Chapter 97

Interest sparked in Elain's eyes when Lucien squeezed her arse again. He held her gaze as she lifted her head a little, a smile spreading across her own face. "You like this game?" she asked.

"Which game would that be?" he asked in return, both hands now on her arse, cupping her and pulling her a little higher up himself. Elain's smile grew wider, her hands coming up to clasp at his shoulders as she sat higher, shifting herself to straddle him. "Petal…" Lucien's blood began to heat in his veins at the sight of her on him like that, and his hands tightened a little more.

"I want you to tell me…" she murmured, bringing her lips to his ear.

"Tell you what?" he breathed. He would tell her anything.

"Tell me what you want…"

"You." He whispered, turning his head to press his lips to her throat. "I want you. Always."

One of Elain's arms snaked around the back of his neck as she pressed herself to his chest again, her lips against his jaw. She kissed him again and again moving slowly along his jaw before up to press her lips to his, and Lucien knew that he was well and truly hard. He was uncomfortable, pressed against her arse the way that he was, but he dare not move, or attempt to shift her.

He wanted to claim her; that was what he wanted. But, after what had happened earlier, he knew that he had to leash that desire. She had so nearly been hurt beyond what even the most skilled healer could have done to help. Even now, he suspected, that while she was physically okay, the memories would linger. Lucien did not want to trigger anything like that and so decided that this would be something she would have to instigate. He wanted to claim her, after seeing Tallan pinning her in the dirt, having to watch his brother's hands on his mate, Lucien wanted her all to himself. He wanted to claim her, to prove that she was his and only his. But he would not.

Elain's hand slipped down between them, and Lucien jumped a little when he felt her wrap her hand around him, sliding smoothly over him. "Ohh…" he couldn't help a small groan, before biting his lip to silence himself.

Brown eyes met his as she lifted her head and Lucien held her gaze as she lifted herself onto her knees. "You want this?" she asked, and he could do nothing but nod. "Why?" she asked, and he bit back another groan when he felt her position him at just the right spot, but then hold herself there, just too high. He could have pulled her down onto himself, he knew that. He could also have pushed up into her. But, he didn't.

Swallowing, Lucien tried to make his throat work. "Mine…" the word was barely a whisper.

Elain smiled at that. "Yes…"

He couldn't help his hands going to her hips. He would have a good hold on her with his hands like that. Looking down, he felt himself tremble with the effort it took to not take control. It would be only too easy to close that small space between them, to sink into her until he could go no further. "Petal…" that sounded like a whimper, but Lucien didn't care.

"Yes, Lucien…" She had leaned to brush her lips against his ear again, "I want to savour this…" His eyes slid closed when she sank just a little lower, "The feel of you inside me…"

"Yes…"

"Only you…" she breathed, "You make everything else disappear…"

Lucien understood what she required from him then. "Yes, Elain…" he breathed, his fingers tracing her soft skin, moving over her hips. "Anything you need." He turned his head to meet her lips and, as she kissed him, she sank completely onto him and he groaned into the kiss, unable to help himself. Elain gasped and her hand tightened on his shoulder for a moment. Lucien just watched her as she gasped again, tilting her head back as she looked toward the ceiling as she went still. "Petal?" Lucien lifted one of his hands, settling it carefully at the base of her long and exposed throat, his fingers moving gently over her soft skin, before he allowed himself to trace it lower down, over her breasts, and into the hot water.

She moved then, slowly, carefully, and Lucien's eyes flicked back to her face, watching her expressions, the way she gasped again before biting her lower lip as a soft sound escaped her. He shifted both hands back to her hips, helping to lift her, and keep her movements even as the water rolled around them, rising up the sides of the tub as Elain reached a hand out to grab the edge, using her grip to support herself as she continued to move on him. Lucien's blood quickened as he listened to her, small gasps and cries falling from her lips before she bent to kiss him again, her hips still rolling to take him deeper again and again.

"Lucien…" Elain's murmur sent goosebumps rising across his skin and he lifted his eyes to meet hers, dark with desire as she looked at him. "What do you want…?"

His brain wasn't working, and his hands continued to move over her. "What?" he asked, stroking her gently, "This… you…"

"More…" she murmured, her eyes on his face, "You want something else…" He couldn't keep his hands still, and they continued to wander over her as he tried to think. "I can feel it…"

Lucien shook his head. "No…"

Her hips moved again and he groaned, "Yes…" She breathed, her wet hand coming to his cheek, fingers tracing his scar. "Tell me…"

Groaning again, he tried to fight back the words, but Elain apparently knew exactly what she was doing, her eyes on his face as she rocked herself against him. He tried to think, tried to sort through everything going through his mind, and then a flash of memory. Elain on her back in the dirt, ruined dress practically ripped off of her, and Tallan's hands on her skin…

"Mine…" he growled, his own hands tightening on her.

"Yes…" Elain breathed, nodding as her hips slowed, "…show me."

Lucien forced himself to think then. He didn't want to lose control. It had nearly happened twice before. The first time had been in Rhys' kitchen when Elain had walked in on him in the dark and he had been able to scent her arousal. He'd picked her up and held her on the bench, and the only way he had been able to leash himself was to cling to the knowledge that she had been a virgin and nobody else had touched her. That had been enough to enable him to maintain enough control to do nothing but hold her. The second time, they had been in Autumn and she had fallen asleep on him. He had been unable to make himself get up and move to sleep on the couch, but he had managed to keep his hands to himself because he finally had her in his arms. All night he had enjoyed that closeness, and the fact that she had trusted him enough to sleep there. He had only ever kissed her at that point and, just like in the kitchen, he had held on to her innocence, clutched at it, as a leash for his own desires. As possessiveness swirled in him at the thought of his brother's hands on her, Lucien knew that the old leash he had used would be useless.

Elain must have read his thoughts, or sensed them somehow down the bond, because both of her hands came up to his face as she met his gaze. Her dark eyes seemed lit from within, and he could read the need in her expression. Lucien watched as Elain's pink tongue slowly traced her lower lip before she spoke, her voice breathy. "I…" her eyes flicked back and forth across his face, " …want it."

Swallowing thickly, Lucien felt himself slipping. "You know what I want?" he asked, his own voice a low growl. Elain just nodded. "Then let me show you." An instant later Lucien had stood up, lifting Elain in his arms as he did so. He stepped out of the tub and carried her back into the bedroom, not even bothering to pick up a towel. Striding to the bed, he dropped Elain onto the covers, still wet. She pushed herself up onto her elbows, sliding back further into the centre of the bed, and then he was on her.