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I surrendered to his ministrations, his hands gliding over my body with a tenderness that made my heart ache. He washed away the blood and sweat and tears until I felt reborn—baptized in his love.

“I love you,” I murmured as his fingers slid through my curls. “No matter what comes, that will never change.”

He stilled at the sound of the words, as if it was the first time he was hearing them.

And maybe it was.

Maybe it was the first time someone had told him after seeing him break. So I said it again, my voice solidifying into something more resolute. “I love you.”

His eyes met mine, emotion raging behind them. For a moment, he seemed at a loss for words, his lips parting slightly as if to speak but no sound emerging. Then, with a gentleness that belied his strength, he spoke.

“Say it again,” he whispered, his voice raw.

I cupped his face in my hands, thumbs brushing over the sharp angles of his cheekbones. “I love you, Landers. With every fiber of my being, with every beat of my heart, I love you.”

A shudder ran through his body, and then his lips were on mine, desperate and hungry. He kissed me like a man starved, like I was the air he needed to breathe. I clung to him, pouring every ounce of myself, of my love, into that kiss.

My hands slid over his slick skin, tracing the contours of muscle and bone, committing every inch of him to memory. He lifted me effortlessly, the water cascading off our bodies as he carried me away from our little ocean. The cool air kissed my heated flesh, goosebumps rising in its wake. But his touch chased away the chill, his hands and mouth lighting trails of fire across my skin.

He laid me gently on the bed, his body hovering over mine as if I were something precious, something to be cherished. The intensity in his eyes stole my breath, the unguarded love and devotion shining through, threatening to undo me completely.

His lips dragged down my neck, his teeth grazing my collarbone as a gasp escaped my lips. Every touch, every kiss, was an act of worship, a silent promise banishing fear with pleasure so acute it bordered on pain. I gave in to his touch, trusting him to shatter me and piece me back together.

His mouth moved over my chest, his tongue swirling and nipping at my hardened nipples as he passed them, heat emanating from every place his touch melded to my skin. He trailed kisses down my stomach, his lips tracing every curve of my body as my back arched against him.

“Landers,” I breathed, my voice barely a whisper.

He lifted his head just as he reached my center, my fingers curling into his onyx hair as his fingers curled into me. A moanrolled from my lungs, sparks flowing through my veins, readying to electrocute my heart.

In that moment, everything fell away.

The war, the pain, the uncertainty—none of it mattered.

All that existed was us.

Two shattered souls, making a home in each other’s arms.

“I want to taste my wife.” His voice was a growl, a low rumble as he said the words and my legs spread for him in response.

I didn’t have a second to breathe before his lips were on me.

My hands flew to my side, fisting the sheets as my hips rocked against him, rocked against the pleasure that was coiling so fast,too fast. His tongue delved into me, drinking in every bit of the pleasure that was made for him—only ever for him.

A cry broke free from my chest, rapture flooding my system like the lighting crashing outside of our sanctuary, bright and sharp and blinding. He groaned against me, the vibrations sending shockwaves rippling under my skin. His hands gripped my hips, holding me steady as he feasted, devouring me whole.

Tears began to stream from my eyes as my heart swelled against my breasts. Liquid love that overflowed from my soul, pouring from the very depths of my being.

“Landers, please . . .” I begged, though for what I wasn’t entirely sure.

But he seemed to understand the unspoken pleas.

He always understood.

With one final, devastating swipe of his tongue, he crawled back up my body, settling his hips between my thighs.

My heart shuddered as his eyes caught mine, silver tears bleeding down his face, mirroring my own.

Something cracked between us then, as if the universe had split to make room for a love as great as ours. Coils of silver magic poured from my skin, wrapping around us, tying us together as wings snapped from his back.