Chapter 184

Elain gave a scream, her blood pounding through her veins and her heart thumping in her head in time with Lucien's. She could feel him through the bond, and she gave a gasp as she felt him follow her over his own edge, his pleasure washing down the bond to her, flowing through her an instant after her own.

"Fuck…" he breathed, his face pressed into her neck, "Did you feel that twice too?" Elain nodded, unable to open her eyes. She tightened her arms around him, running her hand up and down his slick back as he panted against her skin. Lucien's hips shifted over her, and Elain felt him pull out of her. She tightened her legs around him, however, not letting him move away, and she felt him smile against her throat. "Not done, Petal?"

"Oh," Elain murmured, her hand still moving over Lucien's back, "I am… but… I still want to feel you." Her eyes opened then when his hands moved over her, up her arms and to her shoulders. His lips grazed her throat before moving to her cheek, and Elain smiled.

"Like this?" he asked, and she nodded again.

"Yes, just like that…"

"Well, Petal…" he licked at her, and Elain shuddered, "You can have me like this all night."

"Don't make a promise unless you intend to keep it…" she breathed, and Lucien laughed gently. His hands slid back down her body to her hips a moment before she felt his teeth at her throat. "Ohh…" He snickered again, and Elain ran her own hand up and down his back once more. She could feel how much he was enjoying himself, his hands moving ever so carefully over her, and then she tried to shift enough to see his face. "Lucien…?"

"Yeah?" he asked, nose pressed against her jaw before his lifted his head to meet her eyes.

"Earlier…" she murmured, nervousness sparking within her, "You… When you changed things…" she bit her lip, "You… you didn't like it, did you?" She had been able to feel his hesitation when he'd held her pinned to the bed. Sure, he'd fucked her good and hard, but there had been something beneath that. Elain hadn't been able to think clearly enough at the time to try and work out what it was but, thinking about it now, she was pretty sure that he hadn't liked it.

"It wasn't that." He breathed, shifting off of her and to the side. Elain blinked, but then he'd pulled her firmly to himself again, a hand coming up to her cheek. "Pinning you like that…" he began and Elain couldn't help but watch his face intently, trying to read him, "I… I like your reaction to it. I enjoy that. Your excitement is more than enough for me…" he gave her a bit of a grin before he went on, "But… I feel holding you down like that is…" he tilted his head, and Elain frowned.

"I didn't mean to make you do something you don't like…"

"No…" he shook his head, stopping her from saying anything further, "No, it's not that at all. And I'm not saying that I don't want to do it, especially as you do enjoy it… It's just not my favourite." He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose, and something within Elain eased a little. "I much prefer… well… what really does it for me, I guess, is being gentle with you." One of his hands ghosted up her side, "It's something that I've never had with anyone really, nothing has felt as good as getting to touch you like that… and having you touch me…" He kissed her softly, and Elain thought she might melt, "I love being inside of you, my hands on you… and being able to pay attention to every breath you take, I love being able to feel every move, every touch…" Elain slid an arm around his neck, holding him closer, "I don't even have the words to describe what that does to me."

"You?" she smiled, "Out of words?"

"I know." He murmured, a wicked smile across his handsome face, "What is happening?"

Hooking a leg around him again, Elain shifted herself until she was atop him, straddling him as she looked down at him on his back now. "And what about this?" she asked, grinning.

"Oh, Petal." Lucien's words were as soft as a breath, and his eyes appeared locked on her face. "Watching you enjoy yourself is…" he shook his head, apparently still unable to find the words he wanted. Elain could feel him, though. His appreciation for her was bright and clear down the bond, and it touched something deep within her.

Running her hands up Lucien's chest, Elain leaned forward to better look at him, holding his eyes as she tried to sort through everything she could feel. She had been a little surprised that he had said he preferred being gentle with her, especially considering how he had so often been with her in the past; rough and passionate. Elain and enjoyed that, and she had liked that it had shown her how much he wanted her. And he did, she knew that. Now she thought about it, however, Elain wondered if that had been the driving force of the bond, wanting to be closer to her, needing her to accept the bond. Rough and passionate had been how the bond had pushed Lucien to be but, now that she was his, perhaps those gentle touches were how he wanted to be. "Tell me if you don't like something." She said, eyes still on his.

Lifting a hand to her cheek, he smiled up at her. "Oh, Petal. I like it all." He told her, "It all has its place and purpose… and I couldn't honestly say that I won't bend you over that kitchen counter in the morning and have my way with you…" Elain thought she might have blushed at those words, "I'm just saying that being able to trace my fingers over your perfect skin while you cling to me, moaning my name, brings me pleasure beyond anything else I can even imagine…"

She definitely blushed at those words. Elain could feel her face heat, feel her heartbeat begin to race again, and she slid a hand down Lucien's chest, past his stomach, and her eyes remained on his face when she carefully took hold of him. His heart thundered in her head, and she smiled as she ran that hand over him, her touch firm and purposeful and, before long, she had him just how she needed him. Elain smiled as she lifted herself onto her knees, positioning him beneath her, before she sank onto him, bracing herself against Lucien's chest with her left hand and letting out a soft moan as her eyes slid closed.

Lucien's hands both came to her hips, holding her still, and Elain opened her eyes to look at him, wanting to move. "Lucien…?"

"Slowly," he breathed, lifting those eyes, both russet and gold, to meet her gaze. "Slow… careful…"

Nodding, Elain did as he instructed, moving her hips in the way he guided her with his hands. All the while she watched him, making sure that she paid attention to what was coming her way down the bond. If her mate wanted slow and careful, that was exactly what she was going to give him, and she was going to watch him enjoy every moment of it.