Her expression fell. “You want to marry me so I’m stronger.”
“No,” he said, standing and stepping into her space. His hand slid to the side of her neck, tightening. “I want to marryyou because I can’t survive you leaving without being mine permanently. You being stronger is a bonus.” He brushed his lips over hers. “Say yes.”
Clover cupped his face, her thumbs brushing over his stubble. “Yes.” His heart slammed against his ribs.She said yes.He’d expected her to fight him. Their lips met in a slow, heated kiss as the bond strengthened into something tangible, something binding them more than before.
He broke their kiss and reached into his vest pocket, pulling out a necklace. “I didn’t think you’d want a flashy ring.” He half grinned. “I wasn’t even sure you’d wear it on your finger. You can wear it around your neck if you want.”
Clover reached for the jewelry and threaded the chain through the gold band. Handing it to Amos, she lifted her braid. “Put it on me.”
Amos’ fingers trailed against the soft skin of her neck as he clasped the chain. She turned, and the sight of his ring at her throat snapped what little restraint he had left.
He pounced on her, and she yelped with a laugh that filled every dark part of him. His soul had been gone for years, but she’d given him a part of hers through their bond to anchor him here. The only good left in him was her, and he’d destroy anyone who tried to take her from this world.
“I need you,” he rasped.
She ran her fingers through his hair, her eyes shining. “You have me. You always have.”
Their arms were a flurry of movement as they ripped at each other’s clothes until nothing separated them.
A broken sound escaped Clover as her eyes took in Amos’ arms. The scars had faded significantly after years in Dragon Village, but they would never go away. His back was worse. “Amos,” she said, covering her mouth.
“I’ll show you everything one day, but I don’t want him in this moment with us.”
A single tear escaped Clover’s eye, and he kissed it away, sliding his hand between them until he reached the apex of her thighs.
He lightly ran a finger through her wet folds and pushed it inside her. “You’re perfect,” he murmured. Her head went back, exposing her throat, and he sucked on the skin where her pulse fluttered. Their first time had been wild and frenzied, but he wanted to take his time, savoring every inch of her.
He worshipped her breasts with his tongue, relishing the feel of her pebbled skin. “How am I going to be without you again?” he asked, switching to the other side.
She said nothing, but he felt her heart aching in time with his own. His tongue trailed down her skin until he reached her thighs. Removing his finger, Amos pushed his face into her cunt and breathed deeply. “Gods.”
Clover opened her legs wider and moaned when he ran his tongue through her folds. One taste and he was gone. His hands grabbed her thighs and tugged, burying his tongue inside her. He couldn’t control himself and devoured her like he’d been starved.
“Amos,” she moaned, lifting her hips.
He slowed his licks. “I’ve got you, little viper.” Gliding his tongue to her clit, he pushed two fingers inside her. “You’re almost there.”
Amos sucked her clit into his mouth while teasing it with the tip of his tongue. Clover’s hips moved erratically, and her legs tensed. “Please,” she begged, grabbing a fistful of his hair. The slight pain hardened his already-steel cock.
Her orgasm built in his chest, and he worried he might come with her. The sensation was like having an orgasm himself, and it might send him over the edge.
Removing his fingers, he positioned himself between her legs to the sound of her protests, but they only made him need her more. Bracing a hand beside her head, he used the other to line up his cock.
Neither of them spoke as he thrust into her, their moans filling the quiet room. Amos waited, not knowing how long she’d need to adjust again. “Move,” Clover commanded, “or I really will kill you.”
He hung his head and laughed. “You don’t have to flirt with me. I’m already yours.”
Before she could reply, he moved his hips, the feel of her warm cunt pushing him to the edge of blacking out. “How do you feel even better this time?” he choked out.
“You do too.” Their bodies moved faster until her headboard slapped against the wall in sync with the wet sounds of their lovemaking. Thank the gods her family left to give them privacy to say goodbye.
It wasn’t long before they both shattered and her pussy pulsed, milking his cock of every last drop. He would replay his mate’s screams every night while he stroked his cock to thoughts of her. The sound was a beautiful thing, second only to her laugh.
Sweat trickled down Amos’ back, and his slick chest slipped against hers. “Do you think sex without a mate bond is as good as ours?” she asked through heavy breaths.
Amos bit her neck, hopefully leaving a bruise. “You don’t need to be thinking about other people having sex.” She hiked up her shoulders to protect her neck and laughed.
They lay together, catching their breaths, both lost in their own thoughts. “I want to get married with my family and our friends there,” she decided. “I can ask Ruth to gather everyone for a quick ceremony.”
