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“You’re not. That’s what makes you so uniquely stunning, so…Juniper. You’re strong yet fragile, brave yet cautious. When you want something, you go after it, and there’s no telling you otherwi?—”

Her words cut off as Juniper’s mouth smashed to hers in a hard kiss. The pressure softened, and heat flooded her veins. It was such a passionate, life-affirming kiss, there was nomistaking her feelings and all of Adriel’s were then validated.

The mind-melting kiss turned playful, awakening parts of Adriel that felt young and safe. That’s what Juniper did when she touched her. She rewrote the cold, jaded parts with a sense of security that was new and delicate, bursting with hope.

There was no fear when Juniper pushed into her personal space. No pressure or demands. On the contrary, she seemed to bring a breath of fresh air and a burst of excitement. Adriel wanted to give her everything she asked for and more.

When Juniper kissed her, the world disappeared. It was only the two of them and loneliness seemed an impossible idea.

“I never want to leave this bed,” Adriel confessed between long, drugging caresses.

Juniper’s smile pressed against her skin. “Then we won’t. We’ll hire servants to bring us food and wait on our every need and never have to see anyone else ever again.”

“Sounds perfect.” She giggled—actually giggled as Juniper pressed a kiss to the sensitive curve of her neck. Adriel stretched out beneath her, surrendering to her desires.

She only ever touched her in ways that felt good. There was never any pain or adjustment. Just…decadence. Sometimes, the pleasure was so intense that her mind didn’t know how to process all she felt.

Soft moans of delight whispered across her stomach as Juniper kissed lower. On a sigh, Adriel opened for her, still amazed that anything could feel so good.

“You’re sweet, like a peach down here,” Juniper said, stroking her finger slowly as she pressed an open-mouthed kiss between her thighs. “Warm on the inside, like you’ve been baking in the sun. Soft. Wet. Pink in the center.” She licked. “Mmm. I could eat you forever and never get tired of the taste.”

Adriel inhaled as her gentle touch slid slowly deeper. She closed her eyes as the pleasure carried her away. Every caress, every kiss, and every glance pulled her further under a potent spell only Juniper could weave.

Colors burst behind her eyes as emotion swirled inside of her. Waves of sensations spilled forward as muscles tightened and breathy cries broke the silence. When it ended and her body shivered, Juniper was there, holding her tight and kissing her once more.

A territorial thought crossed her mind, and possessiveness sharpened inside of her like a knife. “I don’t want to share you.”

Juniper laughed and kissed her shoulder. “I’m glad. I don’t really like other people.”

“I mean it, June. The thought of anyone else seeing you this way?—”

“Hey.” She caught her chin and made her look into her eyes. “This is only for you. Just you. Us.”

Adriel grinned.Us.She liked the sound ofthat. “What’s going to happen to us when he comes back?”

Cerberus was always in the back of her mind and he wasn’t going to go away. Juniper sighed and rolled onto her back. The intrusion shattering the beautiful moment so quickly Adriel regretted asking the question.

“When he comes back, we’ll be prepared.”

When, not if.At least they were on the same page. “He won’t stay away for long, especially now that he’s found us. I feel guilty lying here where there’s so much we could be doing.”

Juniper laced her fingers with hers and kissed her knuckle. “I think we needed this more.”

Adriel agreed, but now the guilt and fear were seeping in. “What do you think our next move should be? We could keep moving?—”

“I don’t want to live a life in fear. And neither should you, Ade.”

Cerberus had always been an indomitable force in her life. Mates were meant to be together. Escaping her fate was no easy task. She’d spent a lifetime evading him and avoiding punishment, but it wasn’t natural for an immortal to fight their destiny. “I’m used to living in fear.”

“Things are different now. You have me. I’ll protect you.”

Her devotion was sweet, but Juniper was still so young. She hadn’t fully come into her powers. And she’d only just started feeding. Who knew what her immortal bloodlines would reveal?

“I could never live with myself if he hurt you.”

“I feel the same.”

If anything, life had taught Adriel just how resilient she could be. “He might hurt me, but he can’t break me.”