“I’m yours,” I gasp, surrendering the final layer of my control.
“Good girl,” he rewards me with a deep, shuddering thrust that steals my breath and sends me into a blinding, ecstatic climax, my voice lost to a silent, drawn-out scream.
He follows quickly, burying himself deep, his body going rigid, his demonic magic flooding me in a sweet, heavy wave. He holds me against the door, the only thing keeping us upright, and we hang there, spent and breathless in the aftermath.
Slowly, his grip softens. He lets my feet slide down the door, letting me rest against his chest. He kisses the top of my head, a gentle, possessive gesture.
“We need to get off this door,” he murmurs, his tone returning to his normal, rough affection.
We stumble, toward the living room sofa, sinking onto the cushions, tangled and spent. Sladepulls the discarded throw blanket over us. He rests his cheek on my curly hair, his energy settling.
The room is warm in the soft glow of the Christmas lights we never bothered turning off. My breathing evens out, matching the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek. His arm wraps around me, firm and protective, like he’s anchoring us both to this moment.
For a long time, neither of us speaks. We just breathe, tangled together, the quiet intimacy of the night settling around us like a second blanket.
Eventually, Slade exhales—a slow, deep release that brushes the top of my head.
“Piper.” His voice is soft, low, rough from everything we just did. “Tomorrow… I want you to come with me.”
I blink up at him, still tucked into his side. “Where?”
“My estate,” he says, brushing a thumb across my cheek with deliberate tenderness. “There arepreparations I need to oversee. It’s time you saw it. All of it.”
A little spark flares low in my chest—excitement, anticipation, maybe even a nervous thrill.
His estate isn’t just a place. It’s his world. His history. His home.
“You’re sure?” I ask, my voice quiet.
His eyes meet mine—steady, full of meaning he doesn’t even try to hide.
“I want you there,” he says simply. “Not as an obligation. Not because of what we’ve been through. I want you there because you’re mine. And because I want you to see the place where I learned to be who I am.”
My throat tightens. I lift a hand and stroke my fingers along his jaw, feeling the warmth beneath my fingertips.
“Okay,” I whisper. “I’ll go.”
A slow, wicked smile curves his mouth—one that still somehow manages to be gentle.He lowers his head and kisses me softly, tender where the rest of the night was anything but.
“Good,” he murmurs against my lips. “Then tomorrow, we begin something new.”
I melt into him, letting his warmth sink deep beneath my skin. Newt hops onto the back of the couch, gives us a look so judgmental I swear Slade nearly laughs again, and flops down in dramatic resignation.
“He hates sharing me,” I mutter.
“He hates sharing everything,” Slade replies, running his thumb slowly down my arm. “Including theairwe breathe.”
I snort softly into his chest, and he presses another kiss into the top of my head. “Rest now,” he murmurs, voice dipping back into that low, intimate timbre that always undoes me. “Tomorrow will be a long day.”
I curl closer, my body fitting against his like it’s the place I’ve always belonged. The room fades toa warm haze—the lights, the heat, the lingering scent of him on my skin—and my eyes drift shut.
Tomorrow, I’ll step into his estate. His world. His life.
But tonight, wrapped in his arms on this sofa, with my curls tangled against his chest and his breath steady on my skin—I fall asleep knowing everything in front of us is ours now.
And for the first time in my life… I’m ready for whatever comes next.
Chapter 35
