“We will find her.” He presses his forehead against mine, his breath mixing with my own. “I swear it.”
“You don’t know that,” I whisper.
His hand curls behind my neck as if he can keep my thoughts from spiraling. “We are closer than ever. I would not lie to you.”
The dizziness hits so fast that I sway forward. Luka catches me before I can fold, lifting me into his arms with more gentleness than I expect. Vega circles us with anxious steps as Luka carries me back inside.
“I’m fine,” I insist, even though my legs barely remember how to work.
“You are pale,” he mutters, nudging the door open with his shoulder. “You push yourself too hard.”
I pull away once we reach his room, pacing a few steps before turning to him. “Don’t pretend this is only about exhaustion. You are keeping things from me.”
His brows dip. “I am protecting you.”
“That’s not enough.” My voice cracks. “She is my sister. I’m supposed to protecther.”
He reaches for me. I step back. His jaw tightens with frustration.
“You blame yourself for Ray’s actions,” Luka replies, taking another step. “He chose this, not you.”
The tears come before I can stop them. His thumb brushes them away, his eyes tracking their path as if they are pieces of me he wants to keep.
“Sage.” His voice deepens, not angry, but carved through with a note of hurt. His hand closes around my wrist, guiding my palm to his chest. “You matter more than you know. I care for you more than you allow yourself to see.”
He cups my face and brings it close to his.
“You belong with me,” he murmurs, lowering his forehead to mine again. “And I will burn the world to keep you safe.”
My breath stutters. I search his eyes, and for the first time, I let myself believe him. Not because I trust his world. But because the man in front of me looks at me like he’s holding a part of me that might change everything he is.
When he draws me close, my body goes willingly. His mouth finds mine with a tenderness that steals every apology I’ve tried to swallow. His hands glide down my back, tracing the shape of me as though he is trying to memorize the places where my fearlives. I melt into him, my fingers curling into his shirt, tugging him closer until our bodies speak louder than the words neither of us can say.
I slide my hand between our bodies, finding the button of his pants and working it open. His breath hitches when I free his thick cock, hot and heavy in my palm. I kiss my way down from his mouth to the hard lines of his abdomen, tasting the heat rolling off him. Hooking my fingers into the waistband of his pants, I drag them down his hips, lowering myself until I’m on my knees in front of him.
“Sage,” he murmurs, his voice rough as gravel. He curls a finger under my chin, lifting my face to his so I can’t look anywhere but at him.
“I want to taste you,” I whisper back, certainty threading through every word.
Luka gathers my hair in his hand, giving me full access to his cock. I run my tongue from the base to the tip, licking the drop of pre-come that glistens on the tip in the dim light.
Again and again, I lick his cock, sucking the tip in my mouth while running my fingertips over the shaft. He moans, bucking his hips slightly as I swirl my tongue around the head.
“Fuck, Sage,” he groans as I suck him into my mouth inch by inch.
When his entire cock is in my mouth, I swallow, causing him to moan louder. “Yes…just like that,printsessa.”
My tongue glides and dances along his cock as I simultaneously play with his balls until he is shaking with the need to come.
He tangles his fingers in my hair and begins pumping his hips, fucking my mouth. I hold onto him, feeling the powerful flex of muscle beneath my palms. Holding my head in place, he pumps his hips a few more times before his release hits, shooting his come down my throat.
“Blyat!” he cries out, continuing to pump his hips until he is depleted.
Pulling back, I rise to my feet. My fingers slip to the buttons of his shirt, and I take my time easing him out of it, letting each layer fall away. His body comes into view slowly, all hard lines and strength wrapped in control he rarely lets anyone witness. I run my hands along his torso, memorizing every contour and every breath he gives me. When I reach his mouth, he pulls me into a kiss that steals whatever air I have left, deep and hungry. He breaks the kiss only when he feels my hands tremble against him. Then it’s his turn.
Luka’s gaze sweeps over me with a focus that makes the room feel smaller. He touches me like he’s learning a map he plans to carry for the rest of his life, unfastening each piece of clothing with a patience that warms my skin before his hands ever reach it. When the last of the fabric slips away, he lifts me easily, his palms sure on my hips, and his breath brushing my shoulder.
My legs curl around him instinctively, and he holds me closer, lowering me onto the bed with a gentleness that contradicts every rumor ever told about him. The mattress meets my back, soft and solid, while his body hovers above mine, strong, protective, and completely focused.
