Page 8

Oh?

Am I seeing things?

Or is he…

Well, he’s not actually smiling, but his eyes do gleam in a way that makes my heart race⁠—

Swoony.

He makes me feel so, so swoony⁠—

And then his lips are covering mine even as he gently guides me to the bed.

His mouth is warm, firm, and so much more patient than I expected. I make a small, startled sound against it, and that seems to be exactly what he was waiting for. My hands don't know where to go, so they grab fistfuls of his shirt and hang on. Then the backs of my knees bump the edge of the mattress, and I'm going down, and he's coming with me.

The kiss deepening as his body covers mine.

He's heavy and warm, but he keeps most of his weight on his forearms, like he's making sure I have room to breathe.

Which is funny, because I can't.

My breath catching as our clothes melt away at the efficient work of his fingers.

My skin burning up as he claims me with his touch. His hands all over my body, his fingers tracing my every curve, and after that are his lips…

Oh, those lips of his will be the death of me, with just the faintest contact making my toes curl hard as my skin burns with heightened sensitivity. I’ve never been the ticklish type, but there’s just something about his mouth that makes me feel so, so feverish and restless.

He makes me want to pull away and burrow close at the same time. He makes me feel unable to speak, but at the same time, he has me whimpering again and again, and…oh.

Oh!

I’ve been waiting for it to happen from the very start, but it still catches me completely off guard, and all I can do is think…

Finally, oh finally.

My nails digging deep into the smooth hard planes of his back⁠—

Oh, finally.

—as my mysterious-and-oh-so-gorgeous husband takes my virginity.

"Ruel."

All I can do is whisper his name.

Ruel.

It’s something he didn’t actually tell me himself. I only read it for the very first time a few hours ago, printed right above the line where I signed mine. But now…

Ruel.

It’s what I find myself sobbing out when he finally starts to move, and oh, oh, the way he moves…

"Breathe, Karyna."

I don’t even realize I’m about to run out of oxygen until he says it.

I don’t even realize how my body is moving of its own accord, arching up even as he hauls me close⁠—