“Mmm, and what circumstances are those?” Kieran bridged the distance in full, sliding one arm around my waist under the water, drawing our bodies in close.
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually,” I breathed.
“Eventually,” he murmured in agreement, moving his mouth toward mine.
I might’ve elaborated, might’ve hinted toward what I’d been craving, but all manner of thought and consideration had eddied from my mind in a single breath. Within seconds, our lips met—and once again, I was hopelessly consumed by the deadly kiss of Kieran fucking Vistarii.
His tongue slid into my mouth without preamble, tangling with my own in an inebriating blend of force and ease. I couldn’t recall the last time I’d seen the man eat an orange, and yet he still tasted vaguely of citrus and spice, of black tea and something else, something I couldn’t name. With eachgasping breath, our submerged bodies slid against each other, the sensation silky and slick, making every motion more fluid and frantic andheightened.
I whimpered when Kieran grabbed my ass and bucked his hips, the tip of his erection teasing between my thighs. Encouraging the act, I bit down on his lower lip, sucking it into my eager mouth until I drew a long groan from his throat.
“Fuck, Arken,” he breathed against my mouth.
“Missed you,” I whispered back.
His hips continued to rock as his hands slid from my ass to my waist, steadying me as his cock edged back and forth between my legs. Our kisses grew feral and frenzied, reduced to a gnashing of teeth and tongues, sucking and biting until I could taste blood on my tongue—though whose it was, I couldn’t say. I was far too focused on the stiff length of him fucking my thighs, faster and faster still, each thrust and withdrawal nudging at my clit until I was a quivering mess.
Kieran’s hands found easier purchase in my hair now that it was wet, and my eyes shot open with a gasp when he tuggedhardon those dripping tresses,exposing my throat to his voracity.
“Missed you more,” Kieran growled, just before sinking his teeth in.
With my head forced back like this, eyelids fluttering as I felt my flesh ache and sing beneath his succor, I caught glimpses of the glimmering grotto across the way. Moss and hanging vines draped over the mouth of the cavern, with only flickers of light to be found inside its darkened maw, leaving me ever so curious about what else might lie within.
Kieran said astral quartz formed within those caverns, and despite the perfect pleasure he was delivering, an intrusive thought rose to the surface of my consciousness, taking hold just long enough for me to act on impulse.
The minute Kier released his hold on my hair, the scheme was set in motion. I slid my hands down from where they’d been clawing at his back, letting them drift between his legs. His dark, wet eyelashes dusted his cheekbones, eyes closing as he released a soft, rasping sound of pleasure when I took hold of his twitching cock. I gave it one slow and affectionate stroke, base to tip, before tightening my grip the way I knew he liked it…
And then I withdrew, placing both of my hands on his shoulders.
“Apologies in advance,” I whispered, biting back a giggle when his eyes opened, brows furrowing.
Before Kieran could ask me what I meant by that, his head was underwater. Using all my might, I’d pushed him down and then quickly lifted my legs up and used his submerged shoulders as a springboard, propelling myself forward.
The giggles finally escaped once I heard him resurface, coughing and sputtering. Meanwhile, I was already well on my way to the other side of Lake Eidrytch.
“Oh, you little—” Kieran growled as I kept swimming. He might’ve been perfectly capable of running laps around me on dry land, but this wasmyelement. Or so I’d thought.
I kept my strokes hard and swift, cutting through the water expeditiously, but it wasn’t long before Kieran started gaining on me.
“Get your ass back here,” he snarled.
“You’ll have to catch me first,” I laughed, channeling my newfound strength and stamina from training into my arms and legs. I might’ve let my feet break the surface a couple times, just to splash water in his face. Maybe.
We were nearly halfway to the grotto when I was suddenly jerked backward, Kieran’s iron grip taking hold of my ankle and pulling me back toward him with force. I half expected him to stop there, perhaps to resume our previous activities, but no. Hiseyes simply narrowed as we both treaded water for a moment, breathing hard. Distracted by the glistening rivulets of fresh water running down his face and my unholy urge to drink them from his skin, I somehow didn’t see it coming.
In one fell swoop, I discovered it wasmyturn to be dunked beneath the depths, though Kieran was at least enough of a gentleman not to use my body as a launch point, the way I had his. He just started to swim, even faster than before, toward the rocky caverns ahead.
“Bastard!” I exclaimed.
“Catch up, Little Conduit,” he laughed, turning to face me while backstroking his way across the lake.
I set my jaw, determined to beat that bastard’s ass to the other side.
I swam like my life depended on it.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
KIERAN