Shelly looked down at their hands and then back at him. Her eyes filled with desire. At the same time he felt it come through their bond loud and clear.

  “Mery?” he asked, his voice suddenly breathless. He wouldn’t push her, but he wasn’t about to deny her if that’s what she wanted, what she needed.

  “I need you to take control, Ra. You know that.”

  He released her hand and pressed his palm to the back of her head, guiding her closer. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded slowly, and her breathing increased.

  Ra brought his hand to her chin and lifted her face to his. His lips hovered above hers, and he soaked in the moment. He focused his entire being on her. He felt the warmth of her body everywhere it touched his. His other hand ran up her back and over to her side, pulling at her shirt until he could slip it underneath. His skin met hers. She gasped at the touch, and Ra bit her bottom lip, giving it a gentle tug. Then he released her and ran his tongue across it.

  “Ra.” She breathed out, needy and restless.

  He slipped his arm under her knees. With his other wrapped around behind her, he lifted her and rose easily from where they sat. Stalking over to the bed, his eyes never left hers as he laid her down. There were no words spoken as he helped her undress and then removed his own clothes. His hands reacquainted themselves with her feminine form, trembling as she trusted him with the most vulnerable part of herself. There is no hiding when you are naked. Everything is laid on display. He made sure she could see the desire in his eyes and feel it through their bond.

  Her hands ran up his arms, over his shoulders, and down his back. He exhaled a rush of air as he covered her body with his. A rumble of contentment filled his chest. He slid a hand up her thigh, over her hip, to the dip of her waist. She was so soft, so lovely, and so his.

  “Ra,” she whispered, moving restlessly under him.

  “Shh.” He pushed her hair away from her face. “Don’t rush this. Let me love you.”

  Shelly leaned up and pressed her lips gently to his and nodded. Ra deepened the kiss before she could pull away. Both of them moaned as their lips opened and their taste filled each other’s mouths. Ra decided whoever invented kissing deserved some sort of recognition. He could kiss his female all day and never tire of her taste or feel.

  As their kissing grew more passionate, Ra felt his control slipping. He’d held off as long as he could. He needed her, and Ra could feel that she needed him just as desperately. He grasped her thigh and pulled her leg up over his hip, earning him a delectable gasp. His lips turned up slightly as he looked into her eyes. “I love you,” he said and then waited until she responded. As she spoke, he joined their bodies. Every thought fled his mind except loving her, showing her how much she meant to him, giving her everything she needed, and taking what she offered.

  “I love you, too, Ra,” she whispered as he made love to her.

  “I know, beloved,” Ra assured her because she still doubted he wasn’t upset. “I will convince you we are more than good, even if I have to keep you in this bed until the only thing you can think about is me.”

  “If that’s a threat, it’s an epic fail.” She smiled.

  Ra leaned down and kissed her. “That”—he ran his finger over her lips—“is what I want to see.”

  “It’s easy to smile when we’re together,” she said somewhat bashfully. Shelly was still shy, even though they’d already been intimate before tonight.

  “Then I suppose I need to make sure we’re together like this often.” He ran his fingers into her hair and pulled it tightly as he crashed his mouth onto hers. Though the world might have been falling apart around them, the only thing Ra wanted to focus on was his mate. He would give her all of him, reassuring her until she knew without a doubt that she belonged to him and only him.

  “This shouldn’t be awkward, right?” Rory asked. They were once again back in her familiar cave, with Aston sitting on the bed they shared. She paced in front of him, a sheet wrapped around her while he sat shirtless in a pair of jeans.

  “I don’t know,” he said with a cheeky smile. “You’re cute when you’re awkward.”

  “Cute is for puppies and fat, little, baby pigs.” She shot him a glare.

  “Okay, then you’re sexy as hell when you’re awkward? Better?” He hoped so because he really wanted to grab the damn sheet, tug it off, and get back to what they were doing only minutes ago. Things had been going well. At least he had thought so. But then Rory had pushed him away, covered her delectable body, and began to pace like a trapped animal looking for a way out. Aston found he was glad that her cave was high enough that Rory couldn’t make a break for it. He wasn’t convinced she wouldn’t try.

  “Talk to me, Rory,” he said, hoping to coax her thoughts from her, despite the fact that he could pluck them from her mind if he wanted. He’d promised he wouldn’t.

  “It’s just … so much has happened. My thoughts are whirling around like a tornado, and I can’t focus.” She ran a hand through her hair while using the other to hold up the sheet. Maybe if he could reach his leg out far enough, he could place his foot on the sheet, and it would fall from her grasp. Aston raised his leg, but she spun around and pointed a finger at him. “Don’t even think about it.”

  “Too late. It’s been thought. Now get over here and let me distract your tornado mind with my tornado hands.”

  She stopped pacing and looked at him. “That made no sense.”

  “Sure it did.” He winked. “My hands will be tornado-fast at unwrapping that sheet from your body.”

  She raised a brow at him, but her lips turned up slightly. “Has anyone ever told you that you are a dork?”

  “Only every day since I could talk about all things history that bored others to tears.” He reached out a hand to her. “I even know the history and origins of the Kama Sutra. Want to learn?”

  This made her throw back her head and laugh. Her lovely throat was exposed, and Aston couldn’t turn down the invitation. He stood up and quickly wrapped an arm around her waist, biting her neck and then sucking gently at her flesh.

  “Aston.” She gasped.

  “Rory, you rode a damn dragon into hell while I stood by and watched. I had no idea if you’d come back to me. It scared the ever-loving hell out of me. I’m not above begging. If nothing else, just let me hold you, skin to skin.” Was he begging? Absolutely. Was he ashamed of it? Nope.

  “I’m glad I made it back to you.” She pressed her hand to the back of his head, pushing him tighter against her neck.

  “Good. Now get in the bed.” He gently turned her and backed her up to it. “Soon, we will be busy learning how to save the world. That is no doubt going to put a dent in the amount of alone time I get with you. And though it loathes me to sound like Liam, I’m a desperate man, in love with a beautiful, feisty woman. And I think you want me as much as I want you.”

  Before he could push her down, she pivoted, forcing his back to the bed. Then she gave him a shove. He fell onto the bed, and she climbed on top of him. “First,”—she leaned down and rested her elbows on his chest and her chin in her hands—“we need to talk.”

  Aston groaned. “We can talk later. Much, much later.”

  “I know I promised before, but I want to make sure you believe me,” she said, her head bobbing as she spoke from her jaw bouncing on her hands. “I won’t do that again. I won’t leave you behind.”

  He reached up and pushed her hair back. “I believe you. And thank you. I appreciate that.”

  “Do you think we can win against the demons?” Her voice went from soft to full of worry.

  “I think we have to face the darkness with everything we have and ask for all the help we can get from Mother Gaia and anyone else willing to lend their aid.” Though he wanted some time with his soul bonded, Aston had been worried about the demons, too. He knew that soon, very soon, they would have to get back to real life. And that life was now going to be fraught with dangers they couldn’t even imagine. But for the moment, he had Rory in his arms, where he needed her. There were no distractions, nothing to keep them from being with each other.

  To his surprise, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his. The movement was slow and hesitant. But as he let her lead, she grew more confident. Aston let her have time to explore their kiss, but eventually, he flipped her over. She laughed, joy lighting up her face. “My turn,” he whispered, and then took her mouth with all the passion that filled him for her.

  Her hands ran through his hair as her body moved restlessly beneath his. He pulled back and looked at her swollen lips, her passion-filled eyes, and her rosy cheeks. “My wild Rory.”

  She cupped his cheek and smiled. “I think you’ve tamed me a little.”

  Aston smirked. “I’m okay with that outside of our bedroom. But in here, you can be as wild as you want.”

  She laughed again, and he swore he would do everything in his power to make sure she laughed like that every day.

  “I believe you,” she said, having heard his thought.

  “Good,” he said against her lips. “Now, little witch, show me your wildness.”

  Thank you so very much for taking time to read Tamed By Air! I hope you enjoyed it. If you would take the time to leave a review at the link below, I would deeply appreciate it.

  Please continue reading for a sneak peek of book 5, in the Nature Hunter Academy Series, Veiled By Smoke.

  Veiled By Smoke Sneak Peek

  Prologue

  “I’m thousands of years old… I think. I’m not exactly sure how old I am, and I’ve recently found out people have been fiddling with my memories. But I know I’ve been around a long time. And I thought nothing could surprise me. But being thousands of years old, I should have realized there are no certainties in life. As such, there is an opportunity for surprises every single day.” ~Osiris

  “Once upon a time, I had your loyalty. I had your everything.”

  “I am Kimba, the light queen of the soul elementals, the fifth element lost to the memories of our people.”

  “And I am your mate.”

  The woman’s words played over and over in Osiris’s mind as he stared out of the large cave entrance. The crisp winter air should have been uncomfortable to him considering where he came from. Osiris frowned at the thought. Did he come from the underworld? Perhaps the cold doesn’t bother me because I come from somewhere else?

  And maybe pigs were flying alongside the escaped demons in the human realm? And that man begging for ice water in hell has finally gotten a cool glass and a bowl of refreshing fruit to go with it.

  All of those things felt more likely to Osiris than what was actually happening. The whole damned world had been flipped upside down, and he was left dangling like a bat with its leg trapped on a branch. He was blowing in the wind while the insects he usually ate flew around him, laughing and taunting him. Okay, maybe he was being dramatic. And perhaps his metaphors were getting a little out of control, but seriously, what the actual hell?

  He let out a frustrated sigh and ran his hand down his face. One minute, he’d been wrapped up in his obsession with Shelly and making her his own, and the next, he was facing the possibility that everything he thought he knew was a lie.

  After dropping a proverbial bomb in his lap, Kimba, his supposed mate, made her exit, but not without one hell of a parting shot.

  “I do not know what our future holds, Osiris,” she said. “But I know it does not include you with another female. Give up this obsession with the human, or I will let her mate tear you to shreds.”

  “Blood thirsty little female,” he muttered, slipping his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “Little?” He scoffed. “Hell, an hour ago she was the size of a city bus.”

  Osiris turned his back on the winter scene and walked deeper into the cave. The flames from the torches that lined the walls bobbed and weaved, causing shadows to dance on the stone. He took a deep breath and held it, relishing the cold air that burned his lungs, before finally letting it out. He was restless, like a caged animal, but trapped by what? There were no bars holding him in, nothing keeping him in this cave. Nothing but her…

  His feet began moving of their own accord. Osiris paced around the bed, the chair, and the unlit fire pit that took up part of the center of the cave. There were very few times in his existence when he remembered being unsure of his next move, though, now that he’d found out that he’d lost some of his memories, for all he knew his past could have been a constant mess of confusion and uncertainty. “Dammit all to hell,” he cursed and clenched his hands into fists, still resting inside of his pockets. “Pull yourself together, man.” Osiris hissed at himself. He was losing his mind. Everything that had once been in order was now tossed into the air. And it was coming down around him in a hot mess, landing at his feet, twisted, broken, and, in some cases, unrecognizable. This was his life. Something completely unknown. A man who’d been taken from a rock solid place and hurled into the eye of a tornado of doubt in the blink of an eye. “Talk about a mind screw.” He growled. With a final, resigned sigh, he sat down on the bed and then flung himself back. Apparently, throwing himself about like a moody teenager was his new thing.

  Osiris closed his eyes, and immediately her image was there. Kimba. Not Shelly, the human female he thought he’d wanted. But Kimba, the woman, the dragon, the whatever, who claimed to be his… soul mate? No matter how he tried to shove her out of his head, she remained, with her direct gaze, proud, lifted chin, and defiant air. And despite how badly he wanted to say she didn’t intrigue him, he couldn’t. If he was honest with himself—though honesty wasn’t something upon which he prided himself—he would admit he was beguiled. And damn if that didn’t just piss him off. “I’m supposed to be the beguiler, not the beguile-ee!”

  Acknowledgments

  As always, there isn’t a way to thank all of the people who are a part of the publishing process. But I will give it a try.

  Thank you to Jessica and Amy. You are amazing Beta readers. Your input is invaluable to me, and I am so thankful you both take your time to read and give suggestions.

  Jessica, I would be remiss in my thanks if I didn’t call you out specifically. The hours you put in with not just this book, but every book is so humbling. You’ve talked me off ledges when I feel overwhelmed by a story. You patiently wait as I have mental break downs over changes that need to be made. And you endure hours of telephone brain storming with the long-suffering of a saint. Thank you, my friend.

  Thank you to my husband for all that you do. Not only for your work on the book, but in all the things you take care of while I am writing. You remove so much stress, and I am so very thankful. I don’t tell you enough. I write good books, but you make them great. I know I say that a lot, but it is so very true. I love you.

  For my readers. You all continually amaze me with your dedication, commitment, and encouragement. I’m pretty sure I have the best readers in the world. Thank you for your patience as I write. Thank you for being a part of this journey. I am humbled beyond words.

  Last and most importantly, thank you to my Creator. The author and perfecter of my faith. Thank you to the One who made me and gave me the imagination and passion needed to write. I am nothing without you, Lord, and I pray that I always give you the glory for all that I am and have.

  About the Author

  Quinn Loftis is a multi-award-winning author of over thirty novels, including the USA Today Bestseller, Fate and Fury. When she isn’t creating exciting worlds filled with romantic werewolves, she works as a pediatric nurse and crafts like there’s no tomorrow. She is blessed to be married to her best friend for over twenty years and they have three sons, a crazy French bulldog, and a cat that wants to take over the world.

  To stay up to date on new releases, give aways and exciting things happening sign up for Quinn’s newsletter by clicking the link:

  CLICK HERE TO JOIN

  www.quinnloftisbooks.com

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  Quinn’s Bookshelf

  The Grey Wolves Series

  The Gypsy Healer Series

  The Elfin Series

  The Dream Maker Series

  The Clan Hakon Series

  Nature Hunters Academy

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  www.quinnloftisbooks.com/newslettersignup

  You can also find Quinn writing contemporary romances as her alter ego, Alyson Drake, at https://www.quinnloftisbooks.com/alysondrake.

 

 

  Quinn Loftis, Tamed by Air: Book 4 of the Nature Hunters Academy Series

 

 

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