His grip on her arm grew tighter. "Oh, fuck it," he groaned, and let the sheet spill from him as he scooped her up in his powerful arms and held her against the heart that hammered wildly in his chest. He buried his face in her hair, knowing he should not do this in her inebriated state, but unable to deny himself or her any longer.

She brushed her temple against his lips, aching for the feel of them on hers. Then, slow and shy, she tilted her face up, chasing the memory of that heady, overwhelming kiss.

"Are you sure you want this?" he reiterated one last time, asking again felt useless at this point, because he wouldn’t be able to bing himself to let her go now.

"Kiss me," she whispered. "Please... I liked it so much."

Control snapped. Her quiet, pleading need hit him like a blow, making his heart slam against his ribs. He lowered his parted lips to her warm and waiting ones.

As she kissed him back, her arms wound around him, fingers tangling in the thick silver hair at the back of his head, learning every inch of him.

His tongue moved hot and urgent against hers, slipping into her mouth to claim and explore with unrestrained hunger.

She responded timidly at first, but imitating his actions, her pleasure grew and her tongue became bolder within his mouth.

He suddenly let go of her. Her knees buckled and her legs slid down his strong thighs until her feet hit the floor. Before she could catch her balance, his powerful arms wrapped tight around her ribs and lifted her up, pulling her soft body flush against his burning, rock hard frame.

His mouth slanted demandingly across hers and his tongue delved deeper, plying, playing, melting her insides like sugar candy until she felt something drizzle, sweet and warm, far down from the depths of her between her legs.

For Viola it felt like the wonder of the first kiss magnified a hundred times as her body pressed willingly against his.

He made a faint growling sound in his throat, then threaded his long fingers back through the hair at her temples, cradling her head in his palms while he scattered little kisses everywhere.

He seemed to be eating her up by nibbles, making her feel delicious as he took a piece of her chin, then her lip, her nose, her eyebrow, ear, neck, settling back upon her mouth again, biting her tongue lightly as if finding it the tastiest.

Control, he told himself when the beast within him urged him to slam right into her, feel her entrance close around him and take her over and over again until her body learned him, became his completely. He anchored himself tasting her skin sensually. He would take it slow, for her.

Viola forgot everything but the slow, sweet yearning inside her body. She let herself be swept away, in awe of this man, the one whose effect on her she had feared for so long. But now she wanted him with a desire so strong it drowned out any thoughts.

She didn’t stop to think that his kiss came from practice. All she knew was that it was just the beginning of everything she was desperate to discover from him, about him. He pressed his face into her neck, his breath warm on her skin like a summer breeze.

"Amor, I have to know, so I don’t hurt you," he said in a hoarse, stranger’s voice, "did you and Evan ever have sex?"

Her hands fell still against his neck at his question and the dark aura coming off him when he asked that sent a shiver down her spine.

"No... no!" she answered in a startled whisper, straining away suddenly from his intense aura. "I...I have never..." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

She started to turn away, embarrassed, but he held her jaw in his warm hands, cradling her face like a cup he was about to drink from, forcing her to look at him.

"It doesn’t matter," he said low, brushing his thumbs lightly upon the crests of her cheeks. "I don’t want to hurt you is all. I had to ask."

"I... I have never done it before," she said tremulously, her eyes wide on his, lips fallen open in dismay.

She didn’t want her complete inexperience to repulse him.

She swallowed hard, he felt it beneath the heels of his hands, and thought, Hell, she’s so small, I’ll kill her. Yet he brushed her cheek with his lips and hushed, "Shhh... it’s all right," and lifted her face to meet his kiss again, making them both forget all but the turbulent senses aroused now beyond recall.

It didn’t matter to him whether she was a virgin or not, but the thought that he would be the first man to have her this way sent his blood roaring and his mate bond sending sparks into his body.

With his tongue in her mouth, he picked her up again and carried her to the edge of the bed, where he sat with her on his lap.

Silently he vowed to go slow with her, to make it good, to make it right, and memorable if he could. He took her shy arms and guided them around his neck. She couldn’t stop noticing that he was completely naked pressed against her and that his skin radiated a warm heat right through her shirt.

His lips slid to the warm cave of her collarbone, and he murmured, "You smell like daisies... so good."

She moved her head slowly, sensually, brushing her jaw against his temple. He ran his tongue along her neck, tasting her supple skin making her tremble with a fresh, intense desire.

"Can I take your shirt off, Amor?" he asked, trailing brief kisses to a soft spot on the underside of her chin.

"Now?" she asked breathily.

"Only if you want."

"I want," she confessed simply, sending his senses thrumming.

So he found the hem of her oversized shirt, pulled it out from under her then tugged it up and slipped it over her head and off her arms before tossing it aside.

He kissed her once more, then said into her mouth, "I’m shaking as if it’s my first time, Viola. Do you know that no one else ever made me feel this way?"

This rush of anticipation and need, it was almost tearing him apart. His previous heat had never made him burn like he did for Viola, it felt like she was taking over his mind, his body and everything he was.

"Not even Laila?" she whispered, and then immediately felt like slapping herself for blurting that out.

"No baby, just you." He murmured, taking the tip of he earlobe in his mouth and smiling.

"I have really wanted to do this for a long time..." He cupped her breast and she gasped, it felt warm, peaked and full under his touch. "...wanted to touch you like this, kiss you..." He swirled his tongue over her taut nipple over the light fabric of her bra feeling her shudder, "I’ve wanted you to feel this heat with me, to make you burn for me too, half as much as I’ve been burning for you but couldn’t... not until I knew you wanted it too."

"I wanted to...but I was afraid."

His hand slid to her ribs, rubbing sideways, abrading her skin softly through the thin fabric of her lounge bra.

"You have nothing to be afraid of Baby, I’m yours...and you are mine."