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Her breath hitches as her hips meet mine, desperate and demanding.“I’m yours,” she gasps.

The words ignite something feral inside me, the need to possess her completely, to leave no doubt in her mind that she belongs to me.My pace quickens, my hand sliding down to grip her thigh, spreading her wider beneath me.

Her body trembles beneath mine, her head tilting back as my lips find her throat, pressing kisses along the delicate line of her neck, my teeth grazing her pulse.

I press deeper, my movements deliberate, every thrust meant to remind her of exactly what she’s done to me.“I’ve thought about this every damn night,” I confess, my voice low and rough.“The way you feel, the way you sound, the way your body moves under mine.I couldn’t forget it, even when I tried.”

Her eyes lock with mine, the vivid green darkening, swirling with desire and an intensity that holds me captive, daring me to take everything she’s offering.“You don’t have to forget.I’m here now.”

The words hit me harder than I expect, unraveling me from the inside as I drive into her harder, faster, claiming her in every way I’ve craved since the moment she disappeared.

Her hands tangle in my hair, pulling me closer as the intensity between us builds, a tidal wave threatening to crash.She’s close, teetering on the edge.I’m relentless, driving her higher and higher, determined to take her with me as the tension between us spirals to its breaking point.

“Come for me,” I command, my voice rough and possessive.Her response is immediate.Her body clenches around me, her cry raw and unrestrained as she gives herself over completely.

The sight, the sound, the feel of her unraveling beneath me is enough to tip me over the edge.A guttural groan tears from my throat as I bury myself deep, my body shuddering with the force of my release.It’s raw and consuming, a wave of pleasure so intense it leaves me breathless.For a moment, everything else fades—there’s only her, only us.

I collapse against her, both of us breathing hard, our bodies still tangled as the aftershocks ripple through us.Her arms wrap around me, holding me close, and I press my forehead to hers, the weight of what just happened sinking in.

“You’re mine, Aoife,” I murmur again, softer this time, a promise rather than a demand.

She doesn’t respond, but the way she clings to me says everything I need to hear.

Aoife

I liein the tangle of sheets, my body still humming from the intensity of what we just shared.Eamon’s arm is draped over my waist, his fingers tracing absent patterns on my hip.The silence between us is comfortable, but my mind is anything but.

“What happens next?”I ask softly, breaking the quiet.“What does this mean for us?”

Eamon shifts, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at me.His gaze is steady.“It means exactly what I said, Aoife.Now that I’ve found you again, I’m not letting you go.”

I sit up slightly, clutching the sheet against my chest.“It’s not that simple, Eamon.My life is in Belfast?—”

“Not anymore,” he interrupts, his voice firm but calm.“Your life is here.With me.”

My mouth opens to argue, to tell him it’s not that easy, but the sharp trill of his phone cuts through the air.

He leans over, grabbing the device from the bedside table.“Hold that thought,” he mutters, swiping to answer the call.

I watch as his expression hardens almost immediately.“Yes, I was expecting him,” he says, his tone clipped.“Send him up.”

He hangs up and places the phone back on the table, turning to me.“Your brother’s here.”

I exhale slowly, not surprised but still uneasy.“Of course he is.”

Eamon swings his legs over the edge of the bed, standing and pulling on a pair of slacks.“Get dressed,” he says, his tone softening slightly.“We’ll handle this together.”

I slip out of bed, grabbing my dress from the floor and pulling it on.My hands tremble slightly as I smooth the fabric.

“Don’t be nervous,” Eamon says, stepping closer.He places his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look at him.“You’re with me now, Aoife.No one, not even your brother, is going to take you away from me.”

His words are meant to be reassuring, but they only fuel the tension tightening in my chest.“You don’t know Ruairi like I do,” I murmur.“He won’t back down.Not easily.”

A knock at the door cuts off any further conversation.Eamon’s jaw tightens, and he gestures for one of his guards to answer.

The door swings open, and Ruairi strides in, flanked by two of his guards, their imposing figures lingering just behind him.His green eyes, a mirror of my own, lock onto me with an intensity that feels like a physical blow.His expression is thunderous as his gaze shifts briefly to Eamon, narrowing with barely concealed fury.

“What the hell is going on?”he demands.