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Maybe he needs me too, she thought, as his mouth found its place between her thighs. She ran her fingers along his braids, her heart racing with every touch. Nervous, her fingers found the smoothness of his horns, and she lightly grasped them. A soft whimper escaped her lips, and then, as if the world had tilted on its axis, a wave of euphoria crashed over her. She gasped. “Yes…” until her voice broke, the word a cry of release.

Long moments passed. When Oleander finally crawled back up her body; she laid there, panting, staring at him—an arrogant smirk spread across his face.

She hadn’t even caught her breath when he kissed her again—devastating, lingering.

Before she could even gather her thoughts, she found herself shy and unsure. She wanted to say something lovely, something unforgettable.

What came out was prim, almost nervous. “That was… very good, Oleander.”

He raised a sardonic brow. “Oh, was it now?”

“Yes,” she cleared her throat, searching desperately for something more elegant to say. “You… were very good.”

“Shall I be good again? Shall I be very, very good?” He grinned wickedly. “You should know by now that I’m excellent at following your directions.”

Warmth spread across her cheeks—embarrassment and something else she couldn’t quite place. She bit her lip, torn between uncertainty and something exhilarating. “Well, if you insist.”

Oleander laughed, a deep, warm sound that reverberated through her body, sending a wave of feverish joy rushing over her. She hadn’t known it could be like this—being loved so completely, so unabashedly. It overwhelmed her, and soon tears slipped down her cheeks, her emotions too vast to contain. Each tear he kissed away, whispering her name with a tenderness that felt like a promise.

They stayed together long into the night. His laughter chased away any worries that tried to surface, teasing her until she tackled him with kisses, straddling him in a playful moment before his eyes gleamed with challenge.

“Are you in control now, Perine darling?”

A soft, breathless laugh escaped her. “I think I am.”

“And do you promise to be very, very good?”

She grinned, kissing him again, soft and slow. “You’re incorrigible.”

They took their time, discovering how they fit together, their bodies moving with a slow, deliberate rhythm. Peri felt powerful, her hand pressed firmly to his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breath, their movements unhurried and intimate. When his gaze met hers, it was as if she were the most precious thing he had ever known. When she cupped his face, he closed his eyes, leaning into her touch with an intensity that made her heart race.

Their desire clashed with the reality of the inevitable morning that would come. Peri paused, leaning down until her forehead rested gently on his, both of them breathing each other in.

“I’m nervous,” she told him, pushing past the discomfort at such honest vulnerability.

“Why?”

“I’ve never done this before.”

Oleander’s smile softened, his voice rich with affection. “A bit late for nervousness now.”

“I mean... I don’t know how I’ll be able to look at you as just a friend after this.”

“Then don’t.”

“Don’t, what? Look at you?”

“No,” he said. “When you look at me, it better be like you’re about to kill me if you don’t kiss me. Like you can’t stand the air between us because it’s keeping us apart. Glare at me like I’m the worst thing that ever happened to you—because you can’t have me.”

Peri laughed softly. “Alright, but then you have to look at me like you’re in agony because you’re not touching me. Like you can’t breathe because the distance is eating you alive.”

Oleander’s voice was low, barely a whisper. “That shouldn’t be too hard.”

She breathed him in, the woodsy, floral scent of him mingling with the cool night air. Eventually, she leaned back, her gaze travelling over him. The moonlight painted his blue skin with an ethereal glow, his silver eyes cutting through the darkness, sharp and knowing.

Those eyes pierced into her, laying her bare. And for a moment a sharp pang of melancholy tugged at her chest. Nobody would ever look at her the way Oleander did—like he saw her. He admired her for who she was even as he saw her fully, broken parts and all, and acted like they were all the more reason to adore her.

She didn’t want this night to end, and for the moment she pretended it never would. She kissed him fiercely, trying to tell him with her actions that she too thought he was worthy of adoration.