Sweet … her soft shudder when he gave her a gentle edge of his teeth at the back of her neck.

“Hurry,” she whispered, rolling her hips back toward him, inciting his want.

“I’m trying to take this slow. Greedy.”

She turned around and grabbed his cock, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I don’t want slow. Not this time.”

It was his turn to swallow hard. “I don’t want to hurt you. I want you so much.”

“I won’t break. I promise.”

She dragged the head of his cock through her slick folds and he might have blacked out for a minute or two at how good it felt.

His resolve melted away and he leaned over, grabbed a condom and was ready for action.

“Still with me?”

She paused, looking up into his face. “You’re very sweet.” She stretched up to kiss his lips. “It undoes all my defenses.”

He pressed in, counting to fifty to try not to lose it before he even got all the way inside her.

Resolve? Ha! He had none left. She’d torn it to shreds. He wanted inside, wanted to be in her as deeply as he could get and still, he knew without a doubt it wouldn’t be enough.

She stretched beneath him, tightening her muscles and then wrapping herself around him.

Which took him deeper and made him forget how to count.

“So good.” He kissed her lips, across her chin, down to her neck where he nuzzled, breathing her in. Her nails sank into his skin as she held on.

Her body received him and as he seated himself in her fully, he had to pause to appreciate just how amazing it felt.

He breathed deep and began to move.

Hard, she’d said. And he’d agreed. Every cell in his body had agreed as he thrust into that wet, snug heat.

He’d kept his face buried in her neck. Tenderness rushed through her, spicing the arousal. This was so much more than having sex had ever been. She’d thought she’d loved before. Had been close with those men she’d slept with. But this was different.

It was different because he was different. His weight against her was just right. He fit her just right. A silly sort of Goldilocks moment, but it was true nonetheless. Sweat-slicked skin slid together, the friction of it delicious. Leaving her delirious with need. Need she understood only he could fill.

That connection to him shook her. She was glad it came as he was inside her. Glad it came as his lips rested against the throbbing pulse at her throat. Possession swept over her then. She’d never been the jealous type. After all, if a man didn’t want her as much as she him, it was his loss. But Dominic Bright was her man. Hers.

And she had zero intention of giving him back.

He angled himself, adjusting the legs she’d had wrapped around his waist. He pushed her knees up and apart, fitting into her so deeply it stole her breath. The length of him stroked over her clit over and over. The pressure hard enough that she understood he knew exactly what he was doing.

He’d moved his head; this time they were nose to nose and the intimacy of it made her nervous even as it titillated. Being seen by this man, in such a raw way, left her short of breath. Or it could have been the way her orgasm began to hover just at the edge of her vision. Waiting for that right stroke, the perfect amount of pressure for long enough.

He thrust, playing her body like a master. And she wanted more.

“More,” she heard her stuttered whisper and forgot she hadn’t meant to say it out loud.

Harder this time, so that her breasts bounced up each time he slammed into her all the way. He reared back and she was able to take him in better. He had tattoos on his biceps and along his belly. She’d need to investigate that further. Like with her mouth.

“Come on, gorgeous. Come,” he whispered against her lips when he dipped his head down for a kiss.

Nearly there …

Just a little more pressure …

And then he moved his fingers, brushing two of them over her clit with a light but consistent touch and she flew apart with a cry of his name.

He wasn’t far behind and within long, excruciatingly pleasurable moments, they’d ended up collapsed on his bed, breath heaving.

Chapter 11

“WHY are you here?” Nell cruised into Meriel’s office.

“That’s my line.” She got up and moved to embrace her friend. “I’m so glad you’re back. Tell me about the honeymoon.”

“I’m not telling you shit here.” Nell waved and her pretty diamond ring caught the light. “It’s Sunday. You’re at work. This is ridiculous.”

“Says the woman standing in the office on Sunday lecturing me about being here on a Sunday.”

“I’ve been having sex with my absurdly handsome husband multiple times daily for two weeks. I have the rest of my life to catch up on.” Nell laughed. “Girl, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed Fiji. But that’s mainly because I was too busy getting carnal with William.”

“Let’s get some lunch. I have so much to tell you.” She squeezed Nell’s hand.

“Most of it had better have nothing to do with this mage crap. I want to hear all the good stuff first. Then we’ll talk about work.”

“I need a reuben.”

Nell looked at her carefully. “What the hell, Meriel? You only need reubens from Three Girls when you’re eating your feelings.”

Meriel laughed, like truly, deeply laughed because she’d missed Nell so much.

“I met my bond-mate. Guess what he does?”

Nell goggled at her. “You better mean last night. You have to since you haven’t told me anything about it until right now.”

Even though she knew Nell would be mad, she was still giddy over it. Both at having Nell back and being able to talk about Dominic with someone who’d understand.

“You are in such trouble.” Nell looked around and grabbed Meriel’s bag. “Let’s go. We’ll talk elsewhere. You can’t be at work on a Sunday anyway.”

Her friend’s expression told Meriel there was no use arguing with her and she didn’t want to.

They walked down to Pike Place and grabbed the aforementioned sandwiches, along with some cookies and a few lemon bars. One more quick stop for some tea and they headed over to Nell’s place.

“Where’s the mister?” Meriel looked around for William.

“He had to run down to Vegas for a few days to deal with work stuff. Sit down, I’m going to start the water for tea and you’re going to tell me everything. Most notably why you’ve met your bond-mate and haven’t ascended yet.”

“He’s the guy who runs Heart of Darkness,” she said around a mouthful of her sandwich.

“Why, oh, why do we get tested with men who run nightclubs?” Nell shook her head, grinning. Her husband owned a burlesque-themed nightclub in Las Vegas and was in talks to open another locally. Nell had met him nearly two years before while investigating a woman who’d stolen money from some Owen holdings. The woman had been his ex and he and Nell had connected from the start.

“We haven’t done the ascension spell yet because … gah, it’s complicated.”

“Complicated how? Is he married? With someone already?” That happened, they both knew. The bond was perfect if one meant in the way it connected two witches and unlocked magickal potential. But people had lives and life included things like the person you’re a potential bond-mate to being with someone already.

“No, not that, thank goodness. He’s outclan. He didn’t even know he was a council witch until I keyed him into the font and we worked our magick together.”

“Good lord, so what does he think? That we have secret police and arrest people who don’t give us all their worldly goods?” She stood again. “Why do we have no chips out? Falling down on the job, Meriel.”

Back in moments, Nell tossed a bag of Doritos on the table between.

“I’m going to be so sick in like fifteen minutes if I keep inhaling this.” Nell put her sandwich down a few minutes later. “I can’t not tell you this any longer. I have no willpower and I think it might be because I’m pregnant. And, obviously I want to share that with you because it’s so totally cool!” Nell laughed, clapping her hands and Meriel got up to give her friend a hug.