Page 43 of Forbidden Empire

The tension that had defined us, predator and prey, hunter and hunted, seemed to dissipate like morning mist, leaving us suspended in a strange, unfamiliar territory.

His hands mapped my curves with possessive strokes, as if memorizing the landscape of my body now that he'd claimed it.

"You'll never run from me again, Esme," he whispered against my lips, each syllable burning into me like a brand.

His fingers traced the outline of a bruise blooming purple on my hip, his touch both reverent and possessive.

Goddamn him.

My heart slammed against my ribs as something primal and desperate clawed its way up my throat. I seized his face between my palms, my fingernails digging into the sharp edges of his jaw.

His pupils dilated, black swallowing gold until a thin ring remained.

"Then stop chasing me, Aidon. Please."

The corner of his mouth curved upward.

That fucking smirk that made my blood simmer and my thighs clench.

He rumbled in his chest as I tried to wrench away. His arm snaked around my waist like iron, crushing me against the hard planes of his body until I felt the thunderous beat of his heart against my spine.

"Goodnight, Esme," he murmured, his breath hot against the nape of my neck.

His teeth grazed my shoulder, not quite a bite, not quite a kiss, but a reminder that even in sleep, I was claimed.

Marked. His.

I let out a breath, all the fight sparking and guttering out in my muscles.

Holy fuck, I was done.

I’d been running forever, fighting by myself for even longer.

Way, way too long.

He curled in behind me, spooning close. His body heat pressed in and, for a second, I felt something almost like comfort. Like, real comfort.

With Aidon, it had always been a rough impact: fucking, snarling, and the second we were done? Back to being enemies.

But this…this soft tether of warmth felt dangerous and intoxicating.

And fuck, it felt good. Too good.

So damned good that I could get used to it, and I realized that would have been even more dangerous than sleeping with him.

I stared up at the ceiling, listening to him snore, caught in his tight, possessive grip, even in the depths of slumber.

My plan had been simple: ravish him once, then vanish and put miles between me and Aidon, this God-forsaken soulless city, chase any scrap of safety that wasn’t here.

But the second he wrapped his arms around me, I caved.

Pathetic, right? Was I this weak? Did one night of freaky-hot sex wipe out every single conviction I’d ever fought for? If so, what did that say about me? What happened to the badass I’d spent years sculpting from pain and grit?

I lay there, wide awake, mind spinning like a blender set to “shred.” Panic crawled up my throat and wrapped tight around my chest. My heart pounded like it wanted to punch a hole through my ribs and bolt.

Sleep tiptoed in, but it felt like sliding into quicksand, no clue if I’d come up for air on the other side.

Tomorrow? No idea what that would look like.