Gently, I reach up, my fingers brushing his cheek. His skin is hot beneath my touch, his breath hitching as I cup his face. He leans into my hand, his eyes squeezing shut like he’s holding on to the last shred of his willpower.
“I will ruin you,” he mutters.
“Daed,” I whisper, my thumb stroking along his sharp cheekbone. “You could never ruin me.”
His breath comes in shallow, uneven gasps, and I drag my fingers slowly, softly, across his lips. His eyes flutter open, and he exhales into my palm, his breath warm against my skin. For a moment, it feels like time stands still, like the world outside the balcony fades away, leaving just the two of us. The moonlight washes over him, painting his skin in silver, and I swear I can feel his pulse racing beneath my touch.
His lips tremble against my fingertips, and for a heartbeat, he doesn’t move. But then, so slowly it’s agonizing, he kisses my hand. It’s soft, tentative, as though he’s afraid the slightest motion will shatter this fragile moment between us.
I let my hand fall to his jaw, guiding him, pulling his face closer, until there’s nothing left between us but the space of a breath.
He looks at me, his gaze tortured, his fingers trembling as he lifts his hand to cover mine. “Amara…” His voice is barely a whisper now, full of desperation, full of everything he’s held back.
“Shh…” I murmur, my lips hovering just inches from his. “This is where I ask you to take me, husband.”
I pull him down to me, our foreheads brushing, and I can feel the tension, the agony in him as he fights one last time to hold himself back. But then his resolve breaks, and his lips meet mine.
It’s soft at first—so soft, like he’s afraid to fully give in. But when I press into him, it’s as though a dam bursts inside him, and all that bottled-up passion, all the longing he’s been fighting, floods out. He kisses me with a hunger that steals the breath from my lungs, his hand slipping to my waist, pulling me closer until there’s no space left between us.
It’s not just a kiss. It’s a breaking, a surrender. A moment where everything we’ve kept buried comes rushing to the surface.
And I kiss him back with everything I have, with every ounce of emotion I’ve kept hidden. His lips are warm, and soft, and they taste like all the things we’ve never said, all the moments we’ve been too afraid to take.
For the first time, it feels like the world is right. Like this—us—is right.
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I don’t let them fall. Instead, I lose myself in him—in the way his mouth moves against mine, in the way his hands tighten around me, holding me like I’m something precious, something he’s afraid to lose.
His hands roam my body with more certainty now, as if he’s finally stopped holding back, and each touch sends shockwaves through me. I feel the roughness of his palms, the warmth of his skin, like every part of him is claiming me, marking me.
I’ve never been touched like this before—never been this close to anyone. My whole life, I’ve been sheltered, my body untouched, my heart guarded. But here, with him, all those walls are crumbling. Every part of me is exposed, vulnerable, and yet I feel safe, anchored in his strength.
I let my hands wander over his chest, my fingers brushing across the black runes. The ridges of the marks pulse beneath my touch, and the sensation makes me shudder, the intensity of it all washing over me like a tidal wave. His body is so strong, so sure, and yet the way he touches me is so tender, so careful.
His lips press harder against mine, deepening the kiss, and I respond instinctively, my body arching into him as a soft gasp escapes me. My fingers drift lower, down his torso, feeling the taut muscles ripple beneath his skin, and I can’t help the soft moan that escapes me as his hands begin to explore more.
His fingers trail down my sides, tracing the curve of my hips, and suddenly, I feel his touch lower. My heart races, and I freeze for a moment, nerves mixing with the overwhelming heat between us.
Daed must sense it, because he pulls back slightly, his breath hot against my lips as he rests his forehead against mine. “Amara,” he murmurs, his voice low and rough, like he’s holding himself back.
But I don’t want him to hold back. Not anymore.
“I want this,” I whisper, my voice barely audible, but I know he hears me. His fingers tighten around my naked waist, his breath hitching, and I feel his body tremble against mine.
I’ve never wanted anything like this before. I’ve never felt this kind of need. Every part of me is aching for him, burning for him, and I know there’s no going back. I want to feel everything, to let him be the first to touch me like this, to share this moment that’s been building between us since the day we met.
His lips find mine again, more urgent this time, and I gasp into his mouth, the heat between us flaring hotter. I’m trembling, but not from fear—this is something else. This is anticipation, desire, a need so raw and powerful it leaves me breathless.
And then, in one smooth motion, he lifts me into his arms, cradling me as though I weigh nothing. His lips never leavemine, the kiss deepening with every second, and I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
Daed carries me to the bed, my naked body pressed against his bare chest. Every inch of him is as powerful as I imagined, his muscles tensing and relaxing with each step he takes.
As he lowers me onto the bed, the heat between us flares, my body already trembling in anticipation. He pauses for a moment, his eyes trailing down my naked form as if he’s committing every curve, every breath, to memory. His hands, usually so strong and assured, shake at his sides.
He leans over me, and I tilt my head back, giving him more access as his lips move lower, trailing kisses down my throat, over my collarbone. A gasp escapes me when his mouth finds my breast, his tongue flicking over my sensitive nipple, sending waves of heat straight through me. His hands continue to roam, sliding over the curve of my waist, down to my thighs, his fingers teasing the inside of my legs, coaxing a soft moan from my lips.
His body is warm and solid as he presses against me, his growing hardness unmistakable beneath his leathers. I shiver as his fingers slip between my folds, exploring with a slow, deliberate touch. His thumb circles gently, teasing a gasp from my lips as pleasure ripples through my core. His mouth closes over my breast, teeth grazing a hardened nipple, each sensation drawing a soft moan that fills the quiet of the night.
His breath grows ragged, his kisses fiercer, more demanding. He shifts above me, his hands moving to the waist of his pants. My heart races as he unfastens them and slides them off, the sight of him—thick, hard, and eager—sending a jolt of anticipation straight through me.
