Water sloshed over the edge and splattered against the stones as Callan climbed out of the hole in the middle of the small cavern. Glistening drops ran down his lethal body as he straightened and raked a hand through his wet hair. Heat pooled at my core.
“Alright, the cloth is in place,” he said. “Once that stone slides away, it’ll float up to the surface so we know that it’s open.”
“I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to hear that ridiculously loud grinding of stones regardless, but okay.”
“It’s always…” He trailed off as his gaze at last landed on me. “What are you doing?”
After dropping my soaked panties next to my pack, I pulled out my towel and spread it out on the ground. “I’m not wearing those cold and wet things for I don’t know how many hours until that hole is open again.” A shiver went through my body as I lay down on the towel, which had thankfully managed to stay dry inside the oilskin wrap. “But if you want to get pneumonia, that’s up to you.”
“Are you entirely incapable of answering a simple question without being snarky and disrespectful?”
“Only when you ask stupid questions.”
While muttering curses under his breath, he stalked over to his own pack. Since I was lying on my side, it put him behind my back so I couldn’t see what he was doing. But I could hear the wet slapping sound that echoed against the stone walls when he dropped his own soaked underwear on the ground.
Surprise fluttered through my chest as a towel was draped over my body. I turned my head to look over my shoulder right as Callan lay down on his side on my towel as well. Wrapping his arm around me, he pulled me flush against his chest before positioning his own towel over both of us.
The chill that had clung to my body from the cool water immediately began thawing from my bones. My heart beat hard in my chest at the feeling of his body against mine like that. But I couldn’t let him know that, so instead I let out a huff.
“Oh great,” I said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. “The clingy octopus is back again.”
“Says the wiggling seal.”
“I will poison you.”
“I’ll throw a force wall at you.”
“Bastard.”
He chuckled. It made his warm breath caress my skin and tickle the back of my neck. I squirmed against him. Another soft laugh danced over my skin as he answered by tightening his arm around me, holding me closer.
For quite a while, we stayed like that.
Closing my eyes, I just listened to him breathe while feeling his chest expand against my back.
Why was fate such a cruel mistress? Why had she made me fall in love with my worst enemy? Or rather, why had the bastard himself made me fall in love with him? It had messed everything up. Messed me up. I didn’t need anyone else. I was more than enough on my own. But now here I was, pining for that damn force mage as if I was some kind of teenager.
Shaking my head, I shifted out of his grip and rolled over on my back instead. This time, he let me. But he stayed on his side, watching me as I sat up and tied my hair back in a braid. My body was dry now, so I didn’t want my still wet hair to lie plastered to my skin and undo the warmth I had finally gotten back into my bones.
When I sat up, the towel fluttered down to rest in my lap. I could feel Callan’s eyes studying every line and every curve of my body. The intensity of his stare made my skin feel like it was being licked by flames, but I kept my gaze on the stone wall ahead as I finished up my braid.
I started slightly when Callan’s fingers suddenly appeared on my skin as he drew them gently over a jagged scar along the side of my ribs. When he spoke, there was a lethal edge to his voice.
“Who did this to you?”
A surprised laugh escaped my lips. Raising my eyebrows, I turned and met his gaze. “You did. Remember?”
He blinked at me. Then he let out an amused breath and sat up so that he faced me. “Oh, right. It was when I ambushed you on the road while you were going to negotiate with that lightning mage, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. I dove off my horse but your force arc still grazed my side.”
“I remember that.” He chuckled again before drawing his hand over a scar down his forearm. “That was right before you gave me this.”
“To be fair, you were about to run a force blade through my chest at the time.”
“I was.” His fingers brushed a smaller scar that was located right by my heart. “And this is from that time I actually succeeded with that.”
“Yeah.” Shaking my head, I let out a breathy laugh. “Sam told me just how close you came to actually hitting my heart that time. Thank hell for your shitty aim.”
“I have shitty aim?”
“Well, I wouldn’t be here right now if that wasn’t true.”
He snorted and shook his head at me.
Shifting my weight, I lay down on my side so that I was propping myself up on one elbow, and traced my fingers over a scar on the right side of his ribs. A smirk played over my lips as I met his gaze. “And this is from when I broke into your mansion and stabbed you in your living room right before we left for our mission to Eldar.”
“You didn’t break in. I let you sneak in so that I could kill you.”
“And it ended with you bleeding all over your own floors, so I’d say that didn’t work out too well for you.”
“Always with that sharp tongue of yours.” He drew his hand along my jaw. “Which reminds me…” His lips curled into a dangerous smile as he reached up with his other hand and tapped a scar below his collarbone. “I still owe you for this one.”
I flashed him a wicked grin and raised my eyebrows in mock confusion. “Which one was that again?”
“When you tried to kill me in my own bed.” Pushing up on his knees, he swung his leg over my body while his hand moved down from my jaw and closed around my throat. “With a kitchen knife.”
Rolling over on my back, I let him settle his weight on my hips as he straddled me while I smirked up at him. “Oh, right. That was fun.”
“You thought so, huh?”
“Yes. And I liked it even better when you got down on your knees and begged me for help.”
He positioned his thumb under my chin, forcing me to tilt my head back while his fingers stayed locked around my throat. “Oh, I think it’s high time we settled the score on that one.” Leaning down over me, he slanted his lips over mine. “How would you like me to make you beg, sweetheart?”
A thrill raced down my spine, and I smiled against his mouth. “Give it your best shot, pretty boy.”
His lips clashed against mine. I let out a moan as his tongue tangled with mine while he drew his free hand along the side of my ribs. The other one stayed firmly around my neck. A shudder rolled through me as his fingers brushed a sensitive spot, and I wiggled underneath him.
He tore his mouth from mine and drew back slightly. Then he glanced between my face and the hand he was drawing up my side. While studying my expression, he brushed his fingers over that sensitive spot again. I squirmed once more as the move tickled. He briefly glanced down my body before looking back up.
When he met my gaze again, there was a wicked glint in his eyes.
Releasing my throat, he touched his palms together. I tried to push myself up on my elbows, but he planted his right hand against my chest and pushed me back down on the towel. Then he drew his left hand up my side again.
I sucked in a gasp.
Force magic was wrapped around his fingers, and it made every brush against my skin tickle even worse. Another shiver rolled over me. I started pushing myself up on my elbows again, but Callan’s hand shot up from my chest as he wrapped it around my throat once more. With a firm grip, he forced my body back down against the ground.
“Oh I don’t think so,” he whispered as he leaned down over me while drawing his vibrating fingers up my ribs. “You will beg this time. And very thoroughly.”
Dark desire flared up inside me. Fuck. I wanted him so badly.
He held my gaze as he traced the curve of my tit. I forced out a shuddering breath. Lightning crackled over my skin as he drew his fingers in slow circles that moved ever closer to the center of my tit.
A sharp breath tore from my lungs as he suddenly moved two fingers straight to my stiff nipple, sending the vibrations from his magic pulsing against it. He stole the air from my lungs as he leaned down and claimed my mouth with a savage kiss before I could recover. While ravaging my lips, he teased my nipple over and over again.
My pussy throbbed with need.
Another crackling wave of desire rolled through me as he let his vibrations pulse against my nipple while he massaged my tit. That desperate need increased, and I bucked up from the floor. But with him straddling my hips and his hand locked around my throat to keep my head trapped against the ground, all I managed to do was to arch my back slightly.
“Ready to beg?” Callan breathed into my mouth.
“Beg?” I laughed against his lips. “I’m still waiting for you to get started.”
“Oh, my vicious little poisoner. Even after all this time, you really have no idea who you’re playing against, do you?”
“I know exactly—”
I sucked in a gasp as he abruptly shifted his entire position above me and pressed his vibrating fingers straight against my clit instead. Before I could breathe out again, he tightened his grip on my throat, trapping the air in my lungs.
Pulsing magic coursed over my sensitive skin, making my pussy throb even more. I tried to draw in another breath, but his strong fingers were locked firmly around my neck. Reaching up, I wrapped my hands around his forearm. He just leaned down and stole another savage kiss from my lips while his hands stayed in place.
Then he increased the strength of the vibrations.
A moan tore from somewhere deep inside my chest and I bucked my hips as unbearable pleasure rolled over my body. Drawing back, he studied my face for a few seconds while I tried to blink my eyes back into focus.
Then he relaxed his grip on my throat.
Air rushed into my lungs as I gasped in a deep breath.
Callan shifted his fingers against my clit, sending more magic pulsing against it. It made my breath turn into a needy groan halfway through.
“Beg,” Callan commanded in a dark voice.
I just tightened my grip on his forearm while drawing in ragged breaths.
He let out a wicked laugh. “Always so stubborn.”
Even though my chest heaved and my pussy was throbbing, I smirked up at him and gave him a quick rise and fall of my eyebrows. He tutted while shaking his head at me. Then he blew out a sigh and chuckled while cutting off my air again.
His thumb swirled over my clit, sending vibrations against it, while he drew two fingers down my pussy. Pleasure flickered through my veins and another needy noise came from my chest. He traced his fingers around my entrance with torturous slowness.
My heart pounded in my chest.
The bastard kept teasing me while his magic remained just below the intensity that I needed for that sweet release. Glaring up at him, I dug my fingers into his forearm. A smug smile curled his lips.
He released his iron grip on my throat right at the same time as he pushed two vibrating fingers inside me. I sucked in a deep breath to refill my lungs while wildfire roared through my soul. My whole body trembled as he drew his fingers out before shoving them deeper inside me. Magic pulsed against my clit as he traced his thumb over it.
I managed to heave another few ragged breaths before Callan tightened his grip again, cutting off my air once more.
At the same time, he let the force magic extend from his fingers and push even deeper inside me. My eyes rolled back in my head as I squirmed underneath him. He increased the vibrations, both against my clit and inside my pussy, until my whole body was throbbing with excruciating need.
The edge was so close. So, so close.
Callan withdrew the rod of force magic all the way to the tips of his fingers before pushing it forward again. But it was moving so slowly. Too slowly. Pleasure crackled inside me, waiting to explode. But it never did.
I dug my fingers into the muscles of his forearm in frustration yet again.
He only stared down at me while that villainous smile shone on his lips as he rubbed his thumb over my clit and withdrew the force shaft inside me before extending it once more.
My heart was beating so hard against my ribs that I was sure the bastard could hear it. But no matter how much I tried to will an orgasm into existence, Callan kept me balancing on that wicked edge without letting me reach it. I bucked my hips and arched my back again as burning need tore through me.
Relaxing his grip for a few seconds, Callan allowed me to suck in another couple of breaths before tightening it again. Magic pulsed against just the right spot on my clit, but it still wasn’t enough. I rolled my hips, trying to help his fingers along. But he only pulled back his vibrating rod and then pushed it deeper into me again at that cruel pace.
Desperation washed over me. I needed this release more than I needed air.
That smug smile still played over Callan’s lips as he held my gaze. “Ready to beg, sweetheart?”
I nodded.
“What was that?” Cocking his head, he smirked down at me. “I couldn’t hear you.”
The bastard knew damn well that I couldn’t speak with his hand around my throat like that. Narrowing my eyes, I glared up at him. He answered by upping the vibrations for a few seconds.
Pleasure built inside me as I soared towards the edge.
But before I reached it, he pulled back again.
My mind felt like it was about to split apart.
Then he released my throat.
“Go ahead. Beg.” He shot me a look dripping with challenge. “And make it pretty.”
I sucked in a few deep breaths while my whole body shook with the pent-up tension. Callan swirled his thumb over my clit, making my already strained breathing stutter again.
“Please, Callan,” I gasped out. “Please let me come.”
Shifting his position above me again, he withdrew his fingers and moved them all to my clit. Then he drew his cock through my wetness and positioned it against my entrance before saying, “I said, make it pretty. So go on.”
“Just fuck me already, you bastard!” I snapped in frustration.
A dark laugh tore from his chest, but he shoved his hard cock inside me.
I sucked in a sharp breath and arched my back.
The vibrations against my clit increased in strength, sending pleasure curling around my spine while Callan drew back and then thrust into me again. A moan ripped from my throat.
“Tell me you’re sorry for stabbing me in my bedroom,” Callan coaxed as he swirled his fingers around my clit.
Desire crackled through my limbs like lightning bolts.
“I’m sorry,” I pressed out.
His lips skimmed my skin as he kissed his way across my throat. “For what?”
“For missing your heart when I stabbed you!”
He laughed against my skin. “Oh, my vicious little poisoner, I still can’t decide whether I want to fuck you or kill you every time you open that pretty mouth of yours.”
“The—”
My words were cut off as Callan straightened and shoved his cock deeper inside me while strong vibrations pulsed against my clit. I threw my head back and let out a deep moan.
The pleasure inside me built to dizzying heights as Callan changed up his rhythm and thrust into me with savage strength. His hand still rested lightly against my throat, and I kept my firm grip on his forearm while my pussy throbbed with need. My heart pounded against my ribs. I soared towards the edge.
Unintelligible moans spilled from my lips as release crashed over me.
The vibrations against my clit kept coming. It made lights flicker in my vision and heat wash through my limbs. I dug my fingers into Callan’s muscles as my legs shook and my toes curled from the pleasure that crackled through me.
Callan kept thrusting his hips while my pussy trembled around his cock.
A groan tore from his throat and release exploded in his dark eyes as he came as well. While bracing one arm against the ground next to me, he rested his forehead against mine as pleasure rolled through us. I savored the feeling of our joined bodies while I gasped in desperate breaths.
My cheeks were flushed and my skin tingled from his touch, but it wasn’t enough to stop the stab of pain that hit my heart.
It terrified me how much my heart ached when reality trickled back in and I remembered that this was only a bit of fun stress release for him. I wanted more. I wanted him. All of him. I wanted him to tell me that he was mine. That I was his.
And it scared the shit out of me.
Hell damn it all, why had that bastard made me fall for him?
