HeartsAflameCollectionV by Melissa F. Hart Page B

more and needing more as well.
    He lifted her slowly a few more times, until the
sting of his entrance was nothing more than memory, and she was slippery with
need. She was desperate for him, starved for more, and she struggled against
the hands that were keeping her from taking him fully.
    “ Please, please now, Mads ,
I can't wait any more...”
    She was ready to beg, but now she could tell that
he was as desperate for it as he was. He tightened his grip on her hips and
brought her down hard on top of him, making her feel every inch of his length,
and then he did it again. He pulled her to him with sharp, almost violent
motions, and when she was wailing with need, he stilled for a moment.
    “ Touch yourself ,” he
panted. “Just like you would if you were alone. I want
to see it.”
    She groaned with embarrassment, aware that her
cheeks were flushed bright red, but her hand went eagerly between her legs. She
stroked her aching clit, and in less time than she thought possible, she was
exploding like a night sky full of firecrackers. The pleasure took her body
almost savagely, and she knew that she was tightening around him, thrashing
against him.
    Mads growled and thrust into her even harder, and when
he spilled in her, his hands tightened on her hips until she was sure he had left
bruises. After a long moment, he eased out of her carefully, bringing her to
lie by his side.
    Tara felt as if she was boneless. All of the energy
had gone out of her, and after a long moment, she pressed her face to Mads ' broad chest. She clung to him, and when the tears
came, she only shook her head when he asked her what was wrong.
    The sobs shook her shoulders, and she felt as
helpless as she had when pleasure was wracking her body. Her climax was so
immense that she could barely keep her emotions under control, and now they
bubbled up, spilling out of her. She cried out all of the grief and the pain
that she felt she had hidden for the past year, and Mads only stroked her hair and muttered comforting things in her ear.
    It felt like she had been crying for hours, but
then she finally pulled away, wiping at her eyes.
    “ I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...” she began, but Mads touched her hand gently.
    “ It's fine,” he said softly. “I want you to have
what you need, and just then, you needed to cry.”
    He held her for a long moment, and then he rose to
go to the bathroom. He came back with a dampened cloth, and when she nodded, he
cleaned her face and her body. The warm wetness of the towel and his soft words
of love and comfort made her drowsy.
    Tara stretched out on the bed and watched him move
through the room, smiling at his strength and his grace.
    There was nothing in this room that could hurt
them. She knew it, and she clung to it. She knew that the next day, they would
go to find their child, and that there would be danger in front of them. She
knew that there was a chance that she and Mads would
end up dead. Her heart hurt when she thought of Fen, and how alone he must be
without her, but that was for tomorrow.
    Tonight, there was nothing else that they could do,
and when he came back to the bed, she reached for him.
    “ We will find him,” Mads said, but he stilled at her sad look.
    “ Don't,” she said. “Don't promise me things that you
can't know. Never lie to me again, Mads .”
    After a long moment, he nodded. She understood why
he had lied before, even if she had not entirely forgiven him, and now he
looked at her with perfect seriousness in his blue eyes.
    “ I will never lie to you again,” he swore, “not in
all our lives together, and I hope you allow me to
stay with you. Even if you do not, I would rather die than lie to you again.”
    She looked in his face, and she felt in her heart
that he was telling the truth.
    Mutely, she reached for him and he settled in her
arms
    Tara fell asleep almost immediately, and her dreams
were dark things. She had lost both Fen and Mads , and
she couldn't find them. She rose