“The sapphire in your ring.”
James had made the confession while I had a mouthful of chicken. I choked, but he only smiled and handed me my water until the coughs subsided. A few guests turned to see if I was all right.
James moved his chair closer and lowered his voice. “After I broke into my office before the fire, I swiped Elizabeth’s necklace from my desk. Something told me to get it, and I’m so glad I followed that hunch.” I set down my fork, and James took my hand. “You’re my mate. You are my everything. The moment we met, I knew you were it for me. Elizabeth would have loved you, and I knew she wouldn’t want me to be holding onto such strong feelings about her death centuries later.”
Oh shit. That heat behind my eyes returned again. Swallowing, I reached for my water. “James…”
“When I decided to propose to you, I had the pendant and the silver melted down to form your ring. When we learned that you might be stronger than Elizabeth or I ever was, I traded rings last month. I had it redone and increased the purity of the silver. It still won’t be enough to hurt you, but you felt the difference the moment I put it on your finger. It won’t always feel that way. Once you adjust, it’ll be like any ordinary jewelry.”
Looking down at the ring now, I smiled. He was wrong. It meant so much more.
It had already meant the world to me from the second he slipped it onto my finger at the bar, but after learningthat? I couldn’t contain myself anymore, and I all but dragged him away from the dinner table and back to the hotel.
“Fucking finally,” I muttered as the door to our penthouse suite swung open. Chuckling, James let the door slam shut behind us.
My back pressed against the wood of the door, myhusband’shands roaming my body. Christ, I’d only just gotten accustomed to the word fiancé. Before my brain could spiral, James sealed his mouth over mine and reminded me of how much Ilovedthis. How I craved the familiarity of his taste, the metallic copper tinted by the woodsy bite of the whiskey he’d been sipping all night.
If I had my way, I would’ve hauled him to bed right after the ceremony. Having to sit through a meal and reception wastorture, especially with his fingers tickling high on my thigh beneath the table and the way he kept shooting me suggestive looks when he thought no one else was looking.
When the attention shifted to Hannah and Kian, James and I made a break for it.
I tilted my head to deepen the kiss, and James automatically opened up for me. Our tongues tangled, battling to see who would win out for dominance this time around. My fingers speared through James’s hair, latching onto thick fistfuls and tugging. When he moaned, I knew I’d won.
Smiling against his mouth, I began to back him toward the bed. Eager hands fumbled at tux jackets, which hit the floor soon after. Shirt buttons came undone, the metallic clink of belts echoing through the room.
“Fuck, I love you,” James murmured, unfastening my pants and shoving them down my legs.
I kicked out of them, then returned the favor. With nothing but two thin layers of fabric separating us now, I grabbed him by the hips and hauled him into me.
“I love you so much,” I said, the hard ridge of his cock grinding against my own. Planting a hand in the middle of his chest, I shoved, knocking the unsuspecting James to the bed. “Lie back.”
Happily, he scrambled to the middle of the bed. Moonlight streamed through the window, highlighting the curves of his body. James sank his teeth into his bottom lip, eyes raking over me.
“Come on, love,” he begged, lip quirking into a grin. “Don’t keep your husband waiting.”
Hooking my thumbs behind the elastic of my boxer briefs, I dropped to the floor and kicked them away. James’s attentionfollowed my hand as I fisted my cock, giving myself one slow stroke. He watched, licking his lips.
I crawled onto the bed gently. I threw one leg over him, straddling his lap and sitting back on his thighs. Strong hands landed on my legs, and he massaged up toward my hips.
“You’re killing me, Ryder.” His voice was gravel.
“What is it you’re always telling me?” I asked, leaning over him and bracing myself on the pillows next to his head. “Being patient will be worth it?”
His laugh vibrated my chest. I ground against his erection, pulling a growl from deep in his chest. “Of course you picknowto take my advice.”
I kissed him, smothering any other smart comments he may have had. I had to admit, it was nice to be on the other side of the teasing for once. Feeding a hand between us, I massaged his cock through his boxer briefs, feeling the wet slick of precome spreading beneath my thumb. He throbbed in my hand, already close to release. I didn’t need to wonder how much it would take to have him coming in his underwear—I already knew, and that sent a rush of blood south so fast that I grew lightheaded.
James groaned into the kiss as I let go of him, lacing our fingers together and pinning his hands above his head. I broke away, gasping for air.
I wondered what it would be like when I didn’t need to do that anymore.
“Tonight, James Campbell-Clark,” I panted, fumbling in the nightstand until I withdrew the bottle of lube, “you’re going to prep me. Then I’m going to takeyoufor one hell of a ride. After that, I want you to turn me.”
“Ryder—”
“I’m not finished.” To my surprise, James zipped it. The lube clicked open and I poured some into James’s outstretched hand. “It’s going to work this time. I know it.” James’s hips kicked upinto mine, and I grinned, holding up my left hand. “This ring is Elizabeth’s blessing. With that, and the fact that my parents love you, the reading Victoria gave me is complete.” I worked my hands between my thighs, wiggling James’s underwear down his legs to free his erection. “So I want you to do it. I don’t care what it takes, or how much it hurts. I know it might be difficult and painful, but don’t stop until it works.”
Leaning over, I gasped as James’s slick fingers teased between my cheeks. My lips brushed his. I poured lube into my palm and slipped my hand between us, stroking James’s cock.
