Page 17 of Caught in the Devil’s Hand

“I knew you’d be soft here,” he whispered before glancing at her mouth. She edged closer to him, sliding her arms around his back. His voice went lower and hungrier. “You know what to do.”

Indeed, she knew what he wanted—what they both wanted. She leaned forward and tilted her head, eyes falling shut. She rubbed her lips against his, gently brushing them while he did the same to hers. The kiss had barely begun when he lifted his mouth.

“Shumei,” he sighed, wrapping his fingers around her wrists. He draped her arms around his neck and took her mouth in another kiss. This one was more intimate, closer to the wanton kiss they had shared last night. He slipped his tongue between her lips, sealed their mouths together, and enveloped her in his arms.

She sank into his heat and into herself. His kiss was intoxicating, filtering up to her head and making it tilt and spin. Even though they’d been conversing at a regular volume until now, she was afraid of moaning, worried someone would hear. She was also reluctant, despite herself, to enjoy the demon’s attentions. If last night were any reliable measure, however, she knew she soon wouldn’t have the capacity to care how loudly she made her pleasure known.

How soon turned into a surprise, for when he squeezed his hand between them to cup her breast, she gasped into his mouth and then groaned as he thumbed her puckered nipple.

“My, my, that does feel quite good, doesn’t it?” he rumbled against her lips. “How about this?” He captured her nipple between his fingers and pinched. They both gave sharp moans, and it hit her that he could also feel how sensitive her breasts were. The thought thrilled her. “Now I have to know.”

He lifted her as though she weighed nothing. Water dripped from her naked body, and though the air was almost as cold on her wet skin as the river had been, she wasn’t chilled. His greedy lips and hot breaths kept her warm as he mouthed the peak of one breast and massaged her other with his free hand. She gripped his shoulders, not for support but for assurance that she wouldn’t float away. Moaning, she let her head roll back and her eyes flutter shut. The position arched her back, pushing her flesh deeper into his mouth. Before she could even think to want it, he sucked hard. Her core pulsed, blooming into delicious, tingling heat. She gave a shaky cry and felt the puff of his pleasured grunt against her skin.

Vallen spent far longer on his lover’s breasts than he’d meant to, going from one to the other until her nipples were flushed and swollen from the attention. She was so responsive he didn’t need to do so much to ensure her readiness. But the binding had given him such a delicious insight into her pleasure, and he found himself craving more of what she felt.

What would it feel like to tease her clit? To lick it and suck it? He almost gave himself permission to find out, right then and there, but they weren’t somewhere even close to ideal for such enticing exploration, nor was he a stranger to anticipation.

Next week, he promised himself.

Shumei was vaguely aware of him doing something beneath the water, bumping her with his arm while he nuzzled her breasts. She hadn’t had the presence of mind to suppress even a single groan, but she refused to feel embarrassed by it. After all, he was quite talented—hands down the most practiced lover she would ever have—and he had demanded she not hold back her pleasure. At least she hadn’t been too loud to draw unwanted attention.

“Your first time was just last night, so I will say some words to ensure you feel no pain,” he said, breathing heavily. “I wouldn’t wish to break my promise so soon.”

It took her a second to realize he was about to enter her again. “Oh.” Would it feel as good as it had last night? Better?

Wait. “You mean”—she gulped—“sitting up like this?”

He didn’t answer, only lowered his head in concentration. Strange sounds flowed from his lips. They sounded hollow, echoing as if spoken inside a cave. Heat and weight flowed from her head to her toes, leaving her heavy but relaxed. She sank in his embrace and dug her fingers into his shoulders as his sex nudged between her legs before sweetly piercing her.

“Yes, take me,” he brokenly sighed, pulling her snug against his body. She clamped her thighs around his hips, knuckles white against his shoulders and teeth biting hard into her lower lip. She could feel the effects of the binding, as he had called it. In a somewhat unsettling way, she felt as if she were penetrating and being penetrated at the same time.

The sweet joining of their bodies was doubly good, doubly wicked. He was warm and thick, but she could also feel how warm and snug she felt around him. As an experiment, she clenched the right muscles and gasped at the jab of pleasure that bounced back. Groaning, he gripped her hips and bucked, sliding even deeper. Her vision shimmered. Oh dueling gods, would they even last two seconds when they started to move?

She looked at him. A mistake. His brow was tight, his mouth ajar. She could make out a flush in his cheeks, but his eyes were still so cold. Cold and empty. With his strange abilities, he saw so much of her, and yet he didn’t see all of her. That numb gaze, however intimate it seemed, made her feel vulnerable and alone.

As if aware of her withdrawal, he pulled her into a kiss. She closed her eyes and was quickly overwhelmed again by the succulence of his lips. He tasted faintly of rice wine, she realized. Wanting more of that flavor, she coiled her arms around him and slid her tongue into his mouth. Grunting, he dug his fingers into her waist as he ground her against him.

Her whole world shrank, becoming as small as that little space between the bushes and compressing to their soft, shared breaths. He clamped his strong arms around her torso, holding her flush against him as he moved her over his lap. He sucked at her mouth as if he needed her air in order to breathe. Her head felt so light she wasn’t sure if she would be able to sit up on her own if he were to let her go.

“Mm, yes,” she groaned into his mouth. She felt overwhelmed by the power surging between her thighs. The way his body sought hers, the way it moved against her… He didn’t just need her. He wanted her.

“Call my name,” he bade. She had no trouble participating fully as he’d asked. She moaned wantonly, face tight with pleasure. When his demand penetrated her brain, his name did come to her lips, but she held it back, not wanting to give him that. To use his name out loud, she was sure, would give him the last bit of her soul she still retained.

“My name. Say it, Shumei.”

She felt a new pressure deep inside and groaned when she realized—

“It’s getting…b-bigger.” The last was wrenched from her throat. Forming words was becoming difficult.

“I’ll soon burst. You can feel it, can’t you?” he groaned. He kissed her once more, massaging her lips with expert skill. She ardently reciprocated while rolling her body against him. The push and pull of his hands on her hips made following his rhythm easy.

“Yes. Yes,” she moaned, dragging her mouth across his smooth cheek as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She was close. They both were.

“Call my name.” He was begging. She could hear it in his voice.

“I-I cannot. I cannot call it,” she cried out, doubling her efforts to reach that wonderful, dizzying climax from last night. He made a pained noise, fingers tightening upon her.

“You’re welcome to…break your end of the deal, Shumei. Don’t forget…you must participate fully,” he gasped.