Page 70 of Dissection of Immortal Hearts

“You couldn’t do anything to me that I’d regret,” she said. “I know your true self better than you do right now, and you’d never hurt me.”

His eyes darkened with menace. “Careful, creature! My restraint is on the verge of collapsing.”

That was what she was counting on. Mikhail might not remember her, but his attraction to her remained. She only had to provoke him into surrendering to it.

She inched closer until she could feel the heat radiating from his body. “I want you to touch me,” she whispered.

He didn’t move, but the golden hue in his eyes darkened further.

Amelia took his hand in hers and placed it on her thigh, guiding their intertwined fingers down along the fabric of her dress, stopping at its hem. Without breaking eye contact, she slid his hand to the inside of her thigh and began moving it higher.

A low growl escaped his throat when his hand brushed against the delicate material of her underwear.

“You’re a curse,” he hissed, just before he kissed her.

Grabbing the back of her neck, he pulled her towards him. She clung to his shirt, desperate to feel him closer. His familiar scent overwhelmed her senses as his tongue invaded her mouth, insistent and dominating.

It was chaotic and rough. Their teeth clashed, and her mouth filled with a metallic taste – she wasn’t sure if she’d bitten his lip or he had hers.

He lifted her, forcing her legs to wrap around his waist. The feeling of his firm body spread warmth through her. Pressing herself against him, desperate for the relief only hecould provide, she buried her fingers in his hair. Another growl rumbled from his chest, making her pulse with need. Without breaking their kiss, he carried her to the bed and laid her down.

He pushed off her long enough to remove his grey shirt over his head, revealing the sculpted muscles of his chest and abdomen, along with the four scars she’d come to cherish – simply because they were his. When he unzipped his jeans, Amelia’s breath hitched. This was her man, and he was magnificent.

He stood at the edge of the bed. Despite his apparent desire, his jaw was clenched tightly. “You have no idea what a mistake you made when you forced me to go mad over you.”

He grasped her hips and flipped her onto her elbows and knees. She complied without resistance. She’d foreseen it happening.

Mikhail leaned over her, his breath hot against her cheek. “Now I’m certain you cast a spell to drive me insane. Over you.”

His bare chest pressed against her back, the heat of his skin burning through the fabric of her dress. His arms caged her in.

“How long will you keep deluding yourself that it’s magic?” she gasped.

He squeezed her thigh hard enough to make her wince. “It’s the same magic you used to get my ring!”

She clenched her teeth. “You gave me your ring because you wanted to protect me.”

“Where’s the ring, witch?!”

“Exactly where you wanted it to be, Mikhail! With the Queen!”

The sound that burst from his throat was a mixture of a growl and a scream.

He was transforming.

***

Amelia

She struggled to keep her balance in the vulnerable position he’d placed her in. Her knees sank into the mattress, her palms searching for purchase on the covers.

Mikhail loomed above her, fully transformed into a manticore. Anyone else would have turned away in horror, but not her. She’d missed the softness of his fur, the masculine scent of his animal form, the sense of safety when he enveloped her. Yet, it was not a body meant for love. It was forged for battle.

Now, reliving the vision, she understood Mikhail’s intent, and it had nothing to do with the ring, no matter what his words suggested. He wanted to show her the essence of what he carried within, believing it would scare her off and make her regret getting close. But she’d already seen it all. And she would prove to him that what they shared had never been a lie.

She flinched as he grabbed her dress, tearing it to shreds. In her vision, she had focused on the bed frame, counting the leaves of the Tree of Life in a desperate bid to calm her frantic heart. In reality, that storm would only settle when Mikhail remembered her. Because that was the real cause of her panic. Not the fear that he might hurt her, but the terror of losing him forever.

And God… She was scared.Terrifiedthat the man who’d once touched her with adoration no longer had any memory of her existence.