It was much easier to remove his armor this time, now that she knew where the clasps were hidden. As metal fell away from warm skin, the couple was finally free to touch and explore each other. Ellana took advantage of this, leaning fully into Cullen's muscular chest, and embraced him. Her slender hands curved around the back of his head, into his curly hair. She scraped her nails against his scalp slightly. Cullen shivered, closing his light brown eyes in pleasure. Their lips moved effortlessly against each other, as this was a dance they had already mastered; it was what came after that they were still perfecting, though they were eager to practice now.
Tongues met, slick and soft, then hard and insistent as they swept against each other. Cullen gripped her hips tightly, desperately, and tipped towards her, chasing the taste of her luscious mouth. When they finally pulled back, their lips were tinted ruby and swollen, and Ellana's chin felt rubbed raw by his stubble. His light brown eyes followed the way her chest lifted as she panted. Cullen put a large hand at her upper back to steady her, and twisted, laying her gently upon the twisted lustrous sheets of her bed. Their first night together had been rushed in their impatience to be skin-to-skin. When he had taken her, it had been against the rigid wood of his trustworthy desk, which had left them both aching and bruised in many places, though highly satisfied in the end. This time, Cullen wished to take his time and savor the delicate slide of her silken skin against his and relish the taste of her upon his tongue. His hungry gaze conveyed that to her then, and she couldn't stop the trembling need that washed through her.
Cullen leaned back onto his heels, mattress dipping and creaking beneath his full weight, to pull off his ivory muslin tunic. Ellana's eyes immediately met chiseled expanse of his glorious chest, and she bit her lip to keep from grinning. He chuckled and began sliding his sturdy, rough fingers up the soft planes of her thighs, taking the bottom of her nightgown with her. Once he met the naked flesh of her hips he stilled, fingertips digging enough to turn alabaster skin red, and made a low, keening noise in his throat.