Bound by Darkness (Bound By Series)

37. Crashing Waves

Chapter 37

Crashing Waves

THALIA

It wasn’t a quick kiss either. This was hot and heated. Every bit needy and feral as I wrapped my arms around his neck, my hands entangling in his curls.

He deepened the kiss, a moan leaving my lips as he pressed my back into the blanket, his body hovering over mine. My mind silenced as his hand entangled in my hair, the other pressing our bodies closer.

His lips broke from mine as he peppered kisses along my jaw, neck, and collarbone, the familiar taste of honey-wine better than any ale remaining on my lips.

He sent another rush of pleasure down my spine, my back arching from the blanket as he nipped my neck.

“Ivan,” I breathed, my hands tugging him closer. I needed more. I needed more friction.

Ivan groaned, his hands fisting the blanket beneath him as he kicked my leg to the side. “Gods, Thalia.”

The way he said my name sounded heavenly as he kissed my throat, his long canines gently nipping the skin there.

His thumbs brushed the skin under my shirt in gentle sweeps as it sent shivers up my spine with each stroke .

I wanted him. Gods, how long had I wanted him and created petty excuses to prevent myself from letting go? How long had I chained my heart back to prevent it from hurting?

Stupid. Absolutely stupid as his hands tangled in my hair, his mouth finding mine once more.

A crash sounded to the right as the oil lamp knocked over, the flame fizzling out. Neither of us cared as my hips pressed against his, searching for any amount of friction in the space.

His lips left mine, a whine leaving my mouth as his eyes raked over my skin. Over me. All of me. “Are you sure?—”

“Yes,” I said, cutting off the sentence before my mind interrupted. “I want you.”

Ivan’s eyes shone with desire. The same desire mirroring mine as he chucked his shirt off.

It landed gods-knows-where as my eyes raked over his chest. I’d seen it multiple times throughout our travels, but it was never this… intimate.

I bit my lip as my hands gripped the frayed edges of my shirt. I slowly peeled the slightly sticky fabric from my body, tossing it into the void until nothing but the beating in my heart remained between us.

I reached for my pants, but Ivan’s hand stopped mine. “Not yet.”

He kissed the slight curve of my neck. A whimper left my lips as his hand pinched my nipple, my hips bucking in response. His chuckle tickled my throat as his lips brushed against my neck, collarbone, and breast.

A gasp left my lips as his tongue flicked the sensitive bud, his teeth scraping against flesh. “I’ll show you how someone as powerful as you should be worshipped. ”

Oh gods.

“Ivan,” I gasped, my hips rolling against his. “Please.”

My hips lifted, but he held them firmly, his eyes refusing to leave mine. “I want you. Please,” I breathed, my chest rising and falling in swells.

I had never been more sure of anything than sharing this with him.

“More specific,” he muttered as his thumb and forefinger pinched my nipple.

A groan escaped my lips. “Take them off,” I panted.

“So you can follow instructions,” he purred, his hands removing from my hips as he popped the button holding my pants. He slid them off with ease, his hands caressing the exposed skin beneath as if he was worshipping—taking time to memorize my frame.

My cheeks heated as his gaze raked over my flesh, the evidence of his arousal pushing against his pants. “Yours too.” My hands fumbled at his waist.

“Not yet,” he said as his lips kissed mine.

My brow rose, but he grinned in response as he gripped my legs, his hands spreading them apart. His head dipped low as he kissed the inside of my thighs, gently nipping the skin.

My fingers immediately twirled around his hair as his tongue flicked the sensitive area, his fingers working in tandem. My head leaned back as pleasure rolled through my body in giant sweeps.

“Ivan,” I groaned, my hips thrusting to meet his lips. He licked and tasted. Tasted and licked as my breathing grew ragged, my release edging closer and closer.

His fingers curled, pushing me over the edge. “Is this what you imagined?”

A breathy moan was all I could reply as his hand held my thigh against the ground.

“Because I’ve imagined taking you, Thalia, and nothing compares to how perfect you taste,” he said as his tongue licked his lips.

Licked every taste of me .

I squirmed at the sight of his head peeking between my thighs, his fingers covered in my arousal as he pressed them to his lips.

Everything he did sent pools of heat between my legs as he smiled, those silver eyes filled with lust and want.

“I want you to feel good, too,” I said, my eyes half-closed with pleasure.

His head rose to kiss my stomach. “Believe me, this is more pleasurable for me. If you could see yourself the way I see you,” he said as his hands gripped my hips gently. “You’d see the way your chest heaves and shudders with each wave of pleasure or the way your toes curl before you climax.”

I bit my lip, grateful the oil lamp had gone out as my face heated. Lifting my fingers, I brushed strands of hair from his forehead. “Come here.”

Ivan leaned over, his hands resting on either side of my face. “Yes?”

My fingers tugged on the hem of his pants. “Take them off.”

For once, he listened as he chucked them aside, along with his last article of clothing. Leaving nothing between us as he flicked his eyes up. “You sure?”

“We should have done this sooner,” I muttered, my hands wrapping around his neck.

Ivan lifted me gently, a squeak leaving my lips as he settled me onto his lap. His cock rested against the small of my back, the size intimidating as he adjusted his back against the tree.

“I will always be a tool at your disposal.” His hands ran over my back, over the scars of my past. He traced each one in loving strokes as if accepting my past… accepting every horrible mistake I’d ever made.

I adjusted against his lap, a groan leaving his lips at the friction.

He kissed me once, gentle and slow. Much different from the kisses we had shared earlier, as if we couldn’t get enough of each other.

His hands grabbed my ass, a soft groan leaving his lips. “Are you?—”

“Shut up,” I muttered against his lips.

It gave him enough reassurance as he easily lifted my frame over his cock. “You control how fast, the pace, everything,” he whispered as he slowly lowered me onto himself.

A gasp left my lips as I sank onto him as he filled me ever-so-agonizingly slowly, and that’s when I knew he wasn’t doing anything. His arms rested against my hips as he let me adjust .

It hurt as he let me slowly ease myself onto him until I was sure there wasn’t room left. My fingers dug into his shoulders as I slowly created my own rhythm.

His hands did not move an inch from my hips as he let me ride him. As he let me control my first time and dammit, my heart fluttered at the thoughtfulness, but it wasn’t what I wanted.

“I trust you,” I whispered, my legs resting against his thighs. My nails dug into his flesh as discomfort slowly washed into pleasure. “So please stop the chivalry act and fu?—”

Ivan slammed me onto him, his fingers holding tightly onto my hips.

A guttural cry left my lips at the intensity. My fingernails scraped his back as pleasure crashed into me. “Holy gods.”

Ivan replied with a groan, his hands helping keep us in a steady rhythm. “Do you see how your body reacts to me?” He huffed as his lips brushed against my collarbone. “Do you like being out of control?” he whispered into my ear as he pinned my hands against the curve of my back.

A whimper left my lips at the restriction, and my heart fluttered. My head dipped into a low nod, and my eyelids shut as I gave in to the lack of control.

He moved painfully slow, my body shifting to create more friction, more of what I wanted.

He pressed into my arms, bending them in a way that stopped me short, a dull ache rising through them. I wasn’t scared. It made me want to defy his orders more. “Ivan,” I moaned, my legs squirming in an attempt to decrease the distance between us.

He ignored me as he kept the same pace. “Do you see the way my cock slides into you? The way you keep squirming at every agonizing touch?”

“Please,” I moaned, my back arching as his hips rose to mine.

A smile rested on his beautiful face at how he reduced me to begging. Begging for more of him.

“With pleasure,” he muttered against my skin before slamming my hips onto him.

He increased his pace as he let go of my hands to hold onto my sides.

My hands wrapped around his neck as my forehead pressed against his.

Closer and closer.

“Thalia,” he groaned in my ear.

The pleasure was intense, my toes curling as I let out soft whines.

Ivan grunted in response, his speed increasing as we both reached the edge.

We fell together, my body collapsing against his as waves of pleasure coaxed every inch of my skin. He kissed me once more, light and feathery before leaning back, his head resting against the tree.

My hand traced patterns across his chest as I relished the feeling of him… of us beneath the tree. After a few moments of silence, a smile lit my face.

“What?” Ivan said, a grin mirroring his.

“Nothing.”

Ivan’s brow quirked. “Thalia?—”

A slight grin crossed my face as I buried my face against muscle. “I was thinking… about Fin.”

“Was it that terrible?” He half-joked, his hand pausing on the curve of my back.

A chuckle left my lips at the hesitation. “Gods no,” I said as I bit the remaining heat away. “I was thinking about how are we going to tell him… about this? About us? I’m imagining him losing his shit.”

Whether he was trying to hide it or not, a breath escaped his chest as his hand resumed its tracing across my back. “Oh gods. He’s going to be insufferable,” he muttered. “Too bad I don’t care.”

Laughter erupted from me, my eyes meeting his. “I think he might scream from excitement.”

Ivan brushed hair from my face. “I’m supposed to meet up with him tonight. You want me to tell him then? For some reason, I think he won’t believe me unless it comes from you.”

“You’re meeting with him?”

“ Supposed to. We were going to discuss counter measures incase Iyanna held you here.” His hands dug into my hips. “I’m not letting her keep you trapped, even if she says she’s not going to let you look for the Book.”

I rolled my eyes. “She won’t. I reminded her of the deal, and she agreed to let us search for the Book and Asa. I promise.” My lips brushed against his. “But I won’t argue if you feel like putting her in her place.”

Ivan groaned, his hands shaking slightly as he kept them pinned on my hips. “You’re making it difficult to leave.”

My grin widened as I gave him one final kiss. I didn’t think I’d ever tire of that honey taste as I pulled back slightly. “You better go, though. I don’t want Fin arguing that I kept him from you.”

“I don’t have to see him. We could stay here,” he muttered, his head burying in the crook of my neck. He planted a few kisses along my flushed skin.

A slight moan left my lips, my will nearly breaking as his hand lazily traced circles on my hip. A hand rose against his chest as I pushed him back gently. “Fin would kill me.”

“I don’t care.”

“But I do,” I said with a slight groan, my body shifting from underneath the warmth of his arms. Biting my lip to keep myself from jumping back, I dressed myself quietly, afraid to glance over at him. One look and I’d lose all momentum, falling right back into that silver as it consumed me.

With a groan, he reached over, the soft sounds of shuffling filling the cramped space. A hand combed through his hair before he pried back the branches, light flooding the dim space.

Stepping outside, goosebumps peppered my skin at the difference in temperature. I rubbed my arms. It provided me with a little bit of warmth as another chill breeze caressed my skin.

Ivan stepped from the tree, his body close to mine as he tossed an arm over my shoulders.

Glancing to the left, his body went rigid.

Panic stilled my heart at the abrupt change, my eyes swiveling to the same direction. “What’s?—”

“Damn. I can’t believe they did it.” A grin crossed his face.

Two horses were racing back at lightning speed. One of their riders was hunched over, slowly swaying to the side.

The other rider rode close, a hand stretched out to prevent her from falling.

“Is—” A hand rose to cover my mouth as Ivan nodded.

I didn’t wait for a reply as I bounded over the hillside toward her.