Author's Notes: I'm sure you all have been eagerly waiting this past week after the way I ended the last chapter, and I do apologize for making you wait. This chapter should more than make up for it, and I hope it does! Enjoy!
WARNING! The second half of the chapter contains a sex scene. If sexual content is not to your liking, you are more than welcome to skip it.
Chapter XVIII
Iliana couldn't contain the gasp that Tristan swallowed as the kiss she became tangled in turned deep and passionate. The hair of his beard scratched pleasantly against her cheeks, and she was slowly becoming intoxicated by his earthly scent flowing off of him as it flooded her nostrils and invaded her sense of reason. When his tongue brushed against her bottom lip, she felt a hunger awaken within the depths of her core. Her left hand gripped the sleeve of his coat, while her right hand found its way up to the back of his head, tangling in his hair, as she pulled him as close to her as physically possible. She could feel the pressure of his hand at her waist, his other hand keeping her chin up as their mouths moved in this sensual dance they found themselves under.
The growing heat that spread throughout her cheeks intensified to the level of an inferno when she heard the sounds of cheering and whistling from both her left and right. She didn't have to guess who it was, for she knew it was the men and the girls.
She had to pull away begrudgingly when she desperately needed air, and as she heaved a huge breath of it, Iliana felt him press his forehead against hers. When she opened her eyes, her heart fluttered at the sight of his brown gaze boring into her bright blue eyes. However, she didn't miss the anger and concern clearly reflected in them.
"I am so sorry," she whispered once she regained her composure and found her voice.
He leaned in towards her ear.
"If you ever do that again, I will tie you to me to ensure that you never leave my side again, regardless of the reason."
His angry, yet husky whisper made her breath hitch in her throat, and she gasped when she felt his lips smother her neck with attention. She buried her face into his shoulder to stifle the few moans that left her throat as the fingers tangled in his hair curled, grabbing a fistful of his wild locks and tugging slightly. The moan that left his lips rumbled throughout the skin of her throat, making her body tremble and awakening a need within her she thought she would never feel in this lifetime.
The sound of kissing noises to her right made her freeze in his hold, and as he pulled away from her, Iliana looked to see the girls with teasing looks and smirks on their faces. Sophia and Estrella had their lips puckered, making her realize they were the ones making the kissing noises.
"Now that's what I call a true reunion kiss," Sophia announced amusingly, to which the others nodded in agreement, causing Iliana to giggle as she felt Tristan kiss her temple.
They soon heard someone clearing their throat from over Tristan's shoulder, and she smiled when she saw the men looking at them with intrigue. Giving her hip a gentle squeeze, Tristan let her go so that she could go greet them. She exchanged a glance with him, giving him a smile before running straight to the men.
She first ran into Gawain's arms, the man hugging her tightly in his broad arms and then picking her up to spin her in the air. She screamed in delight as she kept her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders, and when he set her down on her feet, she stayed in his arms for just a little longer before pulling away from him.
She had little time to recover when Galahad scooped her up in his arms next. Just like Gawain, he picked her up and spun her in the air, with her wrapping her arms tight around his shoulders. Even when he set her down, she didn't pull away for a moment, relishing in the closeness the same way she did with Gawain.
"Okay, kids. Let the rest of us say hello to Ili," Dagonet called.
The second Galahad let go of her, Bors was next to greet her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders while ruffling her hair and messing it up to her chagrin. Yet, she happily welcomed it at the sight of his smile as she patted his large arm. Because of her small size compared to Dagonet, she wrapped her arms around his waist. He patted her shoulder comfortingly, and despite his silence, the gesture said it all for her.
As she pulled away, she chuckled and shook her head when she caught Lancelot leering at her. However, it made her smile as she approached him, and when she was close, he kissed her cheek and pulled her into a hug, surprising her. As she wrapped her arms around his form, she could feel Tristan's eyes narrowing at him, and she could only hope that Lancelot wouldn't have to repent for it later. In response, she returned the surprise when she gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"You mentioned hoping to catch me off guard with a kiss, but I figured I would be the one to do the honor while I still had the chance," she whispered. "Savor it, for it will be the last now that Tristan has claimed me."
"I plan to, especially since it was you that caught me off guard with that kiss," he whispered back, giving her a wink.
Last, but most definitely not least, was Arthur. The commander rubbed her back comfortingly during their hug, and Iliana could feel the tension flowing off his person. Their mission, in combination with traveling to look for her, had caused a great deal of stress, and the guilt weighed on her heart.
It was just as she pulled away from Arthur that the men surrounded her in a semi-circle.
"You ever leave us like that again, there will be hell to pay on your end, little lassie," Bors announced.
Iliana chuckled as she looked down at her feet for a moment before looking back up at each of the men.
"Words cannot convey how sorry I am for leaving and worrying all of you, and I will make it up to you somehow. You all just have to decide unanimously on what I can do, within reason."
She gave a side glare at Lancelot from the corner of her eye, who leered at her.
"If anyone is to blame for her recklessness, it would be me," Andres chimed in. "I was the one that encouraged her to travel all the way out here."
"And I was more than capable of holding my own against a few Woads and rogue bandits," Iliana said, smiling at Andres, who chuckled at her.
She took notice of Lancelot staring off toward the girls, and as she turned to look at them, she noticed Sophia was eyeing him with curiosity.
"Well, well, to think that I would see four beautiful women the moment of our arrival," he said flirtatiously.
Iliana noted how his eyes primarily focused on Sophia, despite complimenting all four of them. The men also noticed the girls, and as they stared at each other in wonder, she hoped that her assumptions about who would pair up would be correct.
"Okay. Before we get too distracted, I have some matters to discuss with the men," Andres announced as he took Arion's reins from her. "Why don't you and the girls go see the seamstress? I'm sure she'll have some dresses for you, especially when she knows you'll all be mingling with these fine men. I'll summon you when I'm ready."
With a smile and a chuckle, Iliana nodded before turning to look at the men.
"We'll see you later."
She then turned to Tristan, and she walked over to him to give him another kiss. She kept it brief, knowing she wouldn't want to pull away if she lingered on his lips for too long, and when she pulled away, she gave him a loving look before turning on her heel to leave with the girls following and teasing her.
"Don't worry. You'll get the chance to mingle with them soon enough," Andres said.
"And I'm looking forward to it," Lancelot stated, unable to hide his excitement and causing the rest of the men to shake their heads in response.
"At the very least, let's get you settled in," Andres announced.
Iliana barely recognized herself in a floor length, sleeveless dress of a sunshine yellow with a golden belt wrapped around her waistline. The dress complimented her figure perfectly after some altering to fit her body shape. The local seamstress and a Greek seamstress, who was amongst the refugees, helped prepare dresses for her and the girls, the two of them jumping at the chance to dress them up for the legendary Arthur and his knights. Glancing between each of them, they each looked just as stunning as she was.
"You should have warned us of how good looking Arthur's knights were, Ili," Estrella said after they applied the finishing touches on her dress. "Hell, you should have had your own warning regarding your knight."
Iliana chuckled, her cheeks growing warm at how handsome she thought Tristan was.
"I agree with Estrella. You should have warned us," Sophia chimed in. "However, I have to give credit where credit is due. You picked a handsome one, Ili."
"Thanks," Iliana said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
"Except for Ili's knight, should we be wary of anyone in particular?" Catalina asked.
"Definitely the one that was leering at us," Dimitra replied quickly, causing Iliana to giggle. "I half expected your knight to take his damn head off when he kissed your cheek.
"Hell, I'm shocked you pecked him on the lips when you did. For a taken woman to kiss another man in front of her own, that's a bold move, Ili."
"When I first met him, he mentioned wanting to steal a kiss from me someday," Iliana explained. "However, it seems I have turned the tables on him, and now, he can't say he's never kissed me once in this lifetime.
"Unfortunately for him, it will be the first and last time he gets to kiss me. He better savor it for as long as the taste of my lips lingers on his."
This statement earned giggles all around.
"They look like quite the merry bunch," Sophia commented.
"They are, and they're really merry when they've had plenty of ale," Iliana said with a nod. "They've been so good to me since I arrived on the island, and I'm happy I got the chance to meet them. I only heard the stories, but to really know these men is to meet them."
"Because there's always more to them than what's been told," Sophia said.
"And you can let the mingling you're all preparing for speak the depths of who they truly are," Iliana announced.
The sound of the bell chiming from the front door opening caught their attention, and a patrolling guard soon greeted them.
"Lady Iliana, Sir Andres requests your presence and that of your friends at the conference hall," he announced.
"Okay," Iliana said with a nod, prompting the seamstresses to get the last of the finishing touches on their dresses done. Once they were officially complete, they nodded to the guard, and Iliana followed, with the girls following behind her.
It was a short walk from the home of the seamstress to the conference room, which was in the biggest building the village offered. The guard poked his head into the room, announcing their arrival, and after a beat, he looked at Iliana and nodded, showing that the men were ready to see her.
"Let me go in first," she announced. "I'm sure they probably want to talk to me alone first regarding my recklessness. I'll holler when you can come in."
Her emphasis on the word "recklessness" made the girls giggle. With a last look at them, Iliana walked in. Andres and the men gathered around a round table similar to the one at the conference room back at Hadrian's Wall. Taking a deep breath, she approached the table, not wanting to sit down thanks to her restlessness.
It was silent for a moment as she glanced between each of the men, and every second that passed by only added to her growing anxiety. Finally, Arthur was the one to break the silent tension lingering in the room.
"Andres has told us everything and we forgive you, Ili," he announced. "However, never do that again. At the very least, if something like this ever comes up again and we're called on a mission, wait for us to return so that we can come with you."
She didn't miss the sternness in his tone as he spoke his warning. He was angry, as were the men, and he was expressing the anger that they were all mutually feeling out of concern for her.
Iliana nodded, biting her bottom lip as she looked down at the table for a moment before looking back up.
"I apologize for worrying all of you when you returned from your mission, and I know that words alone aren't enough to convey how sorry I am. I didn't mean to cause you all so much distress when you had enough to deal with from your latest mission.
"I can't promise that I won't do it again, and Andres knows this because of how stubborn I can be. However, I can promise that I won't keep any more secrets from you. I know that you all care for me, and I won't turn my back on that anymore.
"So, what can I do to make it up to you?"
"We had a discussion on what you could do for us, and we decided on this. You owe us and the kids a belly dance when we return to the Wall. What do you say?"
Iliana chuckled, a small, amused smile forming on the corner of her lips.
"Agreed. Guess I got some practicing to do before we return to the Wall."
"Where are the girls at?" Andres asked.
"They're waiting in the other room," she replied before turning to the door she came in from. "Sirens!"
The girls soon entered upon her call, and they stood in a straight line with Iliana in the middle. It was silent for a moment as the men studied them, and the girls glanced between them and each other.
"Well, I can feel the aura of a leader flowing off of you, Ili," Arthur announced, earning him a smile from the pretty, adolescent blonde that had been under his care for the past month and a half.
"Okay. Guess I have introductions to do," Iliana announced. "Sirens, meet the Sarmatian knights stationed at Hadrian's Wall to the north."
She walked around the circular perimeter of the table, stopping right behind Arthur.
"This is Arthur, their Roman-British commander."
"Hello there," he greeted with a smile.
She went around the table to introduce each of the men to the girls.
"This is Lancelot."
She stayed back a short distance to ensure that he didn't grab her, but luckily, the jovial, flirtatious knight was too busy wiggling his eyebrows and leering at the girls (primarily focusing on Sophia) to even take notice of her. She took advantage of the distraction and continued to circle around the table.
"This is Gawain, and this is Galahad."
She pulled the two men towards her in a semi-hug after wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders, and they turned to wink at the girls. She took notice of Estrella and Catalina's shy reactions, and knew that they got their attention. Stifling a giggle, she resumed her path around the table, passing by Tristan. She shared a side glance with him before speaking up.
"This man here is Bors, and the man to his left is Dagonet."
Bors waved and smiled at them, and Dagonet gave them a nod of acknowledgement. However, Iliana took notice of the curious look in Dagonet's eyes as he locked his gaze with Dimitra. The young brunette also had a curious look in her grey eyes, and despite keeping a straight face, Iliana knew that the stoic ones of their respective groups had each other's attention.
Finally, she approached Tristan from behind, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her nose in his wild locks. The musky scent of earth and wood flooded her nostrils, making her heart pound madly.
"Last, but most definitely not least, this is my knight, Tristan."
Her fingertips found the opening in his shirt, and she felt his heart beating wildly against her palm and fingertips. She relished in the feel of his heart and the warmth of his skin as she played with a few strands of his chest hair. Just as she was about to pull away from him, Tristan grabbed her hand and brought it up to her lips, tenderly kissing her knuckles. Iliana felt her cheeks warm up at the romantic gesture, and she breathed a kiss into his hair before pulling away and reclaiming her spot amongst the girls. She didn't miss the snickering from Sophia and Estrella, causing her to smile and shake her head.
"Sirens. I've introduced you to the knights. It's your turn now. Introduce yourselves."
After a beat of silence, Sophia was the one to speak first.
"I'm Sophia. Soph or Sophie works too."
"Catalina, or just Cat."
"I'm Estrella."
"And my name is Dimitra."
"You boys will get the chance to mingle with them later. Play nice now," Iliana said, shooting a look at Lancelot, who was smirking at her.
"The men will be on their best behavior as we mingle with them, Ili," Arthur assured, also giving Lancelot a warning look, adding to his growing smirk.
"Okay. Now that introductions are done, let us talk about how we're going to pull off this escort mission," Andres announced.
Iliana leaned back against the wooden post of the bar as she took a hearty sip of ale from her cup. She and the girls made their way to the tavern after their discussion with Andres and the men of their plan to escort the refugees. Their intention was to rest tomorrow and prepare for the escort the following morning. At the very least, the men would have the chance to rest from the trek of their mission up north and the trek coming to the village.
Next to her, the girls nurtured their own drinks, and she could feel the tension flowing off each one of them.
"There's no reason for any of you to worry," she said reassuringly. "You're going to be fine. Let the mingling tell the stories for each of you."
From the corner of her eye, Estrella saw the men making their way towards the tavern.
"Here they come," she announced, causing the girls to turn in their direction. The men also took notice of them, and Lancelot leered at them once again.
"Leave Lancelot to me," Sophia announced before hopping off her seat and making her way over to him. From the bar, Iliana and the girls watched as she exchanged a few words with the jovial knight before she followed him and Arthur to a table.
Gawain and Galahad were eyeing Estrella and Catalina, and Iliana nudged Estrella's arm after watching the staring contest for a moment.
"It's obvious they're eyeing you and want to mingle with you," she pointed out. "You and Cat get your asses over there, Estrella."
In response, Catalina nudged Estrella's other arm, catching the attention of the ebony-haired girl. Exchanging looks, Estrella nodded, and Catalina took her hand before they hopped off their seats and made their way over to them.
From the corner of her eye, Iliana noticed Dimitra trying her damnedest not to appear uncomfortable as she and Dagonet looked at each other. Knowing the brunette would not budge, Iliana gestured for the tall, stoic healer to come this way, and he did with Bors walking beside him.
"Hello there," he greeted with a smile.
"Hi," Dimitra said.
"It's Dimitra, correct?"
"Aye, and you're Dagonet."
"Aye, my lady."
He extended his hand out to her, which she took and shook firmly.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Dimitra said before looking over her shoulders at the rounded knight. "Is it Bors?"
"Aye. Pleasure to meet you, my lady. It's about time I saw my old friend show interest in a girl."
The tall knight gave him a look, and Dimitra couldn't help but giggle. Upon seeing that she dropped her guard, Iliana smiled and placed her hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Well, you all enjoy mingling. I'll be on my way," she announced, finishing her drink and hopping off her seat.
"Taking another one of your walks?" Dimitra asked.
"Aye. I'll see you later."
With a wave, Iliana turned on her heel and walked towards the beach.
"She's been taking many night walks on the beach since her arrival here," Dimitra explained. "However, I believe she wishes there was a certain someone that will join her."
At that, they turned towards Tristan's direction as he watched Iliana leave, and he followed her.
"He had been beside himself since we left for our last mission," Dagonet explained. "He had just confessed his feelings to her, only for that to get thrown in his face. Upon discovering she left the Wall without saying a word about it, it almost did him in."
"She was feeling bad for leaving him the way she did, but the reason she left was to gain a better understanding of herself through her developing relationship with him," Dimitra argued gently. "Since her father died, all her heart knew was darkness, and she probably wasn't expecting to fall in love when she came here. I think her father must have known, and wanted her to come here for the chance to start over and heal from the pain."
"Andres mentioned he saw how much Ili had changed the second she arrived at the village," Dagonet said. "Tristan understands why, as do the rest of us, but he is still upset with her for not telling him or us."
"And that is understandable," Dimitra said.
"All we can do now is hope that Tristan and Ili clear up their misunderstandings and work things out between them," Dagonet stated.
The men and the girls exchanged looks between each other before looking back towards the beach, wondering the possibilities of what was going to transpire between the Sarmatian scout and the Sarmatian-Greek girl now that they had reunited.
Iliana removed her sandals and was holding them in one hand as she walked along the sandy shoreline of the beach. She relished in the grainy feel of the sand beneath her feet and between her toes, the cool feel of the breeze against her face and the sound of the waves crashing down on the shore. A part of her felt a strong yearning to be back on the island of Corfu, and she hoped to travel back there someday when the fighting and tension between Rome and Greece finally settled down. Maybe if she was lucky, she could take Tristan there and give him a feeling of living life in a Greek village.
As for the man himself, she could feel him following several feet behind her, but she didn't look back. She kept her gaze forward and continued to walk, heading further down the beach until she stumbled across what appeared to be an empty cottage. They gave the inside the same care as they gave the outside; she assumed. She pushed the front door open, surprised to discover that it was unlocked, and made her way inside.
It was a typical cottage with a fireplace, kitchen, dining area and a bedroom at the very back. Even though they hadn't used it for quite some time, they kept everything intact, in order and clean. Despite the distance from the village, at least one villager made the time to tend to the cottage when it was necessary.
She made her way to the bedroom, noting a simple bed that could fit at least two people, and approached the window. She had a view of the ocean, and if she had her way, she would just stare out into the distance and listen to the waves all night.
She heard the creak of the front door opening before it clicked shut, followed by the sound of footsteps as they made their way towards her. When the door of the bedroom creaked open, she turned to face Tristan, who stood in the doorway. They locked eyes and held contact, and after a moment, he shut the door behind him and walked towards her. Her heart was pounding as he closed the distance between them, but she willed herself not to look away as he stood in front of her directly.
They continued to stare at each other, and after a moment, Iliana reached up, placing her hands on either side of his neck and then standing up on her toes so that she could kiss him. She moaned as his beard scratched her cheeks and his lips moved with hers, deepening the kiss and stealing her breath away. His hands found her sides, his palms roaming up and down them through the fabric of her dress before settling at her waist and anchoring her to him.
She relished the kiss for as long as possible before having to pull away begrudgingly, inhaling a huge intake of much-needed air. She kept her eyes shut as Tristan kissed her forehead, and he rested his brow on the top of her head. His heart was racing madly in his chest at being so close to her, her familiar scent of lilac and lavender flooding his nostrils. Smiling, Iliana leaned forward and began planting small kisses all over his neck, and she felt him tremble at her ministrations. Her hands traveled downwards, caressing his chest until they found the hem of his tunic. She paused for a moment thanks to hesitation, but she willed herself to keep going as her hands moved underneath the fabric to caress his torso. She could feel his toned, defined muscles from his fifteen years of fighting and the marred skin of the scars he received. She took her time mapping every line that defined the form she fantasized about touching for the past week, and she could only imagine the perfection she was about to see with her own two eyes.
When she pulled her hands out from underneath his shirt and began loosening the tie that held his breeches, Tristan stopped her by grabbing her hands. They were small compared to his own, and he tilted her chin up so that he could look into her eyes. There was lust and desire in that beautiful, bright blue gaze that never ceased to captivate him, and he saw that same lust reflected into his own eyes.
"I need you to listen to me, Ili," he whispered, the husky tone in his voice making her heart skip a beat. "I want you. I want to take you in every way imaginable, but we don't have to do this if you're not ready yet."
Iliana smiled slightly; she knew Tristan was trying to be a gentleman, acknowledging his desire for her while also respecting her wishes if she truly wasn't ready to go in that direction. In response, she pulled her hands away from his and began running them up and down his chest. His tunic disappointed her by impeding the feeling of his skin, but she knew it would be out of the way soon enough.
"I want to," she purred, her voice just as husky with a hint of seduction. "Since I came here, it's all I've been thinking about when I close my eyes. I have never slept with a man in my lifetime, and despite my lack of sexual experience, I trust you.
"So, please. Make love to me tonight. All I want to feel and think about at this very moment is you."
The seductive purr in her voice and the look in her eyes were all it took to send him over the edge.
"It's going to be a long night," he warned.
In response, Iliana kissed him, parting his lips with a brush of her tongue. Tristan moaned into her mouth as he responded to her kiss, and her hands found the hem of his shirt, pulling it upwards. He lifted his arms up, allowing her to raise the cloth up over his head and cast it off to the side. She took a moment to gaze at his form, admiring the toned muscles of his physique and the scars that mangled his skin. The scar of the wound she helped patch up stood out amongst his older scars, and she traced over it with her finger. He was a masterpiece, and she enjoyed every second of the sight before her.
At the sight of her gaze darkening, Tristan captured her lips in another kiss before his hands found her hips, giving them a squeeze before taking her legs and lifting them up to his waist. Iliana squeezed her legs tight around him as he pinned her to the wall next to the window. Her hands found the back of his head, her fingers tangling in his hair as she pulled him close, breathing out a content sigh as her body trembled with pleasure. The scratch of his beard, the feel of his lips and his scent flooding her nostrils were more than enough to make her weak at the knees. If she had been standing, her legs would have given out from beneath her.
His hands moved from her hips, ascending upwards to caress her sides, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. He swallowed the moan that left her throat, kindling the blaze of desire burning in his heart. When they reached the sleeveless straps of her dress, Tristan was quick to pull them down her shoulders, and Iliana aided him by pulling her arms free. He broke their kiss to gaze at her as he pulled her dress down, revealing her breasts to his hungry eyes. She gulped out of anxiety, and he leaned towards her neck, showering her throat with kisses and suckles, tugging on her skin slightly. She tilted her head back, exposing her neck to give him better access as her hands tangled in his hair once more, holding him against her.
His right hand smoothed back the layer of her skirt, exposing a thigh, and she whimpered at his calloused touch against her soft skin. He started at her ankle, taking his time as he slowly made his way up. His palm and fingertips grazed her calf, traveling over her knee and stroking her thigh. He stopped at her hip, his thumb stroking her skin as he held her leg. His free hand moved up to cup her breast, the swell fitting perfectly in his palm as he ran his thumb over a perked, hardened nipple. Iliana gasped, tugging on his hair as he kissed his way downwards, ravaging her collarbones, chest, and the valley between her breasts. He opened his eyes and looked up at her, taking in her euphoric expression before enclosing his lips around the hardened bud of her other nipple.
Iliana bucked her hips against him as she let out a keen moan resembling his name and tugged on his hair even more. In response, Tristan sucked on her nipple hard, running his tongue over the bud while the hand cupping her breast kneaded the swell in sync with his lips. She moaned loudly, squeezing her legs even tighter against his waist as the pleasure shot throughout every part of her body. She could feel his arousal pressing against the inside of her thigh through the fabric of his breeches, and her dress soon felt like a heavy burden around her torso. He alternated between her breasts, ensuring that the swells and her nipples received an equal amount of attention.
He pulled her away from the wall, and she had to wrap her arms around his shoulders to balance herself as he carried her to the bed. Once he set her down atop the mattress, she lifted her hips so that he could pull her dress off in full. He took a moment to gaze at her body, and found that the sight before him was not only the definition of perfection and what he fantasized in his dreams, but better. She felt her cheeks grow warm at the fact that she was naked before him, but at the loving look he had in his eyes, she knew she had nothing to worry about.
As he hovered over her, Iliana ran her hands up and down his physique and also traced his scars with her fingertips. The hair on his chest tickled her palms, and when she got to the hem of his breeches, she loosened the ties that held them up. He pressed his brow against hers, his breathing becoming heavier as she undid the tie and pulled the cloth down as far as she could reach, with him kicking off the fabric and his boots to finish the job. The heat in her cheeks intensified when she took a moment to study him. He was the sculpture of sheer perfection that she had imagined, and in that very moment, she came to realize that no other man would ever be truly worthy of her than Tristan.
She lifted her head up off the pillow to kiss him as her hands traveled down the length of his spine. Her nails lightly grazed his skin, causing him to let out a groan that made her breath hitch as her hands rested at his hips, pulling them towards her own. At that, Tristan broke away from her lips to gaze at her.
"Are you sure?"
He had a serious look in his eyes, and Iliana didn't miss the stern tone in his voice as she looked at him.
"I've never been more sure of this than anything else in my life. If I had to choose all over again, I would always choose you.
"Unless you can handle the thought of another man touching and pleasuring me like this."
Tristan quieted her in a heartbeat when he captured her lips in a heated kiss she recognized as a possessive one. She squeezed his hips, mewling at the feel of his length brushing the junction between her thighs as he pressed himself against her and pinned her body to the bed. Pulling away, Tristan planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, and locking his eyes with hers, he guided himself inside her, going slow and gentle. Iliana gasped as her core engulfed his hardened arousal, and when she let out a wince from the pain, Tristan kissed her forehead yet again.
"Are you okay?"
She opened her eyes to look at him and nodded.
"I'm okay. Keep going."
She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he buried his face into her neck as he moved. One of her hands tangled in his hair while the other stroked and scratched his back. He started slowly at first, wanting her to match his pace, and when she met him stroke for stroke, he picked up the speed of his thrusts. She moaned loudly into his ear, causing him to suck on her neck hard as he slammed his hips into hers. The sound of skin slapping skin in combination with her moans and his muffled groans rumbling her neck was so erotic that she tugged on his hair. This fueled his thrusts as he continued, making her squirm and writhe.
"Don't stop, Tristan. Please," she whimpered, and she let out a loud moan that could have flooded the entire perimeter of the cottage as he gently bit down on the area where throat melded into shoulder.
Until now, Iliana thought she could only ever imagine what the act of love felt like with a man; that she would only ever experience what it was like in her wildest dreams. Now, as Tristan made love to her, not only was it just as she imagined, the reality of it was so much better than fantasy. Tristan never really understood genuine love. He felt nothing for the wenches he slept with for release. Until he met Iliana and fell in love with her. It wasn't just his own release he was focusing on, but also her release and his desire to please her.
He continued thrusting himself inside her for a little while longer, and when her muscles clenched around him, Iliana let out a groan as she unraveled, the euphoria flooding through her as she felt release. He followed suit just a moment later, his release warming her as he collapsed, the full force of his weight crashing down on her. Neither one of them moved as they caught their breath, and the hand that was in his hair kneaded the back of his head. He let out a moan as he panted against her neck, his fingers stroking her hair affectionately.
When he finally relaxed, Tristan pulled himself out of her and lied next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Iliana curled up against him, resting her head against his chest as she allowed herself to doze off.
She said one thing before her eyelids grew heavy.
"I love you."
Tristan felt his heart flutter at her words, and he stroked her hair before planting a kiss on the top of her head.
"I love you, Iliana."
He felt her smile as she nestled her cheek against his chest in her sleep, and with a small smile, he drifted off to sleep.
End Notes: We're halfway through the story, and the slow burn finally reaches its end with the love scene! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and check back tomorrow for Chapter Nineteen! I also want to thank you guys for your continued support as I update this story every week. It really means a lot to me, and you've all been wonderful!