“I love you too.” His voice choked off on the words. “So much it terrifies me. So much I'd tear down kingdoms for one more day like this.”
My movements quickened as I chased something deeper than physical release. I was racing after the feeling of being cherished, of being safe enough to be vulnerable. His hands moved to my back, stroking the length of my spine as I moved above him.
“That's it, love,” he said when a soft moan escaped me. “Take what you need. Take everything.”
The water made every movement fluid, effortless. I could focus on the connection between us, on the way his eyes never left mine, on how his love wrapped around me like a healing balm. When his thumb found the sensitive bundle of nerves between my legs, circling with just the right amount of pressure, I gasped.
“Let go for me,” he whispered. “I’ll catch you.”
The orgasm built slowly, like sunrise creeping across the sky. When it finally crested, it was soft and warm and perfect, full of waves of heat. I cried out his name, my body trembling as he held me through it.
He followed moments later, his face buried in my neck as he whispered my name. We clung to each other after, breathing the same air.
“Thank you,” I whispered against his temple.
“For what?”
“For knowing what I needed before I did.”
He pulled back to look at me, his fingertips tracing mycheekbones. “I'll always know, Wildfire. Your heart speaks to mine in a language no one else can understand.”
I settled against his chest, feeling truly peaceful for the first time since waking. The water had cooled around us, but his warmth was enough.
Everything else could wait. Right now, there was only this quiet moment of perfect healing between us.
He helped me from the tub, his hands tender as he wrapped a soft towel around me. Each touch was a whisper against my skin as he wiped away every drop of water, his eyes never leaving mine. When I was warm and dry, he lifted me into his arms.
“Ready?” he whispered against my skin.
I nodded, and he flitted us to our bed, laying me on the soft surface and following me down. He propped himself up on his elbows, stroking the lines of my face, the curves of my cheeks. His gaze roamed over me with so much love it made my heart twist tight.
“I thought I'd lost you.” Leaning down, he kissed the corner of my left eye. “Lost us. Each moment without you was torture. It felt like I forgot how to say my own name because yours was no longer next to it. I never stopped calling to you, Reyla. I never gave up. I’d have torn worlds apart, block by block, to bring you back.”
I caught his lips with mine and whispered into his mouth. “You found me, remember?”
He nodded, his forehead resting against my cheek. “Always will, Wildfire.” His fingers teased across my breasts, finding a nipple, circling it until it peaked. A soft moan escaped me, and he swallowed it, his mouth claiming mine again. Our tongues tangled as we rediscovered every secret, every promise we'd ever made.
He pulled back, his breathing ragged, and dipped his head, his mouth capturing the nipple, his tongue flicking across it. Iarched, gasping, as he sucked, drawing out a cry from within me. His hand found my other breast, kneading, teasing, making me writhe beneath him.
“Lore…”
He looked up, his eyes dark with desire. “What do you need, my pretty little bride?”
Damn but I loved it when he called me that. Even when I wanted to smack him for using it, it made my pulse sing.
“Say you're mine for the next thousand years,” I said. “Promise me.”
“I promise I’m yours for the next thousand years.”
“Yes, yes,” I rasped, feeling almost feverish. “I need more of you.”
A slow smile spread across his face. He shifted, his hand sliding down my belly, my hips, reaching the heat between my thighs. His fingers stroked, parting my folds, stoking the fire that was already burning for him.
I bucked against his hand, craving everything. And he gave it, one finger sliding inside me, then another. They pumped, slow at first, then faster, matching the rhythm of my hips. His thumb caressed my clit, circling, pressing, sending jolts of pleasure to my core.
“You're so wet,” he groaned, his eyes never leaving mine. “So ready for me, aren't you, mate?”
“Always ready for you,” I managed to gasp out. “Today, tomorrow, forever.”
