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Ophelia had married into the royal family, but it felt pointless to tell him that. I was still the heir to the Aurelian throne. And so was he… if he chose to see it that way.

He took his time responding. Eventually, he said, “Thank you for telling me who you are. I don’t blame you for what happened—you aren’t the reason we lost our Kingdom.

” He held my gaze. “And I’m sorry that you had to witness your mother’s death.

As a child, nonetheless. And what your father did…

he betrayed you when you needed him most. Did your aunt treat you well? ”

I nodded. The weight on my chest began to lift. I let out a long breath that I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding. “Yes. She raised me like her own. She never had children. And…” I paused, building up courage. “I’m the heiress to the Aurelian throne… against all odds.”

His brows raised as he rubbed his stubbled chin thoughtfully, before giving me a glowing grin.

“I knew you were special, but this is… beyond my wildest dreams . It’s destiny , my love.

We were meant to be,” he rejoiced, kissing my worries away.

His mouth made an unhurried descent down my throat…

and then across the swells of my breasts.

I’d thrown so much at him today; between my confessions, accusations, and difficult truths, he’d stood strong. It seemed nothing would scare him away.

I traced his jawline with my hand, entranced by his masculine beauty… dipping my gaze to meet sparkling eyes. I held his face, pressing my lips against his. He was mine . And now he truly knew who I was. It made me feel so close to him. But I wanted to be closer .

Licking down his neck, I wrapped my arms around his strong shoulders and straddled him. I wanted to free fall into the deep end of whatever this was between us. With unbridled fervor, I gave him all my hope, all my fear. Each kiss melted into the next.

His fingers finished what they’d started, loosening buttons until my dress fell away and pooled around us. In one smooth motion, he leaned me back and slid me to the edge of the bed.

He kneeled on the floor and began pulling the remainder of my dress off. His eyes turned molten when he saw that I was, indeed, not wearing any undergarments. His night beard tickled me as he kissed my thighs, making me wriggle away.

He peered at me, eyes shining, before lowering his head. The first swipe of his tongue sent fire to my loins. His fingers slipped inside me, while he continued to tease me with his mouth; nibbling, sucking, tasting, savoring.

Soon I was pleading his name, demanding he take me. All of me . He rose up until he was bracing himself over my trembling body, kissing me until we were both shaking with anticipation.

“It might hurt, since it’s your first time.

I’ll give you time to adjust… I’ll be gentle.

” I could feel his sizable length, thick and hard as he rubbed himself down my center.

I opened my legs wider in an attempt to accommodate him.

He was soft as silk, hard as steel, throbbing as he ran himself along my aching core.

He’d told me what to expect, but I still didn’t see how he was going to fit. But the need to be closer surpassed all my fears. “I’m ready,” I said with thick emotion, lifting my hips to meet his.

“If I get carried away, tell me if you want me to stop… and I will,” he said roughly, his hair falling into his eyes. Eternally composed Galen was coming apart at the seams—trembling as he stared down at me in awe.

We didn’t break eye contact as he guided himself in with a slow, heavy slide. A pinch of discomfort followed as I was coaxed open, stretching beyond my capacity. There was more pain than I’d expected. I bit back a whimper, gripping the sheets, but I didn’t protest as he moved deeper.

He paused when my inner walls squeezed around him, resisting his advance. “Breathe…” he whispered. He slowed his progression, but didn’t stop. “You feel better than I could’ve imagined,” he murmured into my ea r. “You’re wrapped so tightly around my cock. Gods … Marigold. I can barely—”

He grunted as he carefully pulled out… and then back in, letting out a shaky breath.

I could feel him growing even harder—stretching me wider, deeper.

Stomach muscles cramped as waves of pleasure lapped over me, even as the sensation of being ripped open continued.

I didn’t know how much more I could take.

Galen reached down and expertly rubbed the bundle of nerves between my legs, giving me time to adjust. That’s all it took to remember the ecstasy that came with his touch.

The discomfort began to fade… and a delicious need surged within me. He groaned as I relaxed, allowing him to plunge deeper, deeper… sinking into me until our bodies were flush.

We stared at each other in wonder. Physically, we were as close as two people could get, but it was so much more than that. His golden uhra shimmered around us. And in this moment, we were one. He began to move over me, and then we were rocking together.

He was an attentive lover, noticing what I responded to.

Soon I was lost to his touch, his toe-curling kisses, his rhythm.

He hovered with feline grace as he began to thrust faster.

I moved with him, moaning like a feral animal.

This felt so good, so right. I wrapped my legs around him, panting as we built up to the crescendo.

Could I die from bliss? If so… what a way to die .

Frost-tipped fingers burned into flesh as I gripped his shoulder blades, begging for relief. He was driving deep into me now. I gave him all of me as I tilted back my head and cried out his name.

I was building up, up, up… until I exploded into a million pieces. Ice coated the walls of the room as wave after wave crashed over me. Galen roared as he pulled himself out of me and released onto the sheets.

He fell beside me and we sagged into the bed. Once our heart rates returned to normal, he asked, “How was it? Are you alright?”

I couldn’t believe that was what I’d been missing out on. I felt empty now, without him inside of me. How did people function in society when they could be doing that instead? “We are never leaving this bed again,” I said with a grin, rolling on top of him.

“As you wish,” he said, suckling a peaked nipple into his mouth, while I sat astride him. He was already growing hard beneath me .

“You can… be ready again so fast?” I blinked in surprise.

He laughed. “Not always. But with you, right now, it would be impossible not to be ready. You have no idea how many times I’ve thought about this moment—all the places I’ve wanted to make love to you, all the ways I plan to take you.”

Places? Ways? Apparently I still had a lot to learn.

Fast as lightning, he flipped me. I was on my stomach and he was behind me, rubbing against my backside, spreading my cheeks with the head of his erection.

“The question is, love, are you ready for me ?” The dominance in his voice caused a spike of adrenaline to run through me.

The insatiable ache between my legs pulsed in answer.

“Yes…” I said, biting my lip as he massaged slick folds.

“I’m going to take you like this. It will be easier for me to touch you… while I fuck you from behind.” He pulled a pillow from the top of the bed and tucked it under my hips. He bent my knees and opened my legs, making me jolt up when he buried his face into my sex.

Tsking, he gently guided me back down until my cheek was pressed into the mattress. Gripping my wrists with one hand, he pinned them behind my back, while his other hand explored me.

I let him take complete control, arching as he whispered, “Good girl.”

I bit my pillow to keep from screaming as he toyed with me, curling his fingers impossibly deep, keeping me teetering on the edge. “Please, Galen,” I begged.

In silent answer, he sat up behind me, pushing into my swollen entrance. Deeper… deeper. I moaned as he filled me completely. I was sore, but I was too dizzy with lust to care.

“If only you could see yourself, bent over… with me inside you,” he purred. He released my hands and I went pliant, melting into the bed as I fisted the sheets.

He began moving in controlled, languid circles. I stopped breathing as he gradually picked up the pace, gripping my bottom and pounding into me with painfully slow precision. His other hand was tucked between my thighs, playing with me, making me twitch, but holding back.

More, I wanted more. “Deeper…” I moaned .

He let out a low chuckle, lifting my hips up, opening me up to a new angle of pleasure. “My greedy girl…” he huffed. “I’m greedy too, when it comes to you.” He pulled out before sliding back in with a low thrust.

“I don’t want to share you,” he growled, with another thrust. He paused and I trembled around him, desperate for release. “Tell me you’re mine.”

He pulled my hips back, plunging in at the same time. I let out a muffled whimper into the bedding.

“I’m yours,” I gasped. I was so close, so desperate for him to finish what he’d started.

“One more time.”

“I’m yours,” I said again, louder.

“Should I let you cum now, sweetheart?”

“Yes…” I moaned.

His fingers wandered between my thighs as he slammed into me over and over.

We were frantic, spiraling towards the finish line, lost in the pleasure.

The primal sounds of our bodies clapping together, of our labored breathing, sent me soaring off the ledge.

I convulsed as stars exploded behind my eyes.

He swore and pulled out of me, crashing to the bed.

We laid there catching our breath, feeling raw inside and out. “Thank you,” he whispered, before wrapping his warm body around mine. “For the first time in a long time, I know what happiness feels like. And I’m not ever letting you go.”