CHAPTER 158: CHAPTER 157: ALL NIGHT, NO RETREAT (R18)

The sun had long dipped past the horizon, yet neither of them felt the passing of time. Skin glistened in the dim light, slick with sweat, kissed by heat and the ache of unrelenting hunger.

Their limbs were tangled, hearts hammering in tandem. Aurelya’s golden hair clung to her back like a silken veil, the strands tousled and damp. Her body still trembled in the aftershocks of their last release, yet her eyes, half-lidded and glowing, held no signs of surrender.

Lumberling hovered above her, gaze burning with unspent desire. His muscles twitched with the remnants of restraint, veins standing out along his forearms as he held himself back for just a moment longer.

"Again?" he murmured, voice roughened with lust and battle-hardened hunger.

She didn’t answer, she didn’t need to. Her hand slid down his chest, fingertips dancing over every ridge of hardened muscle, and her thighs parted slowly beneath him like a blooming flower.

Lumberling seized her lips with his, his kiss no longer desperate but reverent, deep, deliberate. His hand explored the curve of her waist, tracing every contour, memorizing the way her body responded with each touch. Her breath hitched when he brushed her inner thigh, muscles flexing beneath his palm.

Then he moved, slowly at first, like a tide easing in, testing the edge of control.

Aurelya arched her back, eyes fluttering shut, a sound slipping past her lips that was part sigh, part moan, all surrender. She gripped his arms, fingernails biting gently into his flesh, guiding his pace, faster, deeper, harder.

Her breasts rose and fell with quickened breaths, nipples brushing his chest with every movement. Lumberling leaned down, mouth finding the sensitive spot just below her ear, and bit gently, savoring the gasp that followed.

"You’re insatiable," he murmured against her skin, voice thick with amusement and hunger.

She turned her head slightly, golden eyes fierce and bright. "You started it."

He smiled, devilish and dark. Then he flipped her effortlessly, her soft gasp stoking the fire even more. She landed on her hands and knees, hair cascading down, back arched like a blade drawn to tension.

Lumberling’s hands roamed her waist, her hips, the gentle slope of her spine. He pressed himself to her again, their rhythm quickening as bodies collided in a steady, heated cadence.

The sound of skin on skin filled the room, broken only by the desperate, breathless moans slipping from her lips, growing louder, more ragged. Aurelya reached back, grasping his wrist, pulling him deeper, needing more.

Time melted.

Again and again, they met, until her knees gave out and she collapsed onto the sheets, breathless and flushed. He kissed the hollow of her back, then laid beside her, fingers brushing her lips, their tongues meeting once more, slow and intimate.

But even then, their bodies remained close. Heat simmered beneath their skin. The way she curled her leg over his hip, the way he traced idle circles around her navel, it spoke of a hunger not yet sated.

.....

Late Night – Lumberling’s Bathing Chamber

Steam coiled into the air like lazy tendrils, shrouding the chamber in warmth and mist. The wooden tub, large enough to fit them both, creaked gently beneath the shifting water. Aurelya’s golden hair floated about her like liquid silk, her bare back pressed firmly against his chest.

Lumberling exhaled, resting his chin on her shoulder. The water lapped around their bodies, the scent of lavender oil wafting faintly through the air.

"Sigh... we didn’t get to spar today," he murmured, trailing his fingers lazily down her side. "Thessalia and Vaenyra might start nagging again."

"Hmph," Aurelya pouted, her arms folded over her chest, her tone playfully indignant. "You’re saying that after you ravaged me all day?"

He chuckled. "We trained, just in another field."

His hands slid around her waist, drawing her closer. One palm rested on her soft belly, the other traced upward, brushing against the underside of her breast. Aurelya stiffened slightly, then relaxed into him with a soft sound.

"Ah... you..mmh... still not satisfied?" she whispered.

Lumberling leaned forward and kissed the side of her neck, lips trailing heat. "Of course I’m not."

His hand moved lower, slipping beneath the water, exploring her again. Aurelya bit her lip, her breath hitching. Her thighs tensed, but she didn’t resist, she arched her hips slightly, offering him more.

Water sloshed gently as he shifted beneath her, guiding her slowly into his lap. She straddled him, knees pressed to either side of the tub. Her golden eyes met his, half-lidded, smoldering, wanting.

Their mouths met in a searing kiss, one that deepened fast, her moan swallowed into his throat. He gripped her hips as she lowered herself onto him, the water masking nothing, every inch of connection felt vividly.

Aurelya clung to him, gasping into his mouth, her rhythm slow at first, circling her hips, teasing them both. The tub rocked gently beneath their movements. Steam rose around them like smoke, like breath from the gods.

Her nails dug into his shoulders as the pace quickened. Water spilled over the sides, forgotten.

The chamber filled with the quiet sounds of flesh, of water, of whispered names and ragged breath.

When she came, she trembled violently, arms wrapped tight around his neck. He followed soon after, groaning into her skin, his mouth at her collarbone.

But it didn’t end there.

.....

Late Night – Lumberling’s Bedroom

Their wet bodies crashed onto the bed, sheets instantly damp but ignored. Aurelya’s back arched as he kissed his way down her chest, tongue swirling, hands possessive, greedy.

They made love again, slow, then fast, then slow again. Her legs over his shoulders, her ankles hooked behind his back. Her cries rang out in rhythm with the creak of the bed. They changed positions without speaking, driven by instinct, heat, the unending desire to taste and feel every part of each other.

By the fourth time, they were too spent to move.

She collapsed on his chest, both of them covered in sweat and fading afterglow.

"Monster," she whispered, half-asleep, voice hoarse.

He smiled faintly, arm draped over her waist, and kissed her forehead.

.....

Morning - The Same Room

Sunlight streamed in through the window, painting golden lines across their bare bodies. Aurelya lay sprawled on his chest, hair a mess, lips swollen, skin covered in faint bite marks and love-bruises.

Lumberling stirred first.

He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek and watched her sleep for a moment, calm for once. Vulnerable. Beautiful in a way battle never revealed.

When she woke, she blinked at him, then groaned softly and buried her face into his chest.

"Everything hurts," she muttered.

He chuckled. "You mean you’re finally admitting defeat?"

She growled and bit his shoulder.

"Alright, I take it back."

She smirked against his skin.

They lay there in silence for a while, limbs tangled, heat between them still faintly alive.

Then Aurelya rolled over onto him again, eyes gleaming.

"...Round seven?"

Lumberling only grinned.