Page 18 of Awakened Destiny (The Dark Ascendant #3)

Lochan

That ’ s all she says, just my name, but it ’ s enough. It ’ s everything.

She leans in, her body pressing into mine, and I feel the warmth of her breath against my skin. Her lips brush against mine, soft and tentative, like she ’ s testing the waters. I freeze for a second, my heart pounding so hard I ’ m sure she can hear it. Then I respond, deepening the kiss with a hunger that ’ s been building inside me for what feels like forever. It ’ s not gentle or careful, it ’ s desperate, like I ’ m trying to make up for all the time we ’ ve lost.

Her hands slide up my chest, grabbing for me like she ’ s afraid I ’ ll pull away. I won ’ t. Not this time. Not ever again. My arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer until there ’ s no space left between us. She fits against me perfectly, like she was made to be there, and for the first time in weeks, I feel whole.

The world outside doesn ’ t exist anymore. It ’ s just her and me, and the fire burning between us. I can ’ t think, can ’ t breathe, can ’ t do anything but feel. Her lips move against mine, slow and deliberate, and I follow her lead, letting her set the pace. She ’ s in control here, and I wouldn ’ t have it any other way.

When we finally break apart, both of us gasping for air, I rest my forehead against hers. My hands are still on her waist, and I can feel the rapid rise and fall of her chest. “ I can wait,” I say, my voice rough. “ I don ’ t want to push you. If you need time—”

She cuts me off, her fingers tightening on my shoulders. “ I choose you, Lochan.” Her voice is steady, confident, and it sends a shiver down my spine. “ This is my choice. I ’ m in control.”

I swallow hard, nodding because I don ’ t trust myself to speak. She ’ s giving me everything I ’ ve wanted, everything I ’ ve been too afraid to ask for. And now that I have it, I ’ m not letting go.

Her eyes lock onto mine, and I see the determination there, the strength that ’ s always drawn me to her. She ’ s not broken, not fragile. She ’ s Brigid, and she ’ s choosing me.

“ Okay,” I whisper, my hands sliding up her back to cradle her face. “ Then I ’ m yours.”

She smiles, a small, private smile that ’ s just for me, and leans in again. This time, the kiss is slower, deeper, like we ’ re sealing a promise. And I know, in that moment, that nothing will ever come between us again.

Her lips are soft, but her grip on my shoulders is iron. I pull back just enough to see her face—those gray eyes, dark and hungry, locked on mine. She doesn ’ t look away, doesn ’ t flinch. Good. I want her to see me, all of me, the parts I ’ ve tried to hide. The parts that scare even me sometimes.

My hand slides down her arm, slow at first, testing. Her skin is warm, alive under my fingers. I can feel the faint tremor in her, the way she ’ s holding herself back. Not anymore. I tighten my grip, dragging her to me. Her breath hitches, and I know she feels it too—the shift, the moment when control snaps and something darker takes over.

“ Tell me what you want,” I growl, my voice rough.

She doesn ’ t answer, not with words. Her hands pull me down to her. Fuck, she ’ s strong. Stronger than she looks. Stronger than she knows. It ’ s in the way she moves, the way she meets me without hesitation. She ’ s not fragile, not broken. She ’ s fire, and I want to burn with her.

I kiss her again, harder this time, my tongue claiming hers. She moans into my mouth, the sound sending a jolt straight to my cock. My hands roam her body, tracing the curve of her hips, the swell of her ass. I squeeze hard, and she arches into me, her nails digging into my back.

“ Lochan,” she breathes, her voice shaky but sure.

I don ’ t need more than that. I spin us around, pinning her against the wall, and I can feel her body heat through my clothes. I lift her leg, hooking it over my hip, and grind against her. She gasps, her head falling back, exposing the line of her throat. I bite down just enough to make her whimper.

“ What do you want, Brigid?” I ask, my voice possessive. “ Say it.”

Her eyes meet mine, stormy and defiant. For a second, I think she ’ ll fight me, push back. But then she smiles.

“ Fuck me.”

That ’ s all I need. I tear at her clothes, my hands rough, impatient. She doesn ’ t stop me, doesn ’ t flinch. She ’ s here, fully here, and I can ’ t fucking wait. When I finally get her bare, I pause for a moment, just looking. Her body is perfect, curves and softness and strength. I don ’ t deserve her.

I drop to my knees, my hands gripping her thighs as I bury my face between her legs. She tastes like heaven, sweet like nectar, and I can ’ t get enough. Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling, urging me on. I lap at her, slow at first, then faster, harder. Her moans fill the room, driving me wild.

When she comes, it ’ s with a cry that echoes off the walls. I stand, yanking her to me, and she clings to me, her body still trembling.

“ You want me to fuck you?” I ask, my voice a low growl.

She nods, her eyes dark, desperate.

“ Be a good girl and ask nicely.”

She hesitates, but only for a second. “ Please, Lochan. Please fuck me,” she whispers.

I don ’ t make her say it twice.

Her pussy is soaked, slick and warm against my fingers as I slide them inside her. She arches into me, a low moan escaping her lips, and I grin. Fuck, she ’ s ready for me. I pull my hand away, wiping her wetness on my thigh, and grip her hips hard enough to leave marks.

I guide myself to her entrance, the head of my cock pressing against her, and push in slow, savoring the way she stretches around me. She ’ s tight, so fucking tight, and I try not to lose it right then and there. She wraps her legs around my waist, pulling me deeper and I groan, burying myself to the hilt, my body trembling with the effort to hold back.

“ Fuck, Brigid,” I mutter, my voice rough. She feels perfect, made for me, and I can ’ t stop the possessive thought from taking root.

She moves against me, urging me on, and I give in, pulling out almost all the way before slamming back in. She cries out, and I do it again, harder this time. Her pussy clenches around me, and I swear under my breath, losing myself in the rhythm.

I can ’ t get enough of her—the way she feels, the sounds she makes, the way she looks at me like I ’ m the only thing that matters. I want to ruin her, claim her, make sure she never forgets what her body does for me. My hands tighten on her hips, and I fuck her harder, faster, until the room is filled with the sound of skin slapping against skin and her gasping breaths.

She comes hard, her body tightening around me like a vise. I follow her over the edge, burying my face in her neck as I spill inside her, my hips jerking uncontrollably.

For a moment, we stay like that, tangled together, our breathing ragged. I don ’ t want to move, don ’ t want to let her go.

“ Can I stay tonight?” I ask. I can ’ t meet her eyes.

“ Look at me, Lochan.”

I do as she says and I lose myself in those endless oceans.

“Yes. Yes, you can stay. Stay forever.”

I tighten my arm around her, pulling her closer, and press a kiss to the top of her head. “ I ’ m not letting you go.”

She doesn ’ t say anything, but she doesn ’ t have to. The way she clings to me says it all.