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My hand cups her cheek, thumb tracing the curve of her jaw. Her eyes flutter closed at the contact, and a soft sigh escapes her lips. The trust in that simple gesture undoes me completely.
“Ember.” Her name comes out like a prayer, rough with need. “Look at me.”
“What?” When her eyes open, they’re dark with want, pupils blown wide. All that fire and defiance mixed with raw vulnerability calls to something deep inside me. Something I’ve tried desperately to keep caged.
“Have you changed your mind?” My voice drops low and challenging, and my words come out rough and hungry.
Her tongue darts out to wet her lips, the slight movement drawing my gaze.
“No.” Her eyes darken, pupils dilating. The single word carries a wealth of meaning.
“Well, I have.” I close the remaining space between us. “Last chance to walk away.” The words scrape my throat, even as my body screams in protest at offering her an escape.
Her fingers curl into my shirt, anchoring me close. “I don’t want to walk away.” Her voice trembles slightly. “I want you to stop fighting this. Stop fighting us.”
The admission breaks something loose in my chest. My forehead presses against hers, our breath mingling in the scantspace between us. Her warmth seeps into me, melting away the last of my resistance.
“I’m done fighting.” The words come out on an exhale, a surrender and a promise wrapped in three simple words.
My hands find her waist, pulling her against me. The small gasp that escapes her lips turns into a soft moan as my mouth claims hers.
Gone is any pretense of restraint.
When our lips meet this time, there’s nothing tentative about it. This kiss is different—deeper, hungrier, but also something more. All the walls come crashing down. Every reason why we shouldn’t, every professional boundary, every careful distance—none of it matters anymore. There’s just her—her taste, her scent, and the way she melts into me like she belongs there.
Her body melds against mine like she was made to fit there, soft curves pressing against hard planes. My hands tangle in her hair, angling her head to deepen the kiss.
A small whimper escapes her throat, the sound shooting straight through me. Her fingers clutch my shoulders, nails digging in through the fabric. Each point of contact burns, sparking something primal and possessive.
Breaking the kiss, I trail my lips down her neck. Her pulse races beneath my mouth, proof of how this affects her. When my teeth graze her sensitive skin, she arches into me with a gasp that nearly shatters my control.
“Blaze.” My name falls from her lips like a plea, and suddenly, keeping any distance between us feels impossible.
“I’ve got you.” The words rumble against her skin as I carry her toward the bedroom. “I’ve got you, and I’m not letting go.”
Lifting her is effortless—she weighs nothing in my arms. Her legs wrap around my waist instinctively, bringing us flush together. The new position aligns us perfectly, drawing a groan from deep in my chest.
TWENTY
Blaze
Desire unleashes in a single moment.Ember’s fingers tangle in my hair as I walk her backward until her back meets the wall. The impact draws a whimper from her throat that ignites something primal in my chest.
I pin her to the wall, caging her in, a promise of power held in check. Our heated gazes lock. The light from the hallway casts a soft glow over her delicate features, highlighting the swell of her parted lips and the rapid flutter of her pulse at her throat.
Slowly, torturing us both with the sensual buildup, I trail a fingertip along her collarbone, down the dip between her breasts, feeling the tremor that ripples through her at my featherlight touch. Her eyes darken, lips parting on a needy sigh.
“Why do you affect me like this?” I murmur, my voice rough with barely restrained hunger. “I want you so fucking much.”
I claim her mouth in a searing kiss, swallowing her breathy moan as she arches into my hardness. My tongue delves deep, flicking and teasing as I grind my hips against hers, letting her feel every rigid inch of my arousal. Ember whimpers and writhes against the wall, her nails scrabbling for purchase on my forearms.
Dragging my lips along her jaw, I nip at the shell of her ear before soothing the sting with my tongue.
“I need to be inside you,” I rasp against her skin. “I need to feel every inch of your perfect body trembling and clenching around me as I make you mine.”
Her lips are swollen, cheeks flushed, eyes heavy-lidded but bright with need. Seeing her like this—wanting, trusting, surrendering—steals my breath. Every muscle in my body is strung tight, holding back, waiting for her word.
“Last chance to back out.” My voice comes out rough, almost pleading. “Tell me to stop, and I will.”