“Stand,” he ordered. The vines crawled up my body again. “Try to remain still, little vixen.”
“I promise nothing.”
He cleared his throat and faced away. A smile threatened to appear, but I pushed it away. This was torture for him and me both. Invisible hands moved across my body like an instrument he intended to play, the fingers of his magic trailing below my ears, across my neck, and down my spine.
I squirmed.
“Eyes closed,” he ordered. “Think about your magic and imagine it coming forward to meet my own. If at any point you truly want me to stop, say stop.”
Gods help me, I tried. But concentrating on anything while he commanded my body was impossible. His magical heat circled me, and I felt it lick a distinct line up my thigh. The closer it moved to my core, the harder my traitorous heart raced. Water still dripped from my fingertips, heightening my senses. “Careful, Prince.”
“And if I’m not?” His lips were inches from my ear.
I hadn’t heard him move at all.
“Then these vines may not hold me.”
“Come and get me then.” His deep voice resonated through me as purely as his magic did.
I peeked an eye open. His were closed, and he was standing only inches away.
“Are you picturing me naked?”
“My imagination is not that tame.” His voice shook.
The fire magic moved closer until every part between my legs was wet, trembling, and I could feel the pressure building inside of me. My breaths began to fall short as his winded fingers moved down my chest and over my sensitive nipples. I gasped, and his heat plunged deep within me. I tried to move, to buck, to bend, to do anything. But I could not. I was entirely at his mercy.
“You can only use your magic to push me away.”
“This is definitely kin to torture,” I panted.
“It is only pleasure, Princess. Use that feeling as a conduit for your magic. Answer my own.”
He moved his fire magic up my body, and I couldn’t help but moan out loud as the desire for a moody prince rolled through me. Magic? It was nowhere to be found, but as the heat stroked my body and those illusory gentle fingers moved down my front, I thought I might fall from the indulgence.
“Release me, Prince,” I whispered.
“Focus,” he strained to answer.
“Release me.” I wouldn’t use his safe word. I hoped he never stopped.
“Release you how?” he purred in my ear from behind.
I opened my eyes as he circled me like easy prey.
“Those sounds you make will be my undoing,” His gaze was fierce as he took me in. Instead of stopping, he came at me with a vengeance. I felt his heat moving through me in waves.
I moaned louder as the pleasure mounted. I was inching toward orgasm, and he was relentlessly stroking me. I tried to think about the damn bucket of magic, but the only thing I could see when I closed my eyes was his large body wrapped around mine. I imagined him full and hard and deep within me as I leaned back into him. I felt his very real growth and rubbed against him.
“Ara,” he warned. “I only have so much control.”
“Then let it go.”
“Is that you asking me to stop?” he asked, pausing entirely.
“No. But I would like my hands, please.”
The restricting vines fell to the ground, and I spun and wrapped my arms around the prince of the southern kingdom. “Purely scientific?” I asked, inches away from his face.
