Maria liked it, so the hat stayed.
Cool water slid under Ellison’s arms, twining around his legs as he kicked his way to her. Maria hopped in a circle, taking in the banks, trees, bluebonnets, and the sheet of water. Her head and neck showed above the surface, her hair floating.
Ellison neared her, took off his hat, and sprang high enough out of the water to hang it on an overhanging limb. As he came down, he wrapped his arms around Maria.
Her body floated up to his, breasts moving against his chest in a waft of softness. Her hair was heavy with water over his hands, her lips wet as he drew her up to him to kiss them.
Kissing was the best thing. Ellison rarely kissed, because any Shifter women he’d had the pleasure of bedding had been frenzied and interested in getting the job done. Human women were few and far between. In fact, in the last couple years, anything female had been few and far between.
And now Maria. Maybe the Goddess had made sure all the women who’d ventured to Shiftertown recently—Kim and Andrea, Elizabeth and Myka—had found mates in other Shifters so Ellison would be free when Maria came along. He’d joked that he was never fast enough off the mark, but none of them had touched his heart like Maria.
The Goddess had been good to Ellison. Maria tasted like fire, of woman and wanting.
But she was hurt, like a broken bird, like Deni, who was fighting to regain her life. So much had been taken from Maria, and Ellison wanted to give it back to her, without pain, without fear.
Ellison kissed the corners of her mouth, tasting sweetness. Water droplets lingered on her lips, his tongue finding every one.
Her plump mouth was softness itself. Her lips met Ellison’s, her kisses falling on the whiskers above his top lip, the curve of the bottom one.
Maria drew back and gazed at him face-to-face, her smiles gone. Ellison smoothed her hair from her forehead, the laughter leaving him as well. He read desire in her, and also terror so harsh it cut.
He’d have to be slow with her. It might take months, or years, of teaching her that he cared. That he’d never hurt her.
“Maria . . .”
“Shh.” Maria touched her fingers to his lips.
She kissed him again, resting her arms on his shoulders. He felt her feet leave the bottom of the lake, she balancing on him so she could let her legs come up.
Ellison forced himself to stand easy, though he caught her around the waist, steadying her so she wouldn’t slip under the water. He had to let her decide what to do.
Keeping her gaze on him, Maria laced her legs around Ellison’s hips, letting his cock, which was hard and vigilant, brush her. It slid between her thighs, seeking her warmth, but Ellison held back. He was on fire, but he couldn’t rush her.
He smoothed his hands down her back, satin skin with a little indentation where her bra strap had been. She’d be beautiful in a sarong, one piece of clothing wrapped around her, as Shifter women liked to wear in the summer. One piece, which could come off with the tug of a string.
Maria closed her eyes as she kissed him, then she broke the kiss and looked straight at him. Her eyes were dark like velvet night, the lashes black and thick.
She brushed a lock of Ellison’s hair from his forehead, then she adjusted herself on him and slid down onto his cock before Ellison could stop her.
Sensation after sensation poured through his shaking body. Maria was tight against him, her intake of breath loud in the stillness, her eyes widening.
“Maria, sweetheart.” His voice was a choked whisper.
She touched his face. “I want this.”
“You sure?”
Ellison wanted to hold on, to drive into her in his growing frenzy, to spill his seed and slake his need. A Shifter was built to mate. Nature drove them to sex, to have cubs, to live as hard as they could.
But Maria was shaken and upset, and Ellison couldn’t take advantage of her. He told his body that with everything he had, but he still couldn’t
Cool water slid under Ellison’s arms, twining around his legs as he kicked his way to her. Maria hopped in a circle, taking in the banks, trees, bluebonnets, and the sheet of water. Her head and neck showed above the surface, her hair floating.
Ellison neared her, took off his hat, and sprang high enough out of the water to hang it on an overhanging limb. As he came down, he wrapped his arms around Maria.
Her body floated up to his, breasts moving against his chest in a waft of softness. Her hair was heavy with water over his hands, her lips wet as he drew her up to him to kiss them.
Kissing was the best thing. Ellison rarely kissed, because any Shifter women he’d had the pleasure of bedding had been frenzied and interested in getting the job done. Human women were few and far between. In fact, in the last couple years, anything female had been few and far between.
And now Maria. Maybe the Goddess had made sure all the women who’d ventured to Shiftertown recently—Kim and Andrea, Elizabeth and Myka—had found mates in other Shifters so Ellison would be free when Maria came along. He’d joked that he was never fast enough off the mark, but none of them had touched his heart like Maria.
The Goddess had been good to Ellison. Maria tasted like fire, of woman and wanting.
But she was hurt, like a broken bird, like Deni, who was fighting to regain her life. So much had been taken from Maria, and Ellison wanted to give it back to her, without pain, without fear.
Ellison kissed the corners of her mouth, tasting sweetness. Water droplets lingered on her lips, his tongue finding every one.
Her plump mouth was softness itself. Her lips met Ellison’s, her kisses falling on the whiskers above his top lip, the curve of the bottom one.
Maria drew back and gazed at him face-to-face, her smiles gone. Ellison smoothed her hair from her forehead, the laughter leaving him as well. He read desire in her, and also terror so harsh it cut.
He’d have to be slow with her. It might take months, or years, of teaching her that he cared. That he’d never hurt her.
“Maria . . .”
“Shh.” Maria touched her fingers to his lips.
She kissed him again, resting her arms on his shoulders. He felt her feet leave the bottom of the lake, she balancing on him so she could let her legs come up.
Ellison forced himself to stand easy, though he caught her around the waist, steadying her so she wouldn’t slip under the water. He had to let her decide what to do.
Keeping her gaze on him, Maria laced her legs around Ellison’s hips, letting his cock, which was hard and vigilant, brush her. It slid between her thighs, seeking her warmth, but Ellison held back. He was on fire, but he couldn’t rush her.
He smoothed his hands down her back, satin skin with a little indentation where her bra strap had been. She’d be beautiful in a sarong, one piece of clothing wrapped around her, as Shifter women liked to wear in the summer. One piece, which could come off with the tug of a string.
Maria closed her eyes as she kissed him, then she broke the kiss and looked straight at him. Her eyes were dark like velvet night, the lashes black and thick.
She brushed a lock of Ellison’s hair from his forehead, then she adjusted herself on him and slid down onto his cock before Ellison could stop her.
Sensation after sensation poured through his shaking body. Maria was tight against him, her intake of breath loud in the stillness, her eyes widening.
“Maria, sweetheart.” His voice was a choked whisper.
She touched his face. “I want this.”
“You sure?”
Ellison wanted to hold on, to drive into her in his growing frenzy, to spill his seed and slake his need. A Shifter was built to mate. Nature drove them to sex, to have cubs, to live as hard as they could.
But Maria was shaken and upset, and Ellison couldn’t take advantage of her. He told his body that with everything he had, but he still couldn’t
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