I unlock the door and step inside, ready to wash off the journey's grime and maybe stir up a little trouble. Rhyland's voice stops me.
"What was I supposed to say, hmm?" he snaps, his tone all alpha as he closes the door behind him. "Did you want me to grab her by the throat and stake my claim on you on the counter in front of everyone like some kind of territorial beast?"
I feel my cheeks flushing hot at the thought of his hands on her—touching another female—but I refuse to back down. "Oh, I don't know, Rhyland," I drawl. "Maybe something alittlemore forceful than 'keep your flirting to yourself,sweetheart.' I mean, really? That's the best you could come up with?"
Rhyland's eyes narrow, and I can see the muscle in his jaw ticking with frustration. "For fuck's sake, Dani, what do you want from me? I shut her down, didn't I? I made it clear that I wasn't interested in her pathetic attempts at seduction."
I know he's right, but I can't shake the irrational surge of jealousy coursing through my veins. It's like nothing I've ever experienced before, and I can't help but wonder if it has something to do with our bond.
I remember Rhyland telling me that he could smell Faderyn's lust, and now I'm starting to think that maybe, just maybe, I'm experiencing something similar.The thought sends a shiver down my spine, and I can feel my body responding to Rhyland's nearness—thrilling and terrifying.
But I'll be damned if I let Rhyland see how much this affects me. So, instead, I plaster a sassy smirk on my face and cross my arms over my chest.
"Yeah, well, maybe next time you could try something a little more direct," I quip, my voice as sharp as a blade. "Like, 'sorry, but I'm already spoken for by a badass brunette who could kick your ass six ways to Sunday.' That ought to get the message across."
Rhyland's lips twitch, a wicked glint in his eye as he fights back a smirk. "Just like that, huh?" he drawls, his voice low and teasing. "Is that what you want to hear, Angel? You want me to wax poetic about how fucking perfect you are, how you're the only woman who could ever make me feel this way?"
He leans in closer, his breath hot against my ear as he whispers, "You want me to tell you how I'm going to worship every inch of your body, how I'm going to make you come so hard you see stars? How I will claim you, over and over again, until there's no doubt in your mind that you belong to me, body and soul?"
I shiver at his words, my pulse racing and my core clenching with a fierce rush of desire. He's always had a way with words, knowing what to say to set my blood on fire and turn my thoughts to mush.
I step closer to him, my eyes locked on his as I trail a finger down his chest. "Oh, I don't know, Rhy-Pie. I think I might need a little more convincing. You know, just to make sure the messagereallysinks in."
Rhyland's eyes darken with desire, his hands coming to rest on my hips as he pulls me flush against him. "Is that a fucking challenge, Angel? Because you know I never back down from a challenge."
"Mayb—" Rhyland cuts me off as his lips crash into mine, the kiss intense and possessive. I melt into him, my fingers tangling in his hair as I pour all my jealousy and frustration into the searing embrace.
Rhyland, true to his alpha nature, seizes me by my nape—grabbing a handful of my hair, his touch firm and demanding. Our kiss deepens, our tongues battling for control in a dance as old as time.
A gasp escapes me as he tugs my hair, pulling just enough to send goosebumps across my flesh. "Jealous, baby?" he growls, flashing that infuriatingly sexy smirk, dimple and all.
I'm not one to succumb to jealousy, but something primal stirs within me at the thought of another saucy sea wench casting her eyes on him. "No," I lie, trying to keep my cool.
"You're a horrid liar, Angel," he murmurs against my lips, his voice husky and low.
He nips at my bottom lip, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin and sending sparks of pleasure racing straight to my clit. "What do you say, baby? You want me to stop talking and start demonstrating just how fucking crazy you make me?"
I can only whimper in response, my body arching into his touch as I surrender myself to the intensity of his passion. I know that he's going to do just that—showing me, with every touch, every kiss, every thrust of his hips, just how thoroughly and completely I own his heart.
Rhyland's strong hands grip my ass, pulling me close as he effortlessly hoists me up. Instinct takes over as my legs wrap around his waist, our tongues dancing in a ferocious, sensual rhythm. Our kiss is raw—intense, and all we can think about is devouring each other. We've come close to losing each other—again, and the thought has us teetering on the brink of despair.
With a groan, Rhyland slams me down onto the nearby vanity. The impact sends trinkets and knick-knacks tumbling to the floor, but we're beyond caring. He wraps one hand around my throat, his grip firm and possessive, while the other yanks my hair back. He breaks our kiss, leaving me panting for more. "You've got nothing to be jealous of, Angel," he rumbles, his voice low and rough. "You're the only thing I see in this world. The only thing I crave." He thrusts his cock against my core, making me gasp. "And the only thing that makes me this fucking hard and desperate for more."
I moan against his lips, desperately needing the sensation of his mouth on mine. His breath fills me and gives me life. I can't breathe without this man, and I never want to.
He stares into my eyes with an intensity that sets me on fire. "I don't give a shit about anyone else, about any other female on this fucking planet or any other. You're it for me, baby. You're my fucking world, my reason for breathing, my everything."
I can feel the truth of his words resonating through our bond, the sheer depth of his emotions crashing over me like a tidal wave. It's overwhelming and all-consuming, and I find myself drowning in the intensity of his love.
"I need you to trust in us—in this thing between us. Because I sure as fuck ain't ever letting you go, not in this lifetime or any other."
He pulls me closer, his forehead resting against mine as he takes a shuddering breath. "You're mine, Dani. Mine to love, mine to cherish, mine to protect. And I'll be damned if I let anything or anyone come between us, even your own fucking doubts."
I know he's mirroring what I did in Luminara, showing him that he's all I see—all I want. But the green-eyed monster still gnaws at my insides—wondering if there's a way to turn it off.
"I'll worship every inch of your body," he promises, his hands sliding up my sides to cup my breasts, his thumbs teasing my nipples into aching peaks. "You're mine," he whispers against my ear, sending electrical shocks through my body. "And I will prove it to you. I'll willingly devote every fucking moment, every damn second, proving that you're the only woman I want, the only one I can't get enough of," Rhyland states, his hands exploring my body with a possessive hunger.
He sucks on my pulse point in my neck. "I'll mark myself on your skin, your heart, your very essence, day after day, kissing you and keeping myself buried deep inside you until you never question anything ever again."
