He slid his palm to the burns on my chest, clearly in the same state of mind, both of us acknowledging how close we’d come to losing each other.
“Never again.” Brown eyes met mine, the skin tight at the edges. “I’ll tear apart anyone who tries to hurt you.”
“I’d do the same for you too, you know.” I glided a finger along his cheekbone. “Do everything I can to protect you and the others.”
“By batting your lashes at the enemy?”
“Or throwing muffins at them. If overbaked, they’d pack a punch. Then we’d have to add muffin warrior to my list of titles.”
Laughing, he pushed his face into the crease of my neck. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” More than I could put into words.
Soft kisses followed our confession. I rode him slowly, taking my time to savor every delicious inch of him. Vanilla bean mingled with the scent of lavender bubbles as he thrust up into me and nipped at my heated skin, eliciting tingles throughout my body.
Groaning, I put my arms around his neck and matched his pace, coming down on him harder. The pleasure was mind-blowing. Physical intimacy with Callum might’ve still been new, but my body recognized his. Like he’d been made exclusively for me. The Goldilocks of cocks, not too big or small and not too thick. Hitting all the right places.
I surrendered to the feeling, giving myself over to him completely. No obsessing over the mercenary sitting in the castle dungeon or what would happen next. Instead, I focused on what I felt—the cords of muscle as I ran my palms up Callum’s arms, the whisper of breath on my skin as he shoved his face against my collarbone and panted, so close to that euphoric release.
“Evan.” My name escaped his lips on a grunt. “I can’t… you feel…”
“It’s okay.” I threaded my fingers through the back of his short hair and quickened my pace, wanting him to come apart beneath me. “You can let go.”
“N-No.” He tipped his head back and peered at me through half-lidded brown eyes, a sluggish smile curving his lips. “You first.”
“Such a gentleman.”
He breathed out a raspy laugh. “I’m nothing… if not… chivalrous.” His eyes rolled back and fluttered closed. “Gods. What you’re doing with your hips… don’t stop.”
Keeping my pace, a familiar tingle worked its way down my spine, bringing me ever closer to that cliff. The sensations were too intense. Deeper than the sexual pleasure, being connected with Callum like this set fire to every neuron, creating a delicious inferno that blazed through my entire nervous system.
The moment of detonation? Callum took hold of my cock and stroked, bringing our mouths together. The kiss shattered the last of my resolve, and I came hard, ass muscles quivering and thighs shaking. His cock swelled and pulsed before he joined me in release, his groans vibrating against my lips.
Spent, I slumped forward and rested my head on his shoulder, trying to catch my breath and hoping I didn’t break off into a coughing fit. He wrapped his strong arms around me and pressed kisses to my throat and jaw.
“Are you all right?” he whispered. “Your breaths sound short.”
“I’m fine.” I nuzzled his neck. “Just keep holding me.”
“As you wish, milord.”
We stayed like that for a while, wrapped up in our postorgasm haze. The longer he held me, the more my soul soothed. Because the truth of it all? I was scared shitless. Scared of what the future had in store. One doom flag had been dodged—the mercenary nearly killing me—but others crept ever closer, waiting for me to make one wrong move and set another dark future in motion, just like Lupin had once warned me about.
But Callum calmed that whirlwind of anxious thoughts. He was this burst of sun that broke through the stormy sky, making everything around me lighter.
He kissed the edge of my brow and tipped my face up. “Emerald eyes and hair like gold, you have my heart in an unbreakable hold. My sword. My love. Every beat in my chest. All belong to you. Now and until my life is through.”
“Was that…” Pressure enclosed my sternum. “Did you write me a poem?”
I’d learned Callum enjoyed poetry. He didn’t write much of his own but loved reading it. It added an unexpected layer to him, showing a romantic soul beneath the hardened warrior.
“Aye. Not the best, I know.” He gave me a sleepy, sated smile. “But I mean every word.”
“I loved it.” My heart swelled. “I guess you’ve earned some muffins. A token of my gratitude.”
A light chuckle feathered over my cheek. “I have all I need right here.”
I burrowed more into him. “Me too.”
