Once she was fully seated on him, her sheath pulsing around him, so tight he could count her heartbeats through his shaft, he bunched her hair in his fist and pulled her head back. “You’re teasing me.”

“I am,” she admitted.

He took her mouth. Hard. Dominant. Sweeping her into another level of his world. Sex could be many things and he wanted to show them all to her. Tender, wild, rough, it didn’t matter, not as long as she trusted him and she tasted love on his tongue and felt it in everything his body did to hers.

He shouldn’t have been surprised when his woman matched him, fire for fire. There was no holding back from her; she kissed him, using her tongue, following his lead, sending flames flickering down his spine and heat rushing through his veins. Of her own accord, without his urging, she began to move, riding him as if she’d been doing it for a hundred years. She was grace and fluidity, undulating her body so that he could feel every ripple, every vibration.

She reached behind her and planted both hands on his thighs so her breasts jutted temptingly, giving him a show as she rode him. Slow at first, and then when he thought he might have to take over, she picked up the pace. Water lapped at his skin, giving him the sensation of tongues on him. He cupped the soft weight of her breasts in his palms, thumbs brushing, watching her skin flush. He tugged at her nipples, gently, watching her reaction.

Those tight inner muscles squeezed him like a vise as scorching heat saturated him. He tugged again, this time harder, a little rough. Her body clamped down on him and she moved faster, obviously close.

She threw back her head. “Again,” she demanded.

He did as she requested, tugging and rolling, alternating gentle and rough.

She rode him hard, her body so tight around his cock, the friction was nearly unbearable. Watching her get herself off on him was one of the sexiest things he’d ever seen.

She moaned, her breath hitching then coming in ragged pants. “More. Harder.”

“Use your hand at your clit,” he instructed and waited to oblige her until she had obliged him.

He watched her hand slide between her legs, felt her fingers seeking her target and then heard her breath hiss as she stroked and pulled. He tugged and rolled her nipples and then began to match her rhythm, surging into her as she came down over him. The beauty of her stretched out on a rack of pleasure, desperate for release, would be forever branded in his memory.

Her mouth opened. Her eyes went hazy. Her skin was flushed. Her sheath clamped down on his in a vicious grip, forcing his cock to swell. Dio. He clenched his teeth. His breath rushed out of his lungs in a long symphony of guttural sound.

His warrior woman was utterly abandoned, grinding down, taking him with her, forcing his cock to give her what she wanted – wringing every drop of his seed. Hot and vicious, it rocketed out of him in strong spurts as if she milked him ruthlessly. She cried out his name as she came, half sobbing, half shocked moans.

Mariko collapsed against him, her arms around his neck, her head on his shoulder, breasts pressed into his chest. He held her to him, so overwhelmed with love for her that he couldn’t speak. He had it all in her. A partner. A woman willing to be his friend and have his back, as she had when he’d been injured in the streets of Ferraro territory. A rider to help defend the helpless. An extraordinary lover, one willing to match his passion and his adventurous ideas outside the norm of sexual boundaries. As ferocious as she was, she was still willing to accommodate him and even enjoy the sessions in his studio when he needed to practice Shibari to ground him. She was willing to take that further and incorporate it into their lovemaking.

“I love you, Mariko Majo Tanaka.”

“Love you, too.” She sounded very sleepy, already drifting.

He nuzzled the top of her head, liking the way the dark bristle on his jaw tangled with the blond silk of her hair.

“Marry me soon.”

“Hmm?”

His hand slid down her back, following her spine to the curve above her buttocks. He stroked caresses there and felt her relax more. “Marry me soon.”

“Okay.” Her lips brushed his collarbone.

Just that small, intimate gesture shocked him. He was sated for the time being. Still deep inside her, still sharing her skin. Connected to another human being as he’d never been – not just physically but emotionally.

“Give me your word of honor.”

Her lips curved. He felt her smile imprinted in his skin. He loved that. Wanted more.

“You don’t want much, do you?”

The drowsy note in her voice sent heat shimmering like sheet lightning through his veins. He was done. She’d taken everything he had – for the moment – and yet he was still thinking about sex. That made him smile. He leaned his head against the back of the tub and closed his eyes.

“Promise me, farfallina mia.” He murmured it softly, tightening his hold on her.

“Yes.”

It was so soft that he almost didn’t hear. “When I say.”

He felt her laughter like a melody of soft notes against his skin. The rain poured on the roof, ran down the windows. Steam rose around them, enclosing them. Enfolding them. He waited. She wasn’t quite asleep, but she gave him most things he wanted. He really wanted her promise. Mariko wouldn’t break her word to him, and he had a bad feeling that things might not go well with her brother.

The feeling had been growing for some time. He knew Stefano had that same gut intuition he had. He didn’t want to chance losing her, not if things went horribly wrong. Too much time had gone by and Ryuu had been gone far too long for the outcome to be very good.

“You always want your way.”

He loved that voice, drowsy, sexy, drifting in a sex-induced exhaustion.

“I do.” He reached down to release the plug and let out the water. As much as he didn’t want to move, the water was growing cold, and he needed sleep, too.

“Okay.”

“Say you promise.” He stood, using the strength in his legs to stand them both up. Reluctantly, he had to allow his body to slip out of hers. “Grip the edge of the tub for me. It won’t take a minute and I’ll get you in bed.”

She didn’t protest or even open her eyes. She leaned over and grabbed the edge of the bathtub. Very gently he washed her, enjoying the task of taking care of her, grateful that she allowed it, extremely grateful that she wasn’t shy with him. He wrapped a towel around her and carried her to the bed, drying her off quickly before putting her in the middle of the sheets again.

“Mariko. Don’t go to sleep without promising me.”

“You’re a badger. You’re badgering.”