He leans his forehead against mine, eyes shut, breath ragged. “It’s not done with me,” he whispers.
“Then we face it,” I say. “But we do it together.”
Even if I can’t feel it, even if I don’t carry its mark in my blood, I carry him.
And that is enough.
21
RAFE
Her palm is still warm against my chest, right over the spot where the Seal burns and twists. But her warmth is different. It doesn’t fight the burn; it quiets it. I turn my head and her lips are right there, soft and parted. I don’t ask. I just close the distance.
This kiss isn’t like the first. That was desperation. This is something else. This is slow. I taste her, the soft sigh she lets out as my tongue meets hers. My hands come up to frame her face, holding her like she’s the only solid thing in a world that’s trying to shake apart.
I break the kiss to trail my mouth down her neck. She tilts her head back, a soft sound catching in her throat. My fingers find the hem of her shirt and I pull it up and over her head. She helps me, her arms lifting, and then she’s bare from the waist up. Her skin is pale in the lamplight, her breasts full and perfect. I lower my head and take one nipple into my mouth, sucking gently until she gasps and her fingers twist in my hair.
I lay her back on the mattress, my body covering hers. My mouth finds hers again as my hand slides down her stomach, past the waistband of her pants. She’s already wet for me, herheat seeping through the fabric. I push my hand inside, my fingers finding her slick folds. She moans into my mouth, her hips lifting to meet my touch.
I work her pussy with my fingers, slow and steady, until she’s trembling beneath me. Her breath comes in short, sharp pants. “Rafe,” she whispers, her voice thick.
I pull my hand free and undo my pants, then hers, pushing them down her legs. She kicks them away. I position myself between her thighs, the head of my cock pressing against her entrance. She’s so wet, so ready. I look down at her, at the trust in her eyes, and I push inside.
She cries out, a sharp, beautiful sound, as I fill her. I go slow, letting her adjust to my size, until I’m buried to the hilt. I stay there for a moment, just feeling her around me, tight and hot. Then I begin to move.
I set a deep, steady rhythm, each thrust pushing a soft gasp from her lips. Her legs wrap around my waist, pulling me deeper. I lean down to capture her mouth again, swallowing her moans. Her nails dig into my back, urging me on.
I feel her start to tighten around me, her breath catching. “That’s it,” I murmur against her lips. “Come for me.”
She shatters with a broken cry, her body convulsing around my cock.
Her climax pulls me deeper, a hot, pulsing rhythm that threatens to unravel my own control. I keep moving, my thrusts growing harder, faster, chasing my own release. The world narrows to the feel of her, the sound of our skin meeting, the scent of her sweat and her skin.
A low growl rumbles in my chest, a sound that’s not entirely human. The heat under my skin isn’t just from her anymore. It’s something older, wilder, a pressure building behind my eyes. My vision sharpens, the edges of the room bleeding into a sharperfocus. The beast is right there, a phantom weight in my muscles, itching to break through the seams of my skin.
I grit my teeth, my rhythm faltering for a split second. No. Not now. Not with her.
Her hands slide from my back to my face, her palms cool against my heated skin. She doesn’t say a word. She just holds me, her thumbs stroking my jawline. A strange calm washes over me, a sudden, deep stillness that feels like sinking into a cool lake on a scorching day. The wild pressure recedes, the sharp edges of my vision soften back to normal. The growl dies in my throat, replaced by a ragged breath.
What the hell was that?
I don’t have time to figure it out. Her hips lift to meet my next thrust, pulling me back into the moment, into her. The strange calm lingers, making me feel more present, more connected to her than I ever have to anyone.
I bury my face in the curve of her neck, breathing her in. “Kaleigh,” I murmur, my voice rough.
She answers with a soft sigh, her body arching beneath mine, welcoming me back completely.
I’m buried deep inside her, and for a moment, I just stay there. Her pussy clenches around my cock, a slow, rhythmic pulse that feels like a heartbeat. I brace my weight on my forearms, my face inches from hers. Her breath hitches.
“You feel that?” My voice is a low rasp against her lips. “Every part of you.”
She nods, her eyes fluttering shut. “I feel you.”
I pull back, a slow, deliberate drag that makes her gasp, then thrust back in, setting a deep, steady pace. Her hips rise to meet mine, her legs tightening around my waist. Each stroke is a perfect, slick slide into her heat. I watch her, the way her lips part, the faint sheen of sweat on her brow.
My rhythm builds, each thrust a little harder, a little faster. Her fingers dig into my biceps, her breath coming in sharp, sweet gasps that match my pace. I slide one hand between us, my thumb finding her clit. She cries out, a sharp, broken sound, and her whole body tenses.
“Come for me,” I murmur, circling that tight, sensitive bud with a firm pressure. “Let go.”
