My Fated Mate Can Have Her-Chapter 228: Afterglow [18+]

Violet

One of his hands slid beneath me and cupped my bum. He squeezed hard, fingers digging into the soft flesh, and he pulled my hips up to meet every punishing thrust until I felt him in my teeth.

I clung to him as he took me with an intensity that bordered on overwhelming.

"Rowan..."

The pleasure built higher with each stroke, coiling tighter and tighter in my core until I thought I might shatter from the pressure alone.

"Violet—I can’t— I’m going to—"

His hips slammed into mine, and the pleasure crested so high that it shattered.

The sensation rippled up my spine, across my chest, down my thighs, until every nerve of my body felt like it was on fire.

Rowan cursed above me, his thrusts turning erratic and just as I was about to feel the first pulse of his release, he swiftly pulled out.

A ragged, agonized groan ripped from his chest as he spilled across my stomach. I felt the hot splash of his seed painting my skin, one pulse after another, and his whole body shuddered violently with the force of his climax.

His hand was still gripping my backside, holding me against him even as he came undone.

When it was over, he collapsed.

His weight pressed me into the soft fabric beneath us, heavy and warm and grounding. His face buried against my neck, and I could feel his breath coming in uneven gasps against my sweat-damp skin.

We lay there, tangled together, both of us trembling in the aftermath.

I stared up at the glowing pink canopy of the willows, my mind completely, blissfully blank.

The sticky warmth on my stomach slowly brought me back to myself.

The undeniable evidence of what we had just done was cooling against my skin and the sensation was a bit uncomfortable.

Before I open my mouth to speak, Rowan stirred above me.

He lifted himself off my body, and I immediately missed his warmth. His eyes swept over me and I looked away, nervous.

"I’m sorry for the mess," he murmured.

Before I could respond, he got to his feet in one fluid motion and simultaneously scooped me into his arms, cradling me against his chest.

I gasped at the sudden movement.

He took a single step, and we were suddenly at the river’s edge.

The water glittered in the pink glow of the willows, its surface smooth and inviting. He waded in without hesitation, the cool water lapping against his thighs, then his waist, then mine as he lowered us both into the gentle current.

The coolness was a shock against my overheated skin, and I shivered involuntarily.

He held me steady, one arm wrapped around my back, the other reaching down to scoop water.

The memory surfaced before I could stop it. Kael, washing me gently after our first time. His large hands moving over my skin with such tenderness, cleaning the evidence of what we had shared.

And now Rowan was going to...

"I—I can do it myself," I said quickly, taking a step back. My voice came out higher than intended, embarrassment making my words rush together. "You don’t have to—"

My legs buckled beneath me and the water rushed up to meet me as I collapsed into the river with a graceless splash.

The cool water closed over my shoulders, and I flailed for a moment, disoriented and mortified in equal measure.

Rowan was at my side instantly.

His arms wrapped around me, hauling me up against his chest before my head could dip beneath the surface. Water streamed down my face, and I sputtered, blinking droplets from my lashes.

"Violet!"

My face burned so hot I was surprised the river didn’t steam around me.

I couldn’t stand.

My legs were trembling, still weak and shaky from what had just happened. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"I’m fine," I muttered, refusing to meet his eyes. "I just... my legs are..."

I couldn’t finish the sentence, still embarrassed.

’Wait why am I even...’

I felt his chest vibrate against my back.

He was laughing.

"This isn’t funny," I hissed, my ears burning.

"I know—I’m sorry..." His voice was warm, threaded with something that sounded far too pleased.

He didn’t sound sorry at all.

I wanted to glare up at him, but I didn’t trust my body not to collapse again if I moved too suddenly.

Instead, I slumped against him in defeat, letting his arms take my weight.

"Fine... Just be quick about it," I weakly grumbled, staring at the glowing willows reflected in the water.

He started at my stomach, wiping away the evidence of his release with slow, careful strokes. The touch was gentle, almost reverent, and entirely different from the desperate grip of moments before.

I kept my eyes fixed on river surface even as my face heated up.

He moved lower, and cleaned my thighs while I tried to stifle the slight shudders as a result of his touch. He slowly washed me, and he took his time with it, as if he was memorising the landscape of my body.

I complied wordlessly, presenting my back to him. The water lapped at my waist, and the cool night air kissed my damp skin.

I started to relax despite myself.

The intimacy of the act settled over me like a warm blanket, and I found myself leaning back into his touch.

Then I felt his lips.

It was a soft press against my shoulder, right where my neck met the curve of muscle. I went rigid, my breath catching in my throat.

He continued kissing my neck, leaving a trail of gentle kisses that followed the path of my spine up to the sensitive skin behind my ear.

"Rowan—"

His hand came up, tilting my head to the side for him to fully kiss me.

His lips moved against mine with a tenderness that made my chest ache. His thumb stroked along my jaw as he kissed me, and his other arm wrapped around my waist, pulling my back flush against his chest.

The water rippled around us, and for a long, suspended moment, the world narrowed down to just this. His mouth on mine, his arms around me, and the quiet murmur of the river carrying us both.