She slid down to her knees in front of him, and he knew where this was going to go. Anticipation made him hard as a spike. She held her hand up, and he obliged her unspoken request by squirting liquid soap onto her palm.

Grasping his erection, she worked the soap all over it and the tight sac of his testicles underneath. She tightened her fingers, pumping him, and the pressure and cleverness of her touch quickly brought him to the edge of climax.

He gripped her wrists to pull her hands away, hissing, “Oh no, you don’t. I don’t want this to go that quick.”

The reprieve he bought himself was all too brief. He had barely eased back from the edge when she leaned forward and took him in her mouth. So hot, so wet, so tight.

“Cocksucker!” he swore.

Exploding with laughter, she lost her hold on him. Grinning, he took the opportunity to go down on his knees. Angling into a sitting position, he urged her to climb onto his lap, and she swung one of her fabulous legs over his and came astride him.

That’s it, that’s what he wanted. He fingered her, growing serious, and watched her expression turn intense with need. “Come inside now,” she gasped.

“Anything you want, lover,” he murmured.

She positioned his cock while he held onto her hips, and when she eased down on him, he penetrated her, and it was exactly the right fit. They found exactly the right rhythm.

She clenched, he pumped, she wound her arms around his neck and clung, while he gripped her flexing torso and drove in harder. The rain shower poured and poured water over them, washing away everything from the day, the stress and anxiety from earlier when she had screamed his name and his entire world had stopped.

He clenched her too hard, crushing her against his chest so that she gasped, and even though he knew he did, he couldn’t stop. Then his climax hit, a volcanic gush that shuddered through his body. Flexing throughout the pulsing pleasure, he lifted his head, eyes closed, and let the water pour over his face like tears.

He loved her, he loved her, but he was never entirely sure he knew what that meant. What was love, anyway?

All he knew was what she taught him day by day.

For him, love was a collection of moments like this.

Strung together like luminous pearls on a string.

Chapter Seven

Niall woke up after five hours. While Pia fed him, Dragos sent Eva back to her cottage to get some rest. Once the baby’s appetite had been satiated and he had fallen back to sleep, Dragos settled him on his chest and took watch for the rest of the night.