Page 187 of Elemental Becoming

“You feel like fire,” he groans, his hands tightening at my hips. “Like I’m burning alive.”

I grip the edge of the desk harder, hips tilting instinctively to meet his thrusts. “Then burn with me,” I whisper.

A low groan rumbles through his chest.

His pace stays unhurried, unbearably deliberate, but there is nothing gentle about the force building beneath it. Every movement pulls me tighter, my magics stirring in tandem with the pleasure rolling through me. A familiar hum rises beneath my skin, quickly sharpening into a crackling pulse of power.

I should stop it.

I know I should.

But every drag of his body against mine pushes me closer to that dangerous edge. Pleasure sparks through every nerve, every breath, every frantic beat of my heart. The magics inside me swells in response, desperate for release.

Thane feels it immediately. His eyes darken further as another pulse of heat ripples through the room, the candles along the walls flaring brighter. His rhythm slows, deliberately teasing, until I’m writhing beneath him, desperate for more. Then, he folds over me, his chest pressing flush against mine, his breath hot and uneven against my ear.

“Don’t hold back,” he murmurs, his lips grazing my ear. “Let go. Let me feelallof you.”

His words melt into me, into my bones, into the fire already consuming me. He straightens, grips my hips, and thrusts deep.

A shudder tears through me.

Part of me wants to keep control, to rein in this storm, but his words strip away whatever restraint I have left. The pressure builds, and I don’t know if I can—or want—to keep it contained any longer.

He grips my breast with one hand, his thumb brushing over my nipple, and I cry out, the pleasure sharp and beautiful. And with every thrust, my control frays further. The Elements surge in response.

Wild.

Restless.

Hungry.

I stop fighting them.

I let the walls break.

Suddenly, the air around us shifts. Wind coils through the room, stirring loose papers across the desk as warmth floods violently through my body, too powerful to contain any longer.

Even after nearly burning out, the way Thane turns me on unlocks a fresh surge of magics, awakening a deep well of need I didn’t know I still possessed. This time, I don’t fight it. I let the magics rise freely, answering the desire coursing through me.

Golden sparks dance across my skin, illuminating the walls, the scattered books, and Thane’s face as he watches me with open awe.

A rough, victorious sound leaves him.

“Yes,” he murmurs, his voice ragged with desire. Shadow flickers briefly through his smoke-gray eyes, darkening them further. “I knew you had this inside you.”

His hands tighten on me instinctively as another pulse ofpower ripples through the room.

“So much power,” he breathes, staring at me like he can hardly believe what he’s seeing. “Gods, you’re beautiful.”

I arch against him completely, surrendering beneath the wave crashing through me.

But Thane is not finished.

With effortless strength, he pulls me into a seated position, holding me tightly against him as another pulse of magics ripples through the room. I gasp softly, my arms locking around his shoulders, my fingers digging into the tense muscles of his back as he holds me there.

“Thane—”

His name breaks from me helplessly, tangled with pleasure, emotion, and the raw power still surging beneath my skin.