipples formed taut peaks from the sudden exposure.

  “Cold, my dear?” His gaze focused on her chest, and his warm hands slid along her skin and past the waistband of her breeches.

  She nodded and leaned next to him. The wool of his union suit scratched against her breasts, further tightening the skin of her areolas.

  “Then let’s finish undressing you so I can get you under the covers.” He slid her breeches past her hips and she kicked off the soft leather moccasins. She now stood naked before him.

  He drew in a sharp gasp. “My God, you’re beautiful.”

  Her heart threatened to drive the air from her lungs. He wasn’t staring at her like she was some half-breed freak of nature. His gaze held nothing but reverence for her, like she was a goddess he was about to worship.

  He caressed the small of her back and kisses as light as butterfly wings covered her forehead, her nose, her eyelids, her cheeks. As much as she liked the abrupt change in the intensity, it did little to satisfy the burning need that grew inside her. She tugged at the last layer of clothing that separated them, and a button flew off as she pushed the union suit past his waist.

  His grin irked her. “Someone’s impatient tonight.” He grabbed her wrists and lowered her to the pile of furs. Then he finally removed the remainder of his clothes so he stood as naked as she was.

  Her gaze followed the sculpted muscles of his body, from the bulges of his biceps to the ripples hiding under the scarred skin of his abdomen. She wanted to run her hands along them, to feel them flex them under her fingers as he lay next to her. Her eyes lowered to his rock-hard cock that jutted out like a steel rod and she rose from the bed to come closer to it.

  He knelt beside her and pushed her back down. “No, no, not yet.” He covered them with a soft hide and hovered over her.

  Oni arched her pelvis up to rub against him. So close. Such sweet torture. Her body frantically tried to find the right angle to get him inside her. “Please, Diah, I want you.”

  “Do you?” He pinned her hips to the ground so she could no longer reach his cock. “How much do you want me?”

  She could only whimper when his mouth trailed along her collarbone. She strained against his hands, but he was too strong. At last she surrendered to him and allowed him to control when she would have her satisfaction.

  He worked farther down her chest, his tongue grazing over her nipples. The sensation was so intense, it was almost painful. She dug her fingers into his short red hair. He licked it again and then sucked gently on the puckered flesh that resulted from his teasing.

  When he finished with that breast, he repeated the whole agonizing procedure with the other. And as he did so, she fought the urge to rip his hair out and slide farther under him. The smell of his shaving soap mingled with the scent of their sweat, and his pale skin glowed like the moon under the faint candlelight. And all of it made her yearn for him to never stop pleasuring her body.

  His hands, warm and calloused, massaged her buttocks and thighs. His mouth continued down to her navel. His tongue filled the hollow recess and the heat traveled deeper inside her. She moaned and pushed him lower.

  “What do you want, Oni?” His eyes twinkled as if he knew the answer and wanted to hear her say it. While he waited for her answer, his fingers dipped into the wetness between her legs, eliciting another moan from her.

  How much longer can I endure this sweet torture? “I want you to make me come,” she panted.

  His laughter vibrated against her stomach and he parted her thighs. His fingers slipped between her sex, going deeper with each thrust. It wasn’t what she wanted, but it was something. Then an electric-like shock rocked her body as his tongue flickered over her sex for the first time.

  “Oh, God!”

  Her gasp encouraged Diah to continue. His tongue traced circles around her tiny nub, sending waves of pleasure throughout her body. No man had ever done this to her, had taken the time to see to her pleasure before his own. She pressed his head down, trying to hasten the release her body sought.

  He pinned her hands to the furs at her sides and proceeded to tease her to his liking. The pulsations inside her multiplied in frequency and intensity, like waves pounding against a dam wall during a storm. She felt the wall weaken and, as his teeth grazed against her, it cracked and faltered.

  Her body stiffened as the tidal wave broke free from the place between her legs and spread to the tips of her toes and the hairs on her head. She couldn’t remember if she managed to say anything coherent other than his name, but she heard him moan as his tongue finished its dance.

  The orgasm was just beginning to ebb when he pulled away and crawled closer to her face. “Did that please you?”

  She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. His hips settled between her thighs, and the tip of his cock brushed against the edge of her sex.

  “Good.” The word was almost a grunt and he buried himself inside her.

  Oni gasped as his cock filled her, stretching the walls to accommodate his size. He was larger than she had imagined.

  Worry flashed in his eyes. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  Stars above, it was hard to breathe. She shook her head. “I’ve just never had someone as big as you before.”

  He grinned and plunged deeper. “And you like that?”

  “Oh, God, yes.” She ground her hips against his, eager to feel him thrusting in her and giving her what she wanted. “Please don’t stop now.”

  “I have no intention of stopping.”

  His mouth covered hers and he began to move. With every stroke, his head rubbed against a place that made her heart pound and her body tremble. This was what she’d been dreaming of ever since she first invited him into her bed, and he didn’t disappoint her.

  Their bodies moved in sync, with her pelvis rising to meet him each time. Her pulse raced and sweat trickled between their bodies. And as much as she savored their physical connections, she sensed something more forming between them as she stared into his eyes. When she’d lain with men in the past, it was purely for pleasure and nothing more. This was different. She was giving him more than just her body. She had given him her heart.

  His thrusts came harder and faster. The pressure built up again and, when it reached its zenith, she completely lost control of her body. This orgasm pulsated over and over again, drawn out by his continuous strokes.

  He moaned and grabbed her buttocks. His eyes closed. The skin tightened over the planes of his face. “Oh, God, Oni, you feel so good.” Then his eyes opened wide and spasms rocked his body. He gasped for air yet continued to move inside her, extending his orgasm as long as possible.

  “Oni, I love you,” he whispered.

  Her breaths came out as ragged shudders as the last of her orgasm worked its way through her. For a minute, neither of them moved. Their sweat-drenched bodies clung to each other.

  A warm glow blanketed her body. He’d told her he loved her. She stroked his cheeks and lifted his head from her chest. “Diah?”

  His eyes were glazed with exhaustion. “Huh?”

  Oni almost laughed. The lovemaking appeared to have drained him and she doubted they’d be able to have a coherent conversation now. Instead, she kissed him. “That was wonderful.”

  Diah rolled over onto his back and pulled her next to him. He stroked her hair while his breathing slowed. “I couldn’t agree more, my dear.”

  Her body felt heavy and it took the last of her strength to fling her arm over his stomach. Diah loved her, and that was enough for tonight.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Diah awoke to Oni’s soft, warm flesh pressing against him. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming, but
as he remembered the night before, a smile spread across his face, and blood flooded his groin. Making love to her left him starving for more. She could easily become an addiction.

  “Good morning, Diah.” She looked up at him while her fingers traced the outline of the muscles on his chest and stomach.

  “Good morning, dear.” He rubbed her bare arms and pulled her closer. Her skin felt like silk, and his hands traveled farther along her curves before resting in the valley of her waist. “Sleep well?”

  “I think I had the best night’s sleep in my life.”

  He would have to agree with her. By the time he’d given in to his own orgasm, he was exhausted and was out before he knew it.

  Her fingers lingered over the jagged lines of his scar. “How did you get this?”

  He looked at the contrast of her coppery skin against his own pale whiteness. “The war.”

  “What happened?”

  He didn’t answer right away. It seemed strange to dredge up those memories when she was lying here in his arms.

  She paused. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “No.”

  She resumed her sketches on his body. “You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to, then. I was just curious.”

  “I was impaled by a piece of metal during one of the battles. The only reason I survived was because Cager found me and healed me.”

  Her palm stretched over the scar. “Then I suppose I should be grateful he did that. Otherwise, I would have never known you, and my life would be very empty.”

  “Me too.” He hugged her close and something welled up in his chest and threatened to break free. Without a doubt he was richer for knowing her. Would his life ever be the same again, especially after last night?

  “Did you mean what you said last night?” she asked in a small voice.

  He stiffened. He’d hoped she hadn’t heard him when passion overtook his common sense and he blurted out that he loved her. Not that he didn’t mean it. He loved her more than he thought it was possible to love another person. But he didn’t want her to know. It would just make it harder for them in the end.

  She pushed away from him, and cold air rushed in to fill the gap between them. “Never mind. I guess you just said it because you were—”

  He rolled over on top of her and silenced her with a kiss. He wanted to show her his words were more than something shouted at the heat of moment. She yielded to him and his tongue filled her sweet mouth. His arousal grew and brushed against the soft thatch of hair between her legs. As the kiss deepened, he longed to be inside her. But first he wanted to make sure she knew what she meant to him. His lips trailed along her cheek, tasting the salt on her skin, and lingered on her earlobe. “What do you think?”

  She ran her fingers through his hair and appeared to be searching his face. “You really do love me?”

  She asked it as though no one had ever told her that and his heart ached for her. “Yes, Oni, I love you.” Although I know I’m a fool to admit it.

  A noise that sounded like a cross between a laugh and sob escaped from her throat, and her eyes glistened. She raised her lips to his and kissed him in a way that made him want to make love to her all over again.

  “Techihhila.” She stroked his cheek. “It means I love you.”

  Dear God, had she been telling him that she loved him all this time? “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

  “I was worried you didn’t feel the same way about me.”

  His cock throbbed, but he resisted the urge to give in to his desire until he had erased all the doubt from her mind. He combed his fingers through her dark hair. “So we’ve both been stubborn fools?”

  “Yes, but we had our reasons.”

  He kissed her forehead. “What are you thinking now?”

  “I’m trying to figure out how long you’re going to wait before you make love to me again.” Her hand pried its way between them and stroked his erection.

  The heat from her fingers sent agonizing waves of pleasure through him that were so intense, they bordered on pain. Sweet Jesus, I need to have her again. He pulled her hand away from his cock and plunged it into her. She was so hot and wet and tight, and he sighed as he slowly eased deeper into her.

  She arched her back and moaned. “Thank you.”

  “For what?” He withdrew so only his tip remained inside and then thrust again, eliciting another moan from her.

  “Do have any idea how wonderful you feel inside me?”

  If he felt half as good to her as she did to him, then he had an idea. Instead of answering though, he grinned and slowly stroked her from the inside with his cock. This was how he’d wanted to make love to her last night. Slow and gentle, savoring every second.

  She began to move her hips in an almost circular motion, grinding against him with each thrust. This is where she differed from the women back East. She did more than just lie there while he pleasured himself. She wanted to enjoy it, too. Sex between them felt more like a partnership. They were equals when it came to their passions, and knowing this only heightened his arousal.

  Even though he tried to focus on drawing this out as long as possible, his desire mounted with her moans and whimpers, and his thrusts became more urgent. He had passed the breaking point and he shuddered as he released the orgasm he’d been holding back.

  Diah’s mind blurred as the ecstasy filled him. He clung to her, wanting to feel her body next to his until it passed. Her nails dug into his shoulders and she threw her head back.

  He eventually became aware of his surroundings. He inhaled the scent of her skin and felt her hard nipples rub against his chest. Her panting slowed. He pressed his lips against the hollow of her throat and tasted the salt of her sweat. She moaned softly and whispered something.

  He lifted his head and stared into her amber eyes. The way they glowed as she smiled stunned him. “What was that?”

  “I didn’t mean for that to slip out.” She traced the curve of his ear, fanning his desire again.

  “And you’re not going to repeat it?”

  Her cheeks darkened. “I’m embarrassed to repeat it.”

  He raised one brow in disbelief. “You, embarrassed? Even after all the things you said last night?”

  Oni laughed and buried her face against his shoulder. “I said you can fuck me like that anytime.”

  Diah never imagined that hearing a woman use such language would turn him on like it did, but when she whispered those words to him, he ached for the next round. “Is that a promise?”

  “I don’t think I have to worry about you abusing the privilege, so yes.”

  Footsteps crunched outside. “I suppose it’s time to get up.” He rolled to the side to allow her to sit up.

  She stood and searched for her clothes among the furs and hides. Her long black hair swung around her hips, teasing him with glimpses of her buttocks and breasts.

  His eyes followed the curves of her body and lingered on her stomach. For a second, he thought he saw a small bulge protruding from it, but when he blinked, it returned to its normal lean and flat appearance. His heart raced when he realized he’d taken no precautions to protect her from pregnancy. He’d been too busy enjoying the sensation of being inside her to remember to pull out when he came. His thoughtlessness tore at his gut. “Oni?”

  “Yes?” She slipped her arms into the sleeves of her dress.

  Heat flamed in his cheeks. He hated feeling so irresponsible. It was so unlike him. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t—I mean, I should have—” He looked away and rubbed his hand through his hair. “What happens if you end up carrying my child after tonight?”

  The color drained from her face, and she sank to her knees. Obviously, she hadn’t given any thought to it until now, either. “Stars above, I hope not.”

  His heart wrenched. He was just becoming adjusted to the idea of her belly swollen with his child, of feeling it move under his hand as he lay next to her in bed. He would marry her in a heartbeat i
f she was pregnant—he wouldn’t take no for an answer. But she sounded like that was the last thing she wanted. “You would tell me if you were, wouldn’t you?”

  The fear vanished from her eyes and was replaced by sadness. “You don’t want someone like me to bear your children, Diah. You deserve better than that.” Before he could answer, she left the tepee.

  Oni had barely been outside a few seconds before he heard her shout, “No!”

  He wrapped one of the hides around his waist and rushed to the flap. “What is it?”

  She stood ramrod straight with her hands clenched at her sides. Her face was contorted into a picture of rage as she glared at Cager. “Why did you do it?”

  Cager crossed his arms. “I thought it would be nice to have a warm roof over our head for the rest of the journey. I would have asked permission, but you were busy fucking my brother.”

  “But I told you not to desecrate anything here. And you tore down one of the tepees with the protective spells.”

  Diah reached for his pants and pulled them on before joining them. The cold morning air prickled his skin, but he could put on the rest of his clothes after he settled this. The tepee which Cager had slept in had been reduced to a small bundle of leather and sticks. “What did you do?”

  “I shrank it and broke it down so it would be easier to carry with us. Let me tell you, it wasn’t a simple spell, but I didn’t know the harpy here would be so upset at me wanting to see to the well-being of our party.”

  “You think I don’t care about the well-being of the party? You’ve practically summoned the demon that originally destroyed the people of this camp.”

  “Oh, don’t give me any of that shit about ‘things unseen.’ I don’t feel any traces of them here.”

  “That’s because you’re an insensitive, self-absorbed wasichu.”

  Diah had heard enough. “Stop yelling at each other.” He turned to Oni. “Is there any way that you think can counter his actions and keep these things unseen away from us?”