Nicolae was in her mind, heightening her pleasure when her heart began to pound too hard and fear thrust its way back into her world. When the nightmare images strayed too close, he kissed her again and again, pushing the memories back. He kissed her, his hands gently exploring until she was hot and moist with wanting him, her body accepting of his. Still he was careful, taking his time when the beast inside roared for more, roared for possession. Very gently he pushed his finger into her, slowly, careful of her tightness, not wanting her to experience discomfort. Her small muscles clenched around him and her body shuddered with the intensity of pleasure. Her hips pushed against him instinctively.
Nicolae bent his head and kissed her stomach as he slowly, inch by inch, slid two fingers deep inside her. She gasped, caught at his silken hair as it slid over her sensitized skin. Her hips began a slow rhythm, following the lead of his hand.
Sizzling heat swept through her. She wanted to grind her body against him. And when he withdrew, she cried out, needing him to fill her. His hands pushed her thighs apart; his hips took their place between hers. At once her heart jumped. She felt vulnerable and open. His weight as he stretched out above her pinned her in place. Instinctively she shifted out from him, but his leg stopped her sudden movement. He was strong. Far stronger than she’d first thought. His leg pinned her thigh, holding her down.
The strange roaring in her mind became louder. The mouth on her was tender, loving, but it couldn’t prevent the memories of teeth puncturing her flesh, biting unnaturally, the all-powerful man ramming something far too large into her tiny body over and over, slamming her to the ground, throwing her over a boulder, taking her from behind, uncaring of her screams, reveling in her pain and humiliation. She recalled the blood she’d slipped in, lain in, all around her, the dead body with the open eyes staring into hers as he took her over and over again.
She gasped, cried out, stiffening in shock. Her breath was coming far too fast.
“Wait—please, I’m sorry, just wait a minute.” Destiny tunneled her fingers in his hair. “Wait, Nicolae. We’re going too fast. Slow down.” She didn’t want to slow down. She was burning up. Even as she pleaded with him, her hips moved against him, a blatant invitation she couldn’t prevent. She needed him buried deep inside her; that was the only solution for the terrible building pressure she felt. But the images in her mind were tenacious. She wanted Nicolae’s hands and mouth to remove the images for her, not invoke them. She wanted the ecstasy of his body to take away every nightmare memory.
Nicolae felt the disturbing images of death and madness moving through her mind, moving through his. He felt her partial withdrawal, felt her tremendous physical need so at odds with her mental hesitation. At once he lifted his head, moved his leg to allow her freedom. “We can slow down. I could spend hours just touching you. Or holding you. Or kissing you.” He found her mouth with his, blazing his brand of possession straight on her heart.
Destiny was stiff beneath him, but his mouth held familiar heat and his hands were gentle as they wandered over her body. He was patient starting over, kissing her until she was breathless and kissing him back. Until her body slowly began to relax. Until she was hungry for him again. Until the brush of his fingers on her skin sent tiny flames dancing and singing through her body.
Nicolae shifted once more, his knee sliding between hers, nudging her legs apart so that he was pressed tightly against her. She could feel him there, at her entrance, where she was ready with a moist invitation, beckoning and tempting him to her. A small sound escaped. She couldn’t find enough air to breathe.
“What is it, little one?” His voice came out of the darkness, velvet soft, his hands skimming her body with exquisite tenderness. “Where are you going?” She was tensing up beneath his hands and he couldn’t bear it, couldn’t bear to let her go. He fed her his heightened awareness, his own desire, slowing his own heartbeat to aid her in accepting him. He moved his body away from hers to give her time to accept what was between them.