Lucas pulls his hand from between my thighs, leaving me bereft and aching for more. I whimper at the loss of contact, my hips bucking forward in a desperate attempt to regain it. He chuckles darkly, the sound sending shivers down my spine.


    "Patience, my little mate," he murmurs, his voice low and husky. "I''ll give you what you need."


    Before I can respond, he''s kneeling before me, yanking my pants down until they puddle at my feet. Exposed. Vulnerable.


    But when Lucas looks up at me, his eyes filled with desire and hunger, I feel powerful.


    A kiss to the inside of my thigh. Lips, hot and soft. I gasp at the contact, my fingers tightening in his hair.


    A trail of kisses. Waves of pleasure. And desire that grabs my thoughts and twists them into a delicious tangle.


    When he reaches the apex of my thighs, he pauses, his breath tickling my skin. "You''re so beautiful, Ava," he says, his voice filled with awe. "I could spend hours worshipping your body."@@@@


    I whimper at his words, my hips bucking forward involuntarily. He chuckles again, and the vibrations of the sound go straight through me. Without warning, he''s pressing his mouth there, his tongue darting out to taste me.


    The sensation has me crying out, back arching, legs shaking as I shove hard against the wall at my back, trying to stay upright. He sucks and bites at my sensitive flesh, his tongue darting in and out in a rhythm that leaves me breathless.


    The heat he brings is an inferno raging through my veins, so quick to bring me to the brink.


    Every touch has our bond delighted, every groan as he tastes me sending pleasure on a direct circuit to my clit, and my entire body''s gone boneless.


    One of his hands slides up my belly, sending electricity through every inch, his fingers splaying as he holds me against the wall. The other grabs my thigh, sliding it over his shoulder.


    "Relax," he rumbles, and I whimper.


    "I can''t—"


    His tongue swirls around my clit, circling it, teasing it, while his fingers thrust faster, harder, seeking to give me what I need.


    With each swirl of his tongue, each thrust of his fingers, the coil inside me tightens, the pressure building until I''m sure I''ll explode. I can feel the climax bubbling up inside me, waiting to be unleashed.


    But he''s determined to edge me closer, drawing out the exquisite tension, never letting me crest the wave of ecstasy.


    "Lucas, please," I beg, threading my fingers through his hair, holding him to me. "Please, you said you would..."


    His chuckle vibrates through his chest to my sensitive flesh, sending bolts of pleasure straight to my core. "Then come, little mate," he rumbles, his voice thick with desire. "Come for me."


    Why?


    Why is that single command everything? It electrifies me, causing my back to arch, my hips to buck, my world to narrow to the sensation there.


    His tongue flicks my clit, his fingers curling again, finding that perfect spot, and the dam breaks.


    I shatter into a million pieces, crying out his name as the wave washes over me, something deep inside me howling in delight. Pleasure surges through me, bright and fierce, tightening every muscle before releasing them in a glorious rush.


    Lucas continues to lick and suck gently, drawing out my pleasure until I''m a whimpering, boneless mess, sliding down the wall to the floor. Gently, he gathers me in his arms, cradling me against his chest as he kneels beside me, his fingers gently stroking my sensitive skin.


    "We aren''t done yet," he whispers, and I shiver.


    "I need a minute." I need a lot of minutes, actually. Shit. He hasn''t even been inside me yet—I can feel that emptiness, the ache for him, for more. But my legs are worthless. There''s no way I can get up from here.


    He laughs, the sound all dark promise. "You get thirty seconds."


    Fuck. The way I clench down there at the sound of his voice—I''m not sure I''m going to survive this heat.