Free Web NovelChapter 213: Chapter 213
The kiss deepened, unhurried at first, a slow exploration that mirrored the lazy rhythm of the lake around them. Ragnar’s lips moved against hers tenderly, one hand cradling the back of her head while the other traced idle patterns along her spine through the clinging fabric of her shift. Circe sighed into his mouth, her body arching instinctively closer, the cool water doing nothing to temper the warmth blooming low in her belly.
They broke apart, foreheads pressing together as they caught their breath. Ragnar’s eyes held hers with an intensity that made her pulse stutter.
"Race me back to shore," he murmured suddenly, a playful challenge threading through his voice. He nodded toward the far end of the pool, where the water became shallower.
Circe raised an eyebrow, though her lips curved in amusement. "Why would I when we both know that you will win?"
She knew how to swim but her skills were lackluster at best, so unlike the graceful way Ragnar’s body moved in the water.
"Perhaps." He flashed a grin that was both sharp and teasing. "But I’ll make it worth your while if you try."
She laughed, the sound light and free, surprising even herself.
Before she could protest further, he released her and dove away in a smooth arc, cutting through the water with powerful strokes.
Circe hesitated for only a moment before following, her limbs slicing into the cool depths. The shift clung to her like a second skin as she chased after him.
He slowed enough to let her catch up when he noticed her struggling, stopping entirely before they even reached the shore. He chuckled when her hand brushed along his ankle.
She erupted into another fit of laughter when he dipped under for a moment, resurfacing behind her with an easy, teasing smile before slipping his arms around her from behind. She leaned into him, letting the water rock them together. His nose grazed her shoulder, his breath warm on her skin despite the cool lake.
"Still cold?" he murmured. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Her reply came out as a whisper against his lips when he turned her back to face him. "No."
He kissed her again, deeper this time, his mouth claiming hers with a need that matched the quickening beat of her heart.
Pulling apart again, they twisted and turned as though testing to see who could splash the most water in the other’s face, their playfulness weaving seamlessly into something more intimate when Ragnar’s hands would graze her waist as he pulled her close for a stolen kiss.
Time blurred around them as the sun rose higher in the sky, minutes tickling into hours. The world narrowed to just the two of them, and the way his gaze lingered on her with a hunger that mirrored her own.
Ragnar drew her close again, his mouth finding hers in a kiss that started sweet but quickly turned fervent.
His tongue teased hers, coaxing soft moans from her throat as his hands roamed, mapping the curves of her body through the sodden linen. Circe’s fingers dug into his shoulders, her nails leaving faint crescent indentations on his skin, an action that drove him wild with lust as she pressed herself against him, feeling the hard length of him straining against his breeches.
"Circe," he groaned against her lips, his voice rough with need. One hand slipped lower, cupping her breast through the fabric, thumb circling the peaked nipple until she arched into his touch, a whimper escaping her.
The water lapped at their waists as they drifted toward the shallows, bodies entwined, breaths mingling in heated pants. His free hand trailed down her side, fingers bunching the hem of her shift, exposing more of her thigh to the cool air.
Their kisses grew desperate, tongues tangling, teeth nipping, as if they could devour each other whole.
Ragnar’s grip tightened on her waist, lifting her slightly as he waded toward the shore. The water receded around them, but they didn’t break apart, lips fused in a passion that bordered on frenzy. Lust thrummed through her veins like a living thing, making her thighs clench around him as he carried her the last few steps.
He lowered her gently onto the mossy bank, where the water still lapped at her calves and his knees.
The ground was soft beneath her, a bed of earth and grass warmed by the sun, but Circe barely noticed. All she could feel was him, his weight pressing her down, his mouth claiming hers in deep, drugging kisses that left her dizzy.
Every touch felt amplified with the brush of his skin against hers. Being out in the open like this made what they were doing feel even more dangerous, knowing that someone could so easily walk in on them... The thought alone should have made her mortified, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.
His hand pushed the soaked shift higher, baring her stomach to the open air, the fabric clinging stubbornly to her flushed skin.
Goosebumps prickled along her arms, but it was nothing compared to the heat pooling between her legs. Ragnar’s fingers traced a teasing path up her inner thigh, until they found her tight heat, slick and already aching for him.
Circe moaned when he slipped inside her, stroking that sensitive bundle of nerves with a rhythm that made her see stars.
"Ragnar," she gasped, her hips bucking against his hand, seeking more friction.
He didn’t stop. His strokes were firm and insistent, curling just right to hit that spot deep within her that unraveled her completely. Pleasure built like a storm, hot and all-consuming, coiling tighter and tighter until it crashed over her.
She arched off the ground, a loud moan tearing from her throat as ecstasy pulsed through her, leaving her trembling in its wake.
Her chest heaved as she came down, breaths ragged as her body hummed with aftershocks.
Ragnar watched her with dark, hooded eyes, his own arousal evident in the visible outline of his cock through his wet breeches. He withdrew his hand slowly, pressing a kiss to her temple with that same tenderness that always made her chest squeeze.
Then, with a rough exhale, Ragnar shifted back only far enough to reach for the fastening of his wet breeches. He tugged at it, peeling the wet fabric away and tossing it aside in a careless heap on the shore. He stood before her now, gloriously naked, his body a masterpiece of hard muscle and sun-kissed skin.
