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“Ready for number two?” he asks. He doesn’t even sound breathless.

Before I have a chance to respond, he begins moving harder, deeper, and like a puppet master, he’s pulling the strings of my body, dragging me back to the edge.

I tighten my grip on him. It’s rough and it’s sweet, relentless and coaxing. I’m almost regretting that I wanted this to be swift and fierce. With Des, I could stay like this forever.

Hypothetically.

Realistically, the moment he kisses me, I’m done.

Like a dam breaking, I find my second release. I’m gasping into his mouth, holding on to him like he’s the only thing keeping me from floating away. And then he’s coming too, his lips still moving firmly against mine, his thrusts becoming even deeper and harder.

It seems like we spend an eternity in that moment, locked together, and there’s no beginning or end to us.

But, at some point, the moment does end. We break off the kiss, and Des eases out of me. Neither one of us let go of the other, our breathing heavy, our bodies plastered together.

“Never want to leave,” Des rasps against me.

My grip on him tightens. “Neither do I.”

I don’t know how long we stay like that. Long enough for my skin to dim and our breathing to quiet.

“Cherub,” Des eventually says, “there’s something I wanted to show you.”

With a good amount of reluctance, I slide out of his hold.

After taking my hand, he tugs me toward the waterfall, my feet skimming over smooth river stones as we move beneath the cascading waters, the river pounding against my head and shoulders when Des leads me through it.

On the other side, the glow of the water illuminates the outlines of a cave. Des snaps his fingers, and all at once, there’s light.

Hundreds of flickering candles are piled on almost every surface of the cavern, glittering softly in the darkness. The light from the water and the flames dances along the ceiling and the glow of it is hypnotizing.

“Wow,” I breathe. The place is like something out of a dream.

Right in the middle of all the candlelight is a soft pallet piled with blankets, a tray of food sitting next to it.

Des swims to the edge of the pool and pushes himself onto the rocky lip of the cave, then runs his hands through his hair as he slicks it back. He turns and reaches for me, every inch of his glorious body glistening.

I take Des’s hand and follow him out of the water, my wings heavy. Before I can look for a towel, he reaches around me and runs a hand over my feathers.

A warm brush of magic tickles my back, and in an instant, my wings, skin, and hair are all dry. When I glance at him again, I notice he too has dried himself.

Des and I are still naked. It’s both odd and oddly enjoyable to be laid bare like this in front of each other. There are so many firsts I’m only now experiencing with this man.

I step up to the pallet and fold my knees under me, stretching my wings out. In here, the churning sound of the waterfall echoes. This feels like some primitive temple, and Des is the god it pays homage to.

The Bargainer sits next to me, the tips of his wings lifting to rest themselves on a nearby rock. He takes in our surroundings. “After all this time, I find myself back in a cave,” he says wryly. His words remind me of those caverns back in Arestys.

There’s a vulnerability to him in this moment.

Even now he struggles to let down his guard.

I want to tell him that this place is perfect, thathe’sperfect. That I cherish every broken bit of him.

But I don’t say any of this. He is, at his core, just as uncomfortable with emotional intimacy as I am.

Instead, I reach out and run my hand over his wings.

He closes his eyes, like he’s savoring the sensation. After getting up, I circle behind him, studying the silvery skin of the wings as my hand passes over each talon and joint.