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Avitas wants, one day, to make love to Helene. To take his time exploring her body, to taste every inch of her skin, to relish each thrust and gasp. He’ll light candles, maybe, and massage her with scented oils first. He’ll see again the naked want behind her eyes that was there the day he kissed her in Delphinium. He’ll take his time, make her beg for it.
But the Blood Shrike likes to be taken . Hard, fast, brutal.
And how can he deny her?
Often, they don’t even get all their clothes off. Weapons down, breeches off, business taken care of. Return to duty.
Today, it’s hot. They’ve come from training, desperate to be out of their sweaty, bloody clothes. Battle always makes her want it.
And so today the Shrike is naked under him, her perfect breasts bouncing as he drives into her again and again. Skies, she feels good, so good — if only —
She arches against him, strong arms straining against his grip on her wrists. She’s close — he can feel it from the way her walls grip him tighter, see it in the flash of desire through her eyes.
He changes the angle, slides one hand under her backside to tip her hips up. She growls, low and animal.
“ There , Harper, yes—“
He cannot deny her anything.
The force of her orgasm pulls him over the edge, his body spasming as he spills inside her.
For a brief, beautiful moment, they lay still, joined as intimately as two humans can be. Breathing together. He knows it will be over too soon, but he’ll live on this moment until next time. He laps it up, grateful for this crumb of affection. She doesn’t need to say why she keeps him at a distance. He saw it all on her face—her beautiful, maskless face—that day in Delphinium. Duty first, and all that. He understands.
But it doesn’t make it hurt any less.
He feels her shifting, and allows himself a long inhale against her hair before he pulls out, sits up, and begins to dress.
She stays on the bed, watching him, for a moment. Finally, she sits up, elbows resting on her knees, head in her hands.
“Avitas, I—“
“I know, Hel — Shrike. Sir. I know.”