“Yours,” I mutter, and then the world around us disappears, and I’m only here, in this moment, with him.
Nothing else matters. I feel the walls of my Bond rippling. I mentally stack more bricks in front of my iron gate for good measure. My hands find his hair, and the loose strands flow between my fingers before I grip down. My back arches into him, and he doesn’t hesitate to slide his hands down my ass, gripping me tighter, bringing me toward him.
I lean over him, deepening our kiss again. He tastes like mint and something masculine, filling my body with a need so intense that there’s nothing beyond it. A primal knowing settles deep in my bones: he is my other half, the one meant to claim every want, every need. I will never desire another. I tug on his lip, my teeth dragging along the edge, eliciting a groan from him, making me smile.
“Gods,” he pulls back just enough to bury his face in my neck and inhales. “I don’t know how to wait a whole year for you.”
Something ancient, a forgotten chord, vibrates deep within my chest. When he says things like that, I know he’s slowly taking pieces of my heart for himself, claiming them like they belong to him, and maybe they should, maybe they already do. A clarity settles over me as he holds me, breathing me in like I’m his very breath.
We’re both breathing heavily, unwilling to separate our bodies, and we stay like that for minutes, who knows, maybe more. My stomach growls, making him chuckle, and it’s my turn to bury my face in his neck out of embarrassment. His soft, inked skin smells of sandalwood soap and that distinctly Ryker scent. I inhale deeply, settling further into the comfort of his embrace, feeling a sense of belonging fill a part of me deep within. His steady breathing calms my own, and I feel therhythm of his heart against my chest, slowing mine to match. I untangle my fingers from his hair and reluctantly pull away, leaning back until our faces are close enough that I can run my nose along his, making him grin.
“I messed up your hair,” I giggle softly as I try to flatten it back down, but I don’t know how he does it.
A small smile tugs at his lips. “It’s fine.” This time, he kisses me slowly. “I want you to know I won’t let anything happen to you. You aren’t alone in this.” He goes back to the crook of my neck, breathing me in.
“Together,” he repeats what I said earlier.
A profound rightness settles within me, everything falling into place with astonishing speed. It’s terrifying, yet I feel ready. The moment those three words find a voice, I know he will be there, and then, forever—a promise that wraps around my heart.
I’m still straddling him in his lap, pressed into his chest in a tender embrace, his mouth to my neck, his teeth grazing a very sensitive spot, eliciting a gaspy moan when the door opens.
“There you are.”
forty
. . .
ryker
“There you are,”Gunnar says. His eyes go wide as he takes in Raea and me in this intimate position.
Shit.
I’ve been meaning to catch up with him, and it slipped my mind that I agreed to meet before lunch to go over his training on how to carry a Hallo.
Raea’s cheeks flush as she climbs off my lap, adjusting her dress and clearing her throat. Her lips are swollen from our kiss, and her hair is a little wild from my hands. There’s something about the soft, white strands that drives me absolutely crazy.
“I think I should go,” Raea whispers.
She glances over at Gunnar, but I know she’s talking to me. I stand and pull her back in for another hug, placing a quick kiss on her hair. I don’t care if he sees. Besides, he and I have a lot to talk about.
“I’ll see you in a few minutes,” I promise, releasing her.
Even as she leaves, the raw essence of her lingers, every curve of her body etched into my vision, intensifying the relentless ache that has become my constant companion since she agreed to be mine. Gods, the need to claim her fully, to complete this Bond, is a torment.
Gunnar clears his throat in amusement. “So, Princess Raea, huh?”
He leans against the glass with his thumbs tucked into his pockets. He grins and wags his brows like he’s just walked in on something more than a heated kiss. “She’s a catch. I’m assuming you’re the reason she turned me down the other night?”
My eyes narrow at him as my jaw ticks. Is it acceptable to knock out a friend over your fated future wife? That weird possessive side of me hovers like a beast waiting to pounce. I inhale deeply, calming myself, and respond, “It’s a story I don’t have the time, nor energy, to hash out right now.” I grab my bag and head over toward him. “We need to reschedule.”
“That’s actually what I was coming to talk to you about.” He stands, opening the door for us. “That guy…starts with a T… always with Raea.” He snaps his fingers as his eyes close.
“Tate?” I offer.
“That’s the one.” His eyes open as we turn to head for the dining hall. “Anyway, he said you might still be here. Off-topic, though, I actually need to head home for the week and check on my father. He got hurt after he hit his head on the boat. I guess he’s been having severe headaches.”
We both turn left, following the steps up to the bridge that takes us to the dining hall.
