Instincts

Slowly, Katherine's gloved fingers wandered over his back. The leather lacked her usual warmth, almost invoking a shiver.

"Disgust me?" she repeated. "No... no, they never did."

"Then why did you hesitate just now?" He glanced back over his shoulder, and when he saw her averting his eyes, the line of his jaw ticked. "I dislike lies more than hard truths, especially if I expected the latter."

"It's not a lie!" Indignation swung in her tone before she exhaled to disperse it. "It's just... I know it's akin to a death spell on you, a life-long illness that can never be cured. I just feel guilty that I like it too much, okay?"

Stumped, he could only stare at her.

"Damn," she muttered under her breath and rubbed her face, but it only worsened the blush on her cheeks. Defiantly, she met his gaze this time. "Are you satisfied now? Believe me that it doesn't disgust me? Because if you don't, I would very much like to kiss every inch of this pattern. Don't underestimate the temptation. I wanted this even when I first treated you."

He blinked with surprised red eyes, the brows wrinkled. Then his adam's apple moved up and down, and his lips parted. "Is that... your second request? To kiss me there?"

Her heart jumped up her throat, but she followed it with a hesitant nod. "If you allow. But how?"

"Not directly my skin." Swiftly, he draped the dress shirt over his back again. It was of rare white color he seldom wore, but he felt lucky he decided for this today. "Is it okay like this? You can splash it with water if you want."

"No." She took a trembling breath. "You will be cold and -" she smoothed the fabric over his shoulder, pressed it against his skin as she leaned in, "- I can see it like this. Barely, but barely is enough."

Like butterflies, her lips grazed his shoulder and slowly wandered up his neck. He tilted his head aside, his snowflake lashes fluttering close, and a low groan vibrated in his throat. "This is not on the patterns..."

She giggled and lingered deliberately while her fingers traveled down his sides. "What can I do? My husband is too tempting."

Though his mouth curved upwards, he grumbled in playful protest. "My sly little wife, wait until I catch these hard pearls on your chest. I will suck them wet and red."

The sharp inhale by his ear traveled all the way down to his groin, leaving hardened muscles in its wake. Even more so with her whispered reply. "Then I will also suck you wet and red. Down here."

Her unruly fingers fluttered down his abdomen and over the bulge in his pants like a breeze. They were gone again just as fast but not before sweat broke out on his forehead. He groaned. "Katherine... too fast. Slow down."

"Who was the one talking about sucking first?" Her kisses wandered toward his shoulder blade, hands softly stroking his arms. It could have been soothing, but it felt more like teasing instead, stirring the intense fire she awoke with tempting caresses.

Involuntarily, his mind painted the scene she'd described. The proud future Queen of the Icelands sat between his legs, serving him with her pink lips wrapped around his cock. Her cheeks would bulge with his grith, then hollowing when she sucked. Licked and sucked. He would move her with a hand in her silky black hair until she could swallow his whole length, moan around him. She would touch herself then, her slender hand wandering over her protruding belly to her red folds. A belly protruding with his child.

His eyes snapped open. The child. To protect it, he had to control his magic at all times. Control his feelings. Breathing rapidly, he forced the overboarding desire back. It didn't help that Katherine had now circled him on the mattress, moving the shirt to cover his left arm and half of his front.

Her hair fell into her face, but he could see the violet eyes shimmer between the strands when her lips touched the bend of his elbow. Further down, the graceful curve of her neck was revealed. Her perky butt was slightly lifted off her bent legs as if to urge him to touch. Once more, he shut his eyes and checked for his magic. It was still within its bounds. Katherine's, as he saw when he opened his lids a crack, was also not there. Just him and her. Still, it was a dangerous game.

He could feel her hot breath as it traveled over his arm to his chest and made his skin tingle. With parted lips she hovered above the brownish patch that rested between all that black and white, and raised her eyes to his. Violet met red, both dark and heavy-lidded with desire. His voice was a low rumble in the air. "If you lick this, I will lick yours. Touch them. Fondle them... roughly."

Her breasts dangled between them, big and heavy. He wondered if they ached, if they were already filling with milk for their child. Her legs in brown leather pants rubbed together, and her gaze was hot, the smile slow and seductive. "Is this a threat... or a promise?"

Before he could answer, she lowered her head and bit the hardened brown pearl lightly through the fabric. At his sharp hiss, her tongue stuck out, fluttering over the tip like licking chocolate.

With a low growl, his hands shot forward and clenched around her breasts, weighing them, stroking her peaks with forced gentleness. Yet her whimper was such a needy sound that impatience clouded his mind. He pulled. She shrieked in surprise, and a visible shudder ran through her body.

With a mix of lust and confusion, she looked up at him. "Do you want me to... Is it okay if I... ?"

"Come." He tugged once more on her breasts to emphasize the urging, though his rational side wondered if it was a good idea. Then it was too late. She eagerly crawled closer. Her legs parted and settled on either side of his, yet she did not sit down onto his painfully hard member. Instead, she hovered above like a delicacy.

"Is this really okay?"

Nathaniel swallowed at her question. His gaze hungrily fell onto her lips, then at her belly, hidden below the blouse. Finally, he met her gaze and leaned back at the proximity of her unprotected face.

"I... " His voice was rough as if rocks built his throat. Suddenly, he wasn't sure if he was still in control of his emotions or if those had long overtaken the thinking. Was it really safe, or did he only want it to be safe? How come it was so easy to hold back before he knew the full extent of the ecstasy she could evoke in him? His hands lowered.

Katherine broke off his thoughts before he could fall into the quagmire of self-doubt. "If you are unsure, let me try my magic like we discussed. Leaving my belly out... I think I can do this. How long do we need to torture ourselves if there might be an easy solution? Just one more time, trust my instinct. Okay?"

Nathaniel's face turned into a grimace. "Sometimes, I wonder if you deliberately lead me in situations where I cannot help but approve of your dangerous tests. Is there a manipulative mastermind hidden somewhere in my wife's head?"

She grinned, though it was dimmed by nervousness. "It's all just a woman's instinct."

"Damn your instinct then." He sighed, then his eyes fell on her lips again and darkened. With two fingers, he rubbed his temple as if that would help his thoughts. Finally, he sighed again. "Do your test if you think it's alright. I guess I can do nothing but pray to the goddess that your instincts are correct."

From her place above his hips, she beamed down at him.