Page 69 of Fang & Fury

She didn’t have to weather this alone.

He was right here.

Her body continued to shake as she ran her hands over his chest, tracing the hard muscles with her fingernails. Grazing the hard pebbles of his nipples.

He shuddered, his eyes glowing gold once more. And then a low growl rumbled through his chest and throat. The sound called to her as she continued her exploration.

All the while, she rocked back and forth, pressing herself up against his thumb each time she seated herself fully on him.

Her whole body quivered then. She could hardly bear it.

Her fingers traced a path up his breastbone, between his collarbones, and up his neck.

Her nails stroked under his jaw, scraping across the hollow right there.

Rip him open! Hunger screamed in her ears. Suck him dry!

Aye, part of her longed to—but she was in control now. She could slide her fingers across his throat and not draw blood. She could feel his pulse pound against the pads of her fingertips and just let it be.

“Darach,” she whispered, a tremble in her voice.

“That’s it,” he ground out, sliding his hand from between her thighs and taking hold of her hip once more. Gripping her tight, he then drew her up and down his rod in hard, punishing strokes now. “I’ve got you.”

The storm broke then, and she came hard, bucking and writhing on him.

Tears ran down her face as her head snapped back, her spine arching.

Gods! She was spinning, lost as pleasure thrummed and pulsed through her, her core clenching hard.

He arched under her then, lifting his hips high off the riverbank, a raw shout ripping from his throat. Heat rushed through her loins as he too came, his big body shuddering and twisting.

They writhed together there, Ailsa bracing herself against his shoulders as her climax went on and on.

And then, finally, gasping for breath, they both collapsed onto the mossy ground.

For a short while, Ailsa was aware of little save the thunder of her own pulse, the rasp of both their ragged breathing. Silence cocooned them. Nothing mattered but this moment. This closeness.

Slowly, she came back to herself. To him.

Pushing herself up from where she’d collapsed upon his sweaty chest, she lifted her chin and met his eye.

Darach stared up at her.

His eyes were golden brown once more.

No sign of the beast now. But it had been right there as they’d coupled, just like the bavaan.

He’d kept his beast leashed, and to her surprise, she’d done the same with hers.

“I don’t understand,” she whispered shakily. “How did I not kill you?”

His lips quirked into that sensual smile she’d come to know so well. One that made her chest squeeze. “I’m relieved to see I guessed right.”

“Guessed?”

“Aye.” He reached up then, his hand cupping her cheek. “We bonded that night, moons ago, when you tattooed me … and I suspected you felt it too.”

Ailsa’s breathing grew shallow. She had, although she’d been too confused about who she was becoming to let herself think about such things of late. “The things you said … while we were …” Her voice trailed off, heat rising to her cheeks.