I mean, how fucked is that?
Ezra wipes away the rogue tears that fall down my face with his thumb and smiles. His shadows follow behind, mimicking his soft touch.
“You know as well as I do, Aurora, that this chivalrous behavior is not normal for me. It’s all because of you. Please know that I will never intentionally harm you. I will always be open and honest with you, and I will always listen to your wishes and concerns. No one will ever hurt you again, little lupine. You’re safe with me.”
Those churning grey eyes study mine, looking for a reaction. But I can’t find the words, so I just smile like a jackass.
My ancient Grim hums in approval, smirks like the cover model of some smutty novel calledTaken by the Voidand crashes his mouth to mine like he wants to prove the title accurate.
Fuck, is this love?
No. It’s too soon.
Sharing a connection with someone doesn’t mean love, but I can’t deny that there’s something beautiful blooming between us.
Ezra breaks our kiss with a grumpy grunt. His fingers twitch against my cheek, unwilling to let go.
“Hm, leaving you may be more difficult than I thought.”
With a quick kiss on his cheek, I slip from the bed, allowing the soft sheets to cascade down my naked body. Ezra growls in appreciation as I make a show of walking into his huge walk-in closet. There’s a plush navy robe hanging there, just begging to be worn.
As I turn to leave, Ezra suddenly appears in the closet doorway. He wraps his arms around me and playfully nips at my neck as I melt into him.
“Seriously, get going,” I groan. “The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back to me.”
My shoulders slump when he walks away, but the minute he reaches the bedroom door, he dissolves in a flash of darkshadows, then appears right in front of me. He grabs my hips and pulls me flush against him.
I really fucking loved being on my knees for him last night. But fear kept him from taking control. The thought of potentially hurting me scared the shit out of him.
I could feel his body vibrating with restraint while he clenched his fists so tightly I thought his fingers might break.
Ezra oozes power and dominance, but last night I held the power, and I’m not sure he knew how to reconcile his nature with, well, me.
Thankfully, he got over it because between him and his shadows, I was a sloppy, overstimulated mess.
He nips along my ear, then whispers, “Be a good girl while I’m gone, little lupine.”
Just two words. That’s all it takes.
I swear to God, my entire body reacts, heat slamming into me so fast I barely process it. And judging by the wicked gleam in Ezra’s eyes? The smug bastard knows exactly what he’s doing.
Okay, shadow man. Game on.
“I promise I’ll behave while you’re away. And the minute you get back, I’ll be your good girl, Ezra,” I moan into his ear as I wrap my hand around him through his pants. “I’ll be so fucking good.”
“Christ, Aurora,” Ezra growls, stepping away from me and running his hands through his hair.
Looks like I won this round.
“If I don’t leave now, I’m afraid I never will. And that should worry you, little lupine.”
He grabs my hands, then plants a soft kiss on my lips before rushing out the door without looking back.
Ezra’s so intense—but in a way that makes me feel both untouchable and safe. He’s given me exactly what I need after Jameson—a sense of control.
Ezra let me rage, let me grieve, and never made me feel like I was too much.
So, what do I do with all of this? The pain. The peace. The softness. The rage. They’re all here, every one of them screaming for center stage.
