Page 115 of Wisteria and Cloves
I could feel it in the tension running through his muscles, in the controlled way his hands explored my body. He was restraining himself, trying to be gentle for my sake.
"Please," I whispered against his mouth. "Julian….alpha."A low growl rumbled in his chest, the sound sending shivers down my spine. His hands grew bolder, one sliding down to grasp my hip while the other traced the neckline of my dress, fingertips grazing the sensitive skin just above my collarbone.
"I've dreamed of this," Julian murmured, his lips traveling down my neck again. "Of having you like this. Feeling you respond to my touch."
I gasped as his teeth grazed my pulse point, my head falling back against the door. Every sensation was magnified, my body hypersensitive after years of chemical suppression. I felt his lips go up my neck before pulling me forward in another kiss.
"Julian," I whispered against his mouth, "you don't have to be so careful with me."
His eyes flashed, something primal lurking behind his careful control. "Yes, I do," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through me. "You have no idea how much I want you, Lilianna. How completely I could consume you."
The confession sent a thrill through me, heat pooling low in my belly. I leaned forward, emboldened by desire, and pressed my lips to the strong column of his throat. His pulse jumped beneath my mouth, and I felt rather than heard the growl that rose from his chest.
"What if I want to be consumed?" I breathed against his skin, his control visibly fractured at my words. Julian's hands tightened on my waist, lifting me effortlessly until my legs wrapped around his hips. The sudden shift left me breathless, clinging to his shoulders as he carried me across the room.
"Do you know what you're asking for?" he murmured against my ear, his voice rough with restraint. "What it means when you speak to me like that?"
I nodded, my fingers threading through his hair. "I want to find out."
He laid me gently on the bed, in my nest. His eyes glanced around him, “Would you let me enter your nest?”
I nodded, “Please.” Then the next thing I knew his body was covering mine with careful precision. The weight of him was grounding, comforting in its solidity. Julian braced himself on his forearms, looking down at me with an intensity that made my heart stutter.
"You're shaking," he observed, brushing a strand of hair from my flushed cheek.
"Not from fear," I assured him, reaching up to trace the strong line of his jaw.
Julian's eyes searched mine, finding the truth in my words. "From what, then?" he asked softly, though I could see he already knew.
"From wanting," I whispered, my thumb brushing across his lower lip. "From finally understanding what it means to crave someone's touch."
He captured my thumb between his lips, the gentle suction making me gasp. The sensation shot straight through me, awakening nerves I didn't know existed. When he released it, his eyes had grown impossibly darker.
"I want to worship every inch of you," he murmured, his voice reverent. "But I need to know you're ready for that. Really ready."
Instead of answering with words, I pulled him down to me, my lips finding his in a kiss that left no room for doubt. This time, I was the one who deepened it, my tongue tracing the seam of his lips until he granted me access with a groan that vibrated through my entire body.
Julian's restraint finally broke. His hands became more insistent, sliding down my sides to grasp my hips, pulling me tighter against him. The hard evidence of his desire pressedagainst my center through our clothes, sending a shock of pleasure through me that had me arching against him.
"Julian," I gasped as his mouth left mine to trail hot kisses down my throat. His teeth scraped gently over my pulse point, not quite hard enough to mark but enough to make my body tremble with need.
"Touch me," I whispered, my voice hardly recognizable to my own ears. "Please."
He pulled back slightly to look at me, his eyes drinking in my flushed face and swollen lips. "Are you certain?" he asked one more time, his voice hoarse with desire and the effort of holding back.
"Yes. Now stop second-guessing me," I breathed, my hands working at the buttons of his shirt with trembling fingers.
Julian caught my hands, stilling them. "Let me," he said softly, sitting back on his heels. With deliberate slowness, he began unbuttoning his shirt, his eyes never leaving mine. The fabric fell away to reveal the broad expanse of his chest, and I couldn't help but reach out to trace the defined muscles with reverent fingers.
He shuddered under my touch, his breathing becoming more labored. "Lilianna," he warned, his voice strained.
"I like seeing you like this," I admitted, growing bolder.
"Like what?" Julian asked, his voice a low rumble that I could feel vibrating through me where our bodies touched.
"Undone," I whispered, running my fingers along the planes of his chest. "Less controlled."
His eyes darkened, pupils expanding until only a thin ring of amber remained. "You're playing with fire,little omega."
