She needed to have him. Forever.
Yes.
There was a whole world out there. Filled with many things. But in this room, with this man, she had found something that she hadn’t even truly known existed.
She had found things out about herself. When she had been in that ballroom she had realized…her purpose was to help other people. It wasn’t to go away and hoard her freedom, but to try to make life better for others.
For him, for their citizens.
She had been searching for a home all this time, and it was here. Not simply because it was a beautiful country, not simply because she wanted to help the people in it. But because of Ragnar.
It was his home. Branded on his soul. His blood was infused with it.
And she…she loved him. The totality of him. Which meant loving this place. Which meant being part of his mission.
He had been right all along. You couldn’t outrun your destiny. What was meant for you could not be denied. Couldn’t be turned away from.
They were what had always been meant to be.
A wave of desire rose up inside of her, and she wanted to fight against it because she was still breathless from her last orgasm, but she couldn’t keep it from washing over her. She cried out his name.
She loved him.
It was a revelation.
It was glory.
Pain and pleasure and power and more than she had ever even dreamed of desiring.
She had imagined a life where she went off by herself and made all of her own decisions, but that was an illusion of freedom.
It was an illusion of happiness.
She hadn’t been able to imagine caring about other people, thinking about other people, and being happy. Because living her life, living the way that she had in the palace in Cape Blanco, her family had made her miserable. And so she had imagined herself alone.
Oh, it was so much more work to care about another person. But she wanted to do that work. With him.
His face was set in stone as he continued to thrust inside of her, as he continued to chase his own release.
She could tell now that he was playing a game with himself. Prolonging it all. Holding himself back.
She smiled. She lifted her head and kissed his neck, kissed down to his collarbone. She felt his large body shudder, felt him pulse deep inside of her.
“Yes,” she whispered into his ear. “Take me, Ragnar. I’m yours.”
And that was when he let go.
His battle cry echoed off the walls as he surrendered to his need, as he spent himself deep inside of her.
And he gave himself over to the great and powerful need built up between them. And he pushed her over again. The unexpected force of her third climax making her cling to him so hard she was certain she drew blood.
He was breathing hard, and he moved away from her, lying on his back. He was breathing like he had been running. Like…
She looked at him; his eyes were glassy.
“Ragnar?”
She put her hand on his chest; she could feel his heart beating. “Are you okay?”
