Page 144 of Carved Obsession

His head tilts back slightly, exposing the strong line of his throat as he shifts the violin more over his shoulder. His jaw remains tight, as though he’s barely holding himself together. I kiss the curve of his neck, tasting the faint salt of his skin.

“Scarlet,” he rasps, my name rough on his tongue. A plea and a curse all at once.

“Keep playing,” I urge softly, pressing my lips to his pulse.

Arching my back, I let his cock drive deeper, and the music breaks for a split second. A sharp, quivering note slips into the melody before he catches himself.

The violin cries in his hand as my fingers glide over his chest, feeling the hard planes of muscle, the rapid thrum of his heart beneath my palm.

The tension builds between us, the music like a thread weaving our movements together. Binding us closer with every aching note. His eyes are on me now, his gaze dark and burning, and it sends a shiver down my spine and straight inside my aching core.

When the melody reaches its crescendo, so do I. Raw pleasure tugs at my nerves as I shake against him. He tenses beneath me, muttering soft, dirty curses into the darkness as his cock twitches viciously inside me, filling me to the brim as I dig my nails into his skin and shake through my orgasm.

My breath catches as he sinks further into me, my lips brushing against his chest as his arms wrap around me, violin forgotten.

For a moment, there’s nothing but the quiet hum of our breathing and the fading echo of the music in the air.

But my heart is too full to let this silence reign.

“I love you...” I whisper into the night, against his warm skin.

“Look at me.” His words sound almost sharp.

Reluctantly, I lift my head and meet his gaze.

“Say that again, looking into my eyes this time.”

But my lips tremble, that fear brimming against his intense gaze.

“What are you afraid of, Scarlet?” He tangles his hand in my hair, forcing my focus onto him when I try to look away. “Tell me.”

“You,” I blurt out. “I’m afraid I’ve ripped my heart out of my chest and stuck it in yours to take care of and keep safe when you can’t do the same for me. When you’ll never feel the same.” The words spill once they start coming out. “I understand it’s your nature, and for the most part, I made peace with that. But it’s hard not to wonder if it will affect me eventually. And if, because of your lack of empathy, you’ll fail to see it.”

“You’re caught up in semantics and societal standards. They blind you, Scarlet. Call it as it is. You think I’m incapable of loving you. I’m not sure what love looks like to you, and even after extensive research, I haven’t fully understood what it means to others. All I know is that you are mine, heart, body, and soul. If you are hurt, I feel that pain for you. I bleed for you. And I will happily cull any soul that dares to hurt you. Even if that may just be one single tear falling over your cheek.”

He pauses long enough for me to hear the mad rush of heartbeats behind my ribs.

“I may not know what love is, but it better not be less than this, because you deserve so much more. And I let you in, Scarlet, with a conscious decision that went against all my instincts. You saw me in moments I didn’t want to see myself, and here you are, still...afraid I will never care for you as you care for me. I call you ‘mine,’ but all I’ve done so far is prove that I am yours.”

By the time he finishes his speech, I’m somehow the breathless one.

“If this is love, Scarlet, then you have it. You have me. All of me. And now that you do, you’ll never be rid of me.Ever.”

A tear slides down my cheek. I didn’t realize I was crying. But here we are. A man seemingly without emotions, without empathy, stole my breath straight out of my lungs and replaced it with far too many sentiments.

“I love you,” I whisper, my gaze firmly fixed on his.

I was wrong. He’s shown me how he feels, and I’ve been caught in conventions. Carter is mine just as much as I am his.

“Good.” A cocky grin pulls at his lips, making me want to smack him and kiss him all at once. “I thought my darkness was too devoid of stars for you when, in fact, it was just waiting for the brightest of them all to come along and claim the throne. My scarlet queen.”

Heat fills my belly, vibrations resonating straight through my soul, caressing that darkness that exists within me as well.

“I think you love me too, Mr. Pierce.”

“I think I might just.”

Epilogue