My lower lip pushes forward in an involuntary pout.
Well, that’s not fucking fair. What if getting him off would bring me pleasure?
“Aurora. Don’t pout like that. It conjures filthy images in my mind.”
“Yeah? Will you tell me?” One more little pout can’t hurt.
With a desperate growl, Ezra sucks my bottom lip into his mouth, then nibbles and nips until I’m breathless.
“I want to defile that innocent little pout of yours, Aurora. As gentle as I am with you now, there is a darker side to my desires. That pout makes me want to fuck your mouth, pushing so deep my cock slips down your throat. It makes me want to sink into that perfect cunt, then tease you until you beg me to fuck you hard and fast. It makes me want to fuck you from behind while I paint your gorgeous ass red with my hand.Ríða. Please turn around, Aurora. I’m afraid my control is slipping a bit.”
All that from one little pout? Yeah … I want it all. But as much as I want to see how far I can push him, I’m not ready for the full Ezra experience yet.
“Only because you asked so nice.”
Before I turn around, I kiss the tip of his nose, then make it a point to snuggle my ass right up against him. Something in my chest tightens in an unfamiliar but comforting way when Ezra’s rumbling growl vibrates through my body.
“Hey, I was wondering. Why do you call me ‘little lupine’? I looked it up when you whispered that in my ear at The Cardinal. It’s a very confusing nickname to give someone.”
Ezra chuckles softly, trailing his fingers along my hip.
“There’s an untouched stretch of land just outside Lorewood. In spring, the lupines bloom first. Rows of blue and violet swaying in the wind to a rhythm most of us have forgotten.”
He pauses, his voice dropping to something quiet.
“Of course, it’s not just lupines. There’s yarrow, coreopsis, poppies … I could’ve picked any flower. But lupines aren’t delicate, Aurora. They’re resilient and proud. They take what they need to survive without apology. But they’re also beautiful. And when the sun kisses the horizon, the air around them flickers with heat, the world warping, making room, just to let them bloom. It makes something in my chest ache. Like the world is too beautiful to bear.”
He kisses the side of my neck. “You’re not some delicate little poppy. Not something soft and sweet. You’re wild. Unapologetic. A survivor.”
He smiles.
“You, Aurora, are a lupine.”
Well, shit. Somehow, I’ve just been emotionally dismantled by botany.
Ezra pauses here to run a barrage of kisses down the back of my neck, making me shiver.
He places his chin on my shoulder and whispers, “I burn for you, Aurora. Every fucking second of every day since you stumbled across my shop. I’m in no hurry, little lupine. I’ve waited billions of years for you. I’m a patient man and will wait until you’re ready, until you say the words. But make no mistake, you will be mine in every way, just as I’m yours—body, mind, and soul. You have me in an absolute chokehold, little goddess.”
Ezra grazes my neck with his fingers and sighs.
“I’m sorry this happened to you. I should’ve been there. I failed you. Until you give me control, I’ll only touch you the way you want. Tell me, Aurora. Do you want to be touched? I’m so desperate for you.”
His breath scorches the back of my neck while his hips flex against my ass.
“Yes. Please, touch me.”
Turning to face him again, his hand dips between my thighs while I wrap my fingers around him.
“Ezra. Let me touch you. Please.”
With a quick nip on my jaw, he stands, then removes his pants, leaving him in nothing but black boxer briefs. Ezra’s ink-covered body is just as beautiful as I imagined. I can’t wait to explore every square inch. He fists himself through his briefs, making my mouth water.
“Underwear, too, please.”
He smirks, dragging his briefs down.
“Fuck,” I whisper, my breath catching as his cock springs free.
