Page 162 of Evermore

The Remnants calmed as the memories washed over her, their chaotic swirling settling into gentler patterns. Relief flooded her eyes, and for a moment, she let herself fall forward, leaning into me, letting me try to soothe her. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her to my chest, giving her as much time as she needed to remember who she was, that she was not alone. I had her. Archer had her. Hell, every one of us had her. And we would build the walls for her if that was what she needed.

She exhaled softly against my chest, her breath warm, grounding. Then, she pulled back to meet my gaze, something fierce and unshaken settling in her eyes. Her fingers slid into my hair, tugging me down, and before I could draw another breath, her lips found mine.

The kiss was slow at first, searching, like she was relearning something familiar—but then it turned urgent, demanding. My hands tightened at her waist as I let her take what she needed, as much as she needed. When her teeth scraped my bottom lip, I groaned, my control unraveling.

“I love you,” I rasped against her mouth, the words spilling free as I slid my hand into her hair, dislodging winter roses. Shetasted like coming home. My tongue swept inside, desperate to devour every soft sound she made.

Her fingers worked at my jacket, shoving it off my shoulders with delicious impatience. I groaned as her nails scraped down my chest. “Get me out of this fucking dress,” she demanded against my lips.

I spun her around, my hands finding the intricate buttons down her spine. “With pleasure.” I pressed kisses to each inch of skin I revealed, savoring her shivers. “I’ve imagined ripping this off you since the moment you walked down that aisle.”

“Are you going to talk about it or do it?”

I grabbed the fabric and yanked, sending buttons scattering across the floor. She gasped as the dress fell away, leaving her in nothing but moonlight.

“Satisfied?” I growled, trailing my fingers down her sides.

She turned in my arms, and the look in her eyes nearly brought me to my knees. “Not even close.”

We crashed together like waves breaking against cliffs. I lifted her onto the vanity, sending cosmetics clattering to the floor as I stepped between her thighs. Her skin was fire under my touch, burning away everything but this. Us. Here. Now.

“Tell me you’re mine,” I demanded, my mouth moving down her throat.

“Always.” She arched as I found that spot behind her ear that made her crazy. “Every life. Every realm. Every—” She broke off with a moan as my hand slid higher up her thigh.

I smiled against her skin. “Every what, darling?”

Her fingers tangled in my hair, yanking my head back so she could meet my eyes. “If you don’t fuck me right now, I swear to all the gods?—”

I cut her off with another kiss, swallowing her demands as I pressed her back against the mirror. We could be propertomorrow. We could be distant acquaintances in court, could play whatever games we needed to survive.

But tonight, I would remind her exactly who she belonged to.

And who belonged to her.

“I love it when you’re impatient,” I growled against her throat, nipping at her neck.

A breathless laugh escaped her kiss-swollen lips. “Less talking.”

I undid my belt with one hand, not bothering to be gentle. The clink of metal echoed in the room, and my pants hit the floor with a thud. Her shadows were already on me, slithering up my legs like liquid heat, coiling around my thighs, teasing the base of my cock. I growled, low and feral, as they tightened, a phantom grip that sent jolts of pleasure shooting up my spine.

“Fucking hell, Paesha,” I choked out, my hips jerking forward as her shadows danced along my length, stroking me with a rhythm that was too good, too much. I could feel the slickness of her arousal as I dragged myself against her entrance, teasing but not giving her what she wanted. She arched into me, her breasts pressing against my chest, and I couldn’t resist biting down on her collarbone. She moaned, her hands clawing at my back as I ground against her, the friction making us both shudder. Her shadows tightened around me again, pulling me closer, and I finally snapped.

I slammed into her with one brutal thrust, burying myself to the hilt. Her head fell back, but I caught her chin, forcing her to look at me. “Eyes on me,” I growled, wrapping my fingers around her throat. She nodded, biting her lip as I set a punishing pace, fucking her so hard the dresser rocked with every thrust, rattling the mirror reflecting her beautiful ass as she moved.

Her shadows were everywhere, wrapping around us both, pulling me deeper, pushing me faster. They coiled around her waist, lifting her hips to meet mine, and I felt her walls clencharound me, tight and wet and perfect. I laughed, dark and rough, as I leaned in to bite her neck again. “You like that, don’t you?” I hissed, my breath hot against her skin. “You fucking love it.”

I pushed harder, riding out the waves of our shared ecstasy. The mirror behind her rattled with each powerful snap of my hips. I wanted to fuck her so hard it shattered, until the only reflection was our bodies joined as one. Her legs were wrapped around me, trembling, shaking, her heels digging into the small of my back like she was trying to anchor herself to me, to keep me from ever pulling out.

I didn’t fucking want to. Every inch of her was mine. Without warning, the mirror cracked. A sharp, splintering sound that only made me fuck her harder. I wanted it to shatter. I wanted it to break into a thousand fucking pieces. I wanted to make her come so hard she couldn’t see straight, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but feel me inside her.

She whimpered, and her shadows moved lower, slipping between us to tease her clit. She cried out, her body shaking as she came, and I followed her over the edge with a roar. Mine to have. Mine to claim. Hers to break.

Satiated and breathless, Paesha rested her head on my shoulder, her skin still flushed and damp against mine. The remains of her wedding dress lay scattered across the floor like fallen petals, and her Remnants drifted lazily around us, calmer than I’d seen them in weeks. I pressed a kiss to her shoulder, tasting salt and honey and home.

Three sharp knocks rattled the door. A pause. Then one more.

“Are you done defiling my wife?” Archer’s muffled voice carried through the wood with far too much amusement. “Did you break something else, because I’ll start billing.”