Kell opened his mouth with another low, catching sound and Neria rolled her body against his, unable to keep quiet, especially as she started in with her magic, licking along his nerves, stiffening the muscles in a wave.

With anyone else he might have pushed, might have hurried this along, might have rushed through it. Instead he wrapped his arms around her waist, rocking his hips up with every push of hers, making sure that the hardness of his length through his pants pushed precisely against the crux of her thighs, where she was warmest.

Fire magic could not surround his fingers, could not be the echo of hers. But he ran his fingers up the nape of her neck, underneath her hair, then into it, gripping as he pressed hungrily up and into the kiss.

"Skin," Kell whispered, caught between request and command and beg, "on skin."