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“Look at me, Felix,” she murmurs, her voice seductive and begging. “I need you. I’m ready for you to touch me again.”

My resolve crumbles, and I can’t resist anymore. In one swift movement, I grab her hips and flip heronto her back, but the sudden motion makes her wince in pain. Shit! I jump off her, standing next to the bed, anger boiling inside me.

“See? This is why I can’t fucking touch you!” I snap, my fists clenched tightly.

“Please, Felix,” she pleads, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I want this. I want you. Don’t let fear control us.”

My chest heaves, conflicted. The thought of causing her any more pain fucking hurts. But seeing her like this, vulnerable yet determined, does something to me. It stirs that primal need to claim, possess, and protect.

“Dammit, Aurora,” I growl, closing my eyes and trying to calm the inner storm that rages within me. “You’re making this so goddamn hard.”

“I like it, Felix,” she says, reaching out to me. Our fingers brush, sending a jolt of electricity up my arm.

“Fuck, Aurora,” I snarl, my fists clenching at my sides. “You can’t seriously be saying this right now.”

“Look at me, Felix,” she demands, her eyes burning with intensity. “I’m not lying. It’s not bad pain, and I get off on a little pain with my pleasure, you should know. You showed me it.”

“Jesus Christ,” I mutter under my breath, unable to tear my gaze away from her battered body. The patches of missing tattoos laced across her skin are like some kind of sick fucking mosaic.

“Please,” she whispers, desperation pouring through her words. “Touch me. Make me feel alive again.”

“Darling, I—” My voice cracks, and the dam breaks, tearsstreaming down my face. I never fucking cry. This woman has ripped me open in ways I never expected.

“Can’t you see?” I choke out, gesturing at her injuries. “I can’t hurt you again, Aurora. I can’t be the one to cause you pain... not now, not ever.”

“Then don’t,” she replies resolutely, sitting up, wincing only slightly as she moves closer. “But don’t deny us this connection, Felix. Don’t let fear control us.”

“God-fucking-dammit.” I hiss, my heart pounding like it will burst from my chest. “This isn’t right.”

“Maybe it’s not,” she concedes, her hand reaching out to gently graze my cheek, wiping away the wetness there. “But neither is pretending we don’t need each other.”

“Darling,” I whisper, struggling to contain the raw emotion surging through me. “I just… I don’t wanna break you.”

“Then don’t,” she repeats, her voice steady and unwavering. “But trust me when I say I need this. I need you.”

“Fuck.” I growl, my resolve crumbling beneath the weight of her words. “Aurora, you’re gonna be the fucking death of me.”

“Maybe.” She smirks with a wicked gleam in her eyes despite the pain she’s in. “But it’ll be one hell of a way to go.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

Aurora Henry

My heart is racing as I stare into Felix’s dark eyes, a storm brewing behind them. He’s standing there with tears in his eyes and danger on his face, just begging for a taste. And goddamn, I want him to.

My hands shake as they find their way to his face. His skin is rough under my fingertips, but fuck if it isn’t the most intoxicating thing. “I need this.”

I press my lips against his with a hunger I can’t deny. He tastes like home and danger, and it’s everything I’ve been craving.

“Fuck you,” I whisper between kisses, pushing him back towards the bed. His legs hit the mattress, and he stumbles, falling on his ass with a thud that sends a thrill through me. I know he could stop me, and I love him even more for allowing me to push him around.

“Playing rough now, are we?” He smirks, leaning back with a devilish glint in his eyes.

“Damn right,” I shoot back, refusing to let him get theupper hand. At that moment, I know what I must do—I need to prove to him that I’m strong enough for us. Violence, aggression, passion—I’ll take it all and come back begging for more.

A wild hunger surges through me as I climb onto Felix’s lap, my thighs gripping his hips. His dark eyes lock onto mine, but I don’t allow him to say anything. My hands press against his chest, and I shove him down flat on the bed, pinning him beneath me. My lips crash against his, our mouths clashing in a dance of teeth and tongue.

“Fuck, Aurora.” He groans into the kiss, but I don’t let up. I need this. I need to feel alive and prove I’m not some broken toy.