A whine escaped her lips when he leaned back, which earned her a soft chuckle and a gentle nip on her throat. “I don’t want you to have any regrets,” Earnest murmured, running his hand over the curve of her breast and sending a wave of warmth over her body.

She nodded, forcing her hands to move and undo the button on his pants, slowly sliding the fabric down his hips and trembling slightly as her palms ran over his skin. Of course, he’s not wearing underwear, Ronnie thought as her hands palmed his round ass. Why would he be? 

Letting out a soft moan, Earnest arched his hips, sliding down the rest of the fabric with ease. “Explore me,” he urged, taking her wrist and guiding her hands between his legs. “My body is at your mercy.”

She was in uncharted territory, on a few levels. Ronnie let him guide her hands down, skating around his dick, keeping her touch light. He buried his face in her neck, moaning slightly, lips against her skin. “But you’re ... not human.” 

“We’re compatible in ways that matter for pleasure,” he murmured. She ran a hand under the base of his shaft, the other his tip. If the rest of his skin was fire and lava, his dick was a molten core. Emboldened, she whispered, “Show me.” 

Earnest didn’t ask what she meant. He just dropped the glamour. Now Ronnie knew she wasn’t imagining the feeling of his scales against her skin, and she pressed her body to his. “Softer than I thought.” Her hands resumed their stroking. 

“Soft isn’t usually the point — “ Earnest’s words cut off with a louder groan as she squeezed harder. “Not if you keep doing that.” 

“What about this?” She moved quickly to duck her head, pressing her lips to his tip and sliding down slowly. He arched his hips. 

“Ronnie, I—”

They were back in that soul place, only underground, her roots stretching into his fire. Heat raced up like water, causing rapid, uncontrolled growth on the surface. He pulled her head up to kiss her roughly. 

“More of that another time, Rainmaker.” He flipped her easily, pinning her hands above her head. Ronnie squirmed, but he didn’t let go. 

Her brain was barely processing this time; she couldn’t comprehend the next time. He nipped lightly at her neck. The next thing she knew, he’d plunged into her — and the sensation was nothing like she remembered.

“Fuck…” Ronnie gasped, followed by a whining moan as her head fell back. 

“That’s the idea, yes,” Earnest whispered, but she didn’t miss the strain in his voice, her body pinned by his, his body inside hers. 

“Asshole,” she whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut, the sensation of him exquisite. Where her first time had started immediately with uneven, rushed thrusts that were almost uncomfortable, Earnest had slipped inside her like he belonged, a glide through her slick and heat that left her entire body electric, not to mention the fact that he’d gotten her off before they’d even started. 

Made a difference, apparently. 

And then there was the heat of him, far beyond human. His skin was silken and definitely larger, yet feeling uncomfortable was the furthest thing from her mind. She felt like the about to lose her damn mind, and all he’d done, aside from kissing her neck and nibbling along her jaw, was join with her. She felt herself blushing again — did grekelhinds do this…differently or something? All she knew from her experience was he should be pounding away and probably be about done by now. 

Thinking was proving difficult, the feel of him without moving enough to make her whimper again. “Why…why aren’t you, um, moving yet?” she whispered. 

Earnest lifted his head, his eyes still consumed by that velvety green. “Waiting for you.” He kissed her and nibbled her bottom lip, chuckling at her confusion. “Are you ready?”

She tried to smirk, but couldn’t manage it as his fingers traced her pulse, cupping her chin. Her eyes fell closed again. God, everything about him was so fucking warm. Their tangled souls flashed behind her eyes; all she could translate was a magma field, the trees parting for a perfect path. “Kind of the point, right?” 

“Indeed,” he whispered against her ear and drew himself almost out of her entirely before sliding back in a single, drawn-out stroke. Ronnie cried out, clinging to him as the sudden friction, the fire of him, and the texture of his length provided an entirely unique experience. It felt like her nerves all lit up at once, everywhere, and she jerked around him, her voice choked as she came around him, the surprise of the orgasm making her entire body shake. 

And he didn’t stop, his chuckle a groan against her throat this time, his movements slow and deliberate as she clenched around him, and he carried her through the wave. 

That had definitely not happened before.

“What the fuck…” she gasped as she pressed her mouth to his neck, needing to taste his skin, to be closer to him. “How…” 

Earnest laughed and gave a particularly hard thrust; she met him halfway instinctively, unable to stop her hips from thrusting back. He cupped her ass when she did, helping her with the motion as she bit his neck to smoother the ridiculous sounds coming out of her. He shuddered when she did, his moan making her skin tingle. 

His pace grew forceful, faster, hips snapping against hers, and he whispered against her skin in a tongue she didn’t know. It wasn’t her forest anymore; he’d taken it over with fire and molten gold, but nothing burned. Instead, it grew and flourished and danced as if touched by the wind instead of an inferno. Sun blazed, the canopy useless, shade a memory. Her soul was raw and open for him, and she should have panicked, but all she felt was his desire to exist in this place with her, this moment, not to consume her.

To drink, not steal. To fill and light, not pry and vanquish. 

“Ronnie…” Her name on his mouth broke the tangle, something changing in him, within her, calling and pulling, and he lifted her again, but this time he rose with her. 

“Fuck yes,” she moaned against his neck, her nails digging into his shoulders, and he found a deeper place in her, his free hand diving between them, hot fingers finding her clit. She about shrieked, wrapping her legs around his thrusting hips as he threw her over that cliff again, and she fucking burned on the way down, her head spinning as he climaxed, followed her, pouring out inside her, her name on his lips.

Trembling, Ronnie threw her head back against the pillow, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. That wasn’t supposed to happen, she thought as she stared at Earnest, hitching a breath as he leaned forward to press his warm lips to hers. This was supposed to be a job, nothing more. 

But as she kissed him back, lamenting the loss of their connection as he slid from between her legs, leaving her aching and shivering, Ronnie realized she wanted it.

This was the connection she was searching for that night in the bar.

Staring at the naked man walking toward the bathroom and struggling to catch her breath, Ronnie realized that she finally felt alive- for once, she felt desired, beautiful, sexy, and strong, all at the same time. Whereas the last time she felt dirty and cheap, this time she felt powerful — like the fire in his soul had burned away the weeds and left her thriving, aching to let the conifers of her soul stand firm amongst the scorched landscape. 

“How are you feeling?” Earnest asked quietly, shocking her out of her thoughts when the warm towel moved between her legs, resting his chin between her neck and shoulder as she fought back a moan. “Can you move?” 

Soon, Ronnie felt him shift to press himself behind her, resting a warm hand on her hip. “No,” she said with a giddy laugh, shaking her head in amazement. “No, I don’t think I can.” 

“Good,” he murmured, snaking his warm tongue over the side of her neck as he pulled her closer. “Are you satisfied, Rainmaker?” 

“Yes,” she answered, not caring if the covenant was making her answer honestly. Even if it meant she was inflating his ego, Ronnie was far too spent to care. “That.. wasn’t what I was expecting.” 

“Then learn to expect more,” Earnest replied, shifting to kiss between her shoulder blades- when Ronnie stiffened, he paused, his hand so warm she would swear there’d be a burn when he lifted it. “Are you all right?”

Swallowing, Ronnie cursed herself- she’d forgotten all about the stain creeping across the expanse of her back. “I’m fine,” she croaked, working to shift away from him. “I’m… just going to get dressed.” 

But true to form, Earnest wasn’t eager to give up that easily — he traced his finger along the edges of her mark, his hand constantly moving over her back and kneading the skin with his fingers. “Why does this worry you so, Ronnie?” 

“It’s my mark,” she mumbled, trying to fight the urge to yank his shirt over her head- she settled for closing her eyes instead. “Humans… no infinite supply of soul, remember?” 

“It’s large,” he breathed, the warmth from his hands now moving around the front of her, pressing her against him. “What does that mean?” 

Ronnie laughed mirthlessly, shifting to stare into his eyes and seeing nothing but swirls of blue and green as his hand crept up into her hair. “Don’t play dumb… you know what it means.”

“I do.”

“So why ask?”

He propped up on an elbow to brush her hair out of her face. “Perhaps I wanted to hear you say it.”

Ronnie squirmed. “I don’t like to think about it.”

“Exactly.” He leaned down to give her a soft kiss. “You can trust me, Ronnie. Or do I need to show you again?”

She laughed again, genuine this time, and smacked him lightly, bringing shots of yellow into his eyes. “Vent said when it grows to fill my back, I’m done, out of soul. I get yanked to some plane or another, and I get to live out the rest of my days as some kind of wraith or something. I didn’t ask too many questions.”

“It’s almost there.”

Ronnie shrugged. “It’s why getting you was supposed to be my last major cast and why Vent made you a bridge — I don’t have the soul to spare.”

Earnest frowned slightly. “Good thing I do, then.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t rub it in.” She pushed up to sit, no longer caring if the sheet covered her or not. “This is bigger than my place, and since the bridge won’t let us be that far apart …” Ronnie trailed off.

Earnest glanced around the small space before looking back at her with his eyebrows raised. “Exactly how do you usually live? No, don’t answer that.” He rubbed his eyes with a hand. “I imagine we’ll both have to adjust to sharing a space.”

Ronnie snorted. “I’ll say.” Grinning, she saw an opportunity to needle him. “You’ll sleep on that futon, right?”

Emotions flickered so fast over his eyes that Ronnie couldn’t track the colors before settling on neutral human brown. “If that’s what you want,” he ground out.

She let him hang with that thought for a moment before she lost it, doubling over in laughter. “I’m kidding, your grace.”

“I —” Earnest sighed. “Well, you certainly seem to be in a better mood, so let’s sort the logistics, and then we can see about beginning our epic.”