Page 135 of Ballad of Nightmares

Hearing it from him almost caused her to lose her mind. Her jaw quivered, breath catching in her throat as Sam held her steady.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he rasped. “So fucking smart… cunning…relentless…” His gaze ran down her face, and he reached to tilt her head back and expose the soft space beneath her chin, thumb rubbing over her skin. His eyes met hers, cold fire blazing in them. “And you’re all mine,” he declared in a hoarse voice.

She didn’t bother arguing, correcting, or otherwise.

Because he was right.

She had been his all along.

A smile flinched on his lips, nearly lighting up his eyes as he continued to stare at her and hold her cheek. “I have something to tell you,” he whispered, and she wondered what it could possibly be. What had him smiling and holding her as he was.

“Something… something I want you to consider.”

“Tell me,” she begged.

The door burst open then, and Rolfe came barreling in.

“Boss, the—“ He stopped short upon seeing both Sam and Ana on the other side of the table. A grin lit up his face. “Making up, I see,” he teased gruffly.

Sam chuckled softly, Ana dipping her head slightly as she, too, chuckled into Sam’s neck. Sam flipped Rolfe off.

“Something wrong?” he asked his friend.

“Ah…” Rolfe’s expression went grim. “Something like that.”

Sam balked and stepped back from Ana, panic suddenly stretching over his face. “What is it? Is it Millie? Is she—”

“She’s fine. Got the green shit out,” Rolfe said, and Sam’s chest visibly caved with relief. “But there’s something else.” Rolfe’s gaze darted to Ana, then to Sam. “I’ll tell you on the way up.”

Sam nodded to his friend, and the door closed behind Rolfe as Sam turned back to Ana.

“Time to go back in my cage?” she asked, only half-teasing.

Sam’s fingers rubbed up and down her arms, that soft smile lingering on his lips. “Stay here,” he told her. “I’ll be back, and we can talk about what you want from this.”

“I want you,” she said without hesitation. “I’m yours.”

“I will never grow tired of hearing you say that.” He brushed a curl back off her face, that haunting beauty stretching over his features with a knit of his brows. “My Tower,” he whispered. “There is so much more to this, everything you have ever wanted. We can do it together.” His hand entwined with hers, and he turned her arm over to see the rose and raven tattoo there. “Mine,” he breathed.

Ana reached up for his jaw then, her thumb brushing over the head of the snake on his trachea, and Sam shuddered. “Mine,” she said back.

He pulled her hand into his to kiss her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers. “Forever yours,” he promised.

Ana moved beneath his grasp as he shifted, his lips brushing her forehead. “Stay here. I’ll have Rolfe come get you soon,” he said as he stepped away.

“Afraid to let me roam your castle on my own, Your Majesty?” she asked with a broad smile.

“Rather not lose any more demons,” he winked. He laughed when she rolled her eyes, but continued heading to the door.

Shit, that fuckinglaugh.

“I’ll give you the grand tour of your new home later. All the places I plan to fuck you until you no longer have control over your own body.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

ROLFE HAD A shit-eating grin on his face when Sam reached him at the top of the stairs, and Sam shoved him to the side when the bastard hound began to make mocking gestures.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, trying to get to the point.