I saw the conflict on his face. I remember what he said about being on my hands and knees being easier on me, but I didn’t mind a little discomfort if it meant I could see his face and kiss him whenever I wanted. Besides, it hadn’t been painful last night. I was sure it’d be fine.
“Alright, kolrav. But we will go slow. If it hurts, you will tell me.”
I nodded to assuage him, trembling with anticipation as he pushed my knees against my chest and slicked up his cock. Watching him leaning over me, his cheeks ruddy and his mouth falling open in pleasure as he sank into me, was almost as good as feeling him inside me. I moaned, legs wrapping around his hips when he released them, and reached between us to squeeze the base of my cock to stop myself from coming too soon. Orthorr noticed, and a wicked grin overtook his face as he drew his hips back and pushed in a little faster. I gasped, squeezing again, and realized too late what that grin meant. He wasn’t going to go easy on me.
I arched and moaned as he thrust into me, hard enough to make it feel amazing without actually hurting me. He played with the rhythm and angle, like he wanted to learn what I liked the best, and I was so mindless with pleasure, I could do nothing but take what he gave me. What little focus I had was spent entirely on keeping myself from coming too soon.
I could tell he was getting close when his face twisted with a ferocity I’d come to adore. He only ever looked at me like that when he was close to completion, jaw tight and expression all heat and adoration. I loved that look and reached for him automatically, drawing him closer so I could feel his body against mine.
“Ah! Orthorr! There!” I cried, writhing beneath him. I hadn’t realized pulling him down like that would change the angle, causing him to continually brush against that spot from thenight prior, the one that had me seeing stars. When he pressed down further, covering me completely, I nearly sobbed as he struck that spot dead on. With his cock thrusting inside me perfectly and his hard abs rubbing against my cock, I didn’t stand a chance. I shattered, my release exploding through me so intensely, I could barely breathe. “Ungh!”
Orthorr’s groan of ecstasy against my ear as he chased his release made me clench around him, and he came inside me a moment later, drawing one last moan from me.
“And they call us dangerous,” he panted in his language against my ear. He must have forgotten for a moment that I could understand him.
I laughed out loud, which made my body clench and both of us groan, and Orthorr dropped his weight on top of me, too exhausted to hold himself up any longer. I didn’t mind. I loved feeling his big body against mine. I loved everything about him.
“I love you.”
I froze. I hadn’t meant to say that out loud. I’d been holding myself back from saying it for days now, not wanting to come off too needy and clingy. It was too early in our relationship for declarations of love. Wasn’t it?
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CEDRIC
I waited for him to reply, contemplating the worst case scenarios for his response to my blunder. He could be kind about it, smiling and kissing me to distract me. Or he could tell me outright that he didn’t feel the same way yet, and it was too soon. Perhaps he could even decide we needed a break to spend some time apart and–
“I love you too, Cedric.”
Surprised, I jerked my gaze to his, searching his face for the lie. I didn't want him to say it just because he felt he had to. But when I looked up at his beloved face, his smile was warm and his fingers drifted through my hair in a soft caress, soothing the anxious part of my mind that still couldn’t quite believe him.
“You do?” I asked breathlessly.
He nodded once, a flash of chagrin crossing his face. “I’ve said it before, but I realize now the words aren’t the same in your tongue, and you might not have understood what I meant.”
My brows furrowed. “What? I don’t remember you saying that.”
“I told you that you are my other half, kolrav. That is how we say ‘I love you’.”
I sucked in a breath, staring at him wide eyed. He had said that. I remembered it clearly because it’d made my heart skip several beats, and I smiled like a sappy idiot for the rest of the night after he’d said it. It’d sounded important, but I hadn’t realized it meant that he loved me. But…
“Right after you said that, you got all weird when Queen Raiza mentioned a wedding. I thought… I thought that meant you weren’t there yet, and it was too soon to discuss such things.”
His expression clouded, and I reached for him automatically, trying to smooth the frown lines pulling at his lips. I hadn’t wanted to upset him. I was just trying to understand. I’d hoped we were headed in that direction when he said that sweet phrase, but I hadn’t thought he felt the same way I did. The only reason I hadn’t jumped at the chance to have a wedding with him was because I wasn’t sure how Orthorr felt about it. I would marry him tomorrow if it meant I got to keep him. If he felt the same way, then why would he protest?
“I realize now how that sounded. I hadn’t meant it that way. I hadn’t expected the offer, and it took me by surprise.” He pulled a face, shaking his head. “Also, royal weddings are incredibly boring.”
That startled a laugh out of me. “Wait. Really?”
He nodded, his nose wrinkled distastefully. “We attended the wedding between Uttin and Zakai. It was days of ceremonies that were mostly people talking while we all sat around. Queen Raiza’s offer was kind, but I wouldn’t want to subject you to that. I’m pretty sure Zakai nearly fell asleep during one of the speeches, and he was one of the grooms.”
My shoulders shook as I held back snickers. I didn’t want to interrupt him, but the thought of a groom being so bored athis own wedding ceremony that he fell asleep was a little funny. Especially when that groom was Zakai. I’d only met him briefly, he’d been riding beside Uttin for most of our journey and didn’t share any languages between us, but he was an outgoing man, his tone always teasing and playful. Several times he and Uttin raced each other on horseback, and he and Simon were almost always chatting with each other. I imagined sitting still and being quiet hadn’t been easy for him.
“Are barbarian weddings more fun?” I asked curiously. In all the lessons on barbarian culture that Finn had gone over, he hadn’t explained barbarian weddings yet. I had no idea what to expect.
Orthorr grunted, rolling onto his back and taking me with him so I was plastered against his side. I tangled my legs with his, smiling as I laid my head on his chest. If I could, I’d stay in that spot all day without a single protest.
“Our weddings are much shorter, and yes, I think more fun. There is a lot more alcohol involved.”