Page 42

42

Lore

“ I intend to,” I growled. My cock was on fire, thrusting against the front of my pants.

Reyla tilted her head and when she ran the tip of her tongue across her lower lip, I worried I’d explode. “I believe I should get undressed, don’t you?”

Such sweet seduction. I couldn’t wait to be with her—finally.

She watched me with a sultry smirk as she ran her fingertip over the hilt of one of her blades. The action was casual, but it set my heart aflame. She unfastened the sheath at her waist and laid the twin daggers I'd given her on the side table with a soft click.

“Do you realize,” she tugged the strap of a smaller blade's sheath away from her thigh, “how filthy these are now?” A delicate frown filled her face. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the drag of her hands over her weaponry, her touch light, reverent even as she removed one after another. She shrugged out of the straps fastened across her chest, the ones pinning her sword against her back, and raised her gaze to meet mine. “The sheaths too. I’ll need to clean them properly later.”

“Later,” I echoed, my voice rough, nearly feral. My chest twitched as I watched her work, stripping down her arsenal, leaving only this exposed woman I adored behind. She was teasing me, filling the air with tension I could taste.

But then her hands faltered. A slight tremor passed through her as she lifted her fingers to unfasten her leather tunic.

That tremble undid me, and it humbled me in a way nothing ever had. Not borgons. Not the threat of my throat being carved wide open. Not even the curse itself.

She wanted me. I had no doubt about that.

This showed she trusted me enough to let me see her vulnerability mingling with her boldness.

I looped a finger under the collar of my torn tunic, tugging it up to pop open the remaining clasps. The sound drew her attention, and her eyes swept over the line of skin I revealed at my belly, her pupils wild and dark. Heat coiled low in my gut.

“Watch me, Wildfire,” I said, stepping back to let the warmth of the chamber seep into me as I finished pulling what remained of my shirt over my head. I let it drop, no care for it now. It, like me, had seen too much battle.

Her mouth opened, likely prepared with a comeback, but it snapped shut again when I kicked off my boots and popped open the fastening at the top of my pants. The leather parted, and my cock thrust forward, tenting the front of my undergarment.

She gulped, this beautiful, bold, brave wife of mine who’d sucked me off until I bellowed.

“Nothing new here,” I said with a smirk. “You’ve seen—and tasted what I have to offer already. ”

“That was…then.”

Pausing, I stroked her face. “You once asked me if I’d still exist when the curse broke, and I told you I didn’t know. As much as I ached to be whole again, I worried I’d lose who I was deep inside.” I stared into her eyes. “I’m here. All of me. Everything we said, everything we did as Lorant and as Merrick was done with me .”

Her throat worked hard with her swallow.

“I’m Lore, the man you saved. The man you fused into one person. The ruthless assassin. The intimidating, overbearing, sardonic viper you loved at dusk has now merged with the noble, kindhearted, full-of-hope man you fell in love with at dawn. I’ve lost nothing. I see myself sitting with you on the tower roof, beside you on the throne. Holding you while you cried and soothing your pain. There’s nothing missing.”

“Lore,” she croaked, her eyes swimming with tears.

“But we can wait if you want. No pressure. I’m here. I’m me. And I’m yours. Evermore , Wildfire.” It would kill me, but I’d never push her for more if she wasn’t ready.

“Fuck, no.” Her smile curled up. “We are not waiting any longer.”

“You’re sure?”

“Completely.”

“Very well, then, wife.”

I slid my trousers across my hips, and her gaze dropped again, skimming over my chest, lingering on the sharp lines of my belly, before dipping farther. By the time I was fully naked, the color in her cheeks burned bright enough to rival the steam curling through the chamber.

“You really are pretty,” she groaned.

I traced a fingertip along the scar bisecting my face. “Pretty? Never that, Reyla. Changed, maybe. Remade by fate. But when I’m with you, I don’t feel ugly or broken. I feel seen. ”

“A scar is a surface thing. No, it’s a mark of honor. You survived the cloaked figure in the woods. Wear it proudly. Who you are, your true beauty, is inside. It always has been.”

“When I look at you, it’s like a thousand wars raging inside me go still. And when you look at me like you are now, I realized I was made to believe in beauty. Not mine, but yours reflected in me.”

“There isn’t anything you can do or say that will ever drive me away.”

May the fates never challenge that statement.

“Our bath is getting cold,” she croaked, her eyes shining with tears.

I didn’t want to make her cry. I only wanted to bring her joy. “We’ll soak. Give our bones a rest.” I turned away from her heated gaze, letting her see my back, my shoulders, and yes, my ass too. A knot of need tightened between my ribs, but I kept my movements unhurried.

Her fingertip traced down my spine, ending at one ass cheek.

“See something you like?” I asked over my shoulder as I stepped up and into the tub. Steam coasted across my skin, the heat almost shocking.

Her voice, steadier now, cut through the quiet. “Only because it's right there in my face. Someone’s not very modest.”

“You adore my ass.”

She rolled her eyes and exhaled sharply. “It's not that nice of an ass.”

“No, it’s not nice . It’s perfect.” I settled down in the water, letting my head roll back against the polished edge of the stone tub, my lips quirking up in a lazy way. “You’re the one who’s still wearing too much clothing, Wildfire.”

Amusement softened her features.

Locking her eyes on mine, she tugged her tunic up over her head, revealing pale and creamy skin beneath the streaks of borgon filth. Bruises marred her flesh, already forming from the battle. Nicks and deeper lacerations. I'd kiss them all away with my healing magic. Two thumps of her boots on the floor were followed by the whisper of her pants, leaving her clad in nothing but underwear, socks, and a heady glint of anticipation in her eyes.

Her fingers trailed over her legs as she shucked first one sock, then the other. Each movement aroused me in a way I’d never experienced in my life. I clenched the edges of the tub as she turned, revealing the graceful arch of her back, the curve of her waist as she slid the remaining layers down across her hips. Her hands lingered there, and she glanced over her shoulder, so demure, so coy. And sly. I couldn’t hold back my growl.

This woman. My woman. My queen.

When she turned and stood before me, everything else ceased to exist. Gone was the splendor of the chamber. Our playful teasing.

Even that hint of vulnerability in her eyes.

The steam shrank, blown aside by the warmth radiating between us. Her wild, sunset hair tumbled freely across her shoulders, enveloping her spine and haloing her skin marred with battle-earned wounds. Her eyes, always challenging, always captivating, locked on mine as if she was daring me to do anything but worship her now.

As I had all along.

The rise and fall of her chest was punctuated by the delicate catch of her breath.

I drank her in.

“You are,” I rasped, my words catching in my throat, “ devastating .”

Her brows hitched upward. “Devastating?” she echoed, the tease coming through thick in her voice .

I dragged my gaze over her every curve, committing how she looked now to memory.

“Your hair is wildfire spun from the last light of the sun,” I said. “Your body…” I swallowed hard, my voice dipping to match the joy that filled me. “Even the stars must envy you.”

Her breath caught again, and her face cracked, her lips parting. A delicious ache stabbed through my chest because I could tell my words pleased her.

“And your ass,” I added with a smirk. “I've changed my mind about how it looks in leathers.”

“Oh, you have, have you?” The delight in her voice… I was going to come on the spot.

“It's far prettier when it’s uncovered.”

Her laugh burst free, uninhibited and rich. She ducked her head, letting her hair veil her face, but not before her cheeks darkened with a fiery blush. The sound of her happiness filled the chamber, filled me.

Sliding her gaze back to mine, she angled her hips with an exaggerated flair as she moved toward me. “You’d better be worth all this praise you keep tossing my way, Lore,” she quipped, her voice so playful it made my heart ache.

She took the stairs to the top and paused there, an exquisite statue prettier than the moon, the stars, and the turbulent sea. With a smile, she dipped one foot, then the other, into the water. It lapped at her skin as she stepped down, the ripples surging out to stroke my chest. Her beauty, her wit, her fire. Combined, they made her a force no curse, no throne, no other soul could rival.

She settled in the water opposite me. “This feels amazing.” Tipping her head back, she closed her eyes, and her groan ripped out. “Every muscle in my body hurts.”

“Let me soothe your aches.” I made my way across the tub and knelt in front of her .

Water lapped around us, and the heat flushed my skin as much as the sight of her did. Her neck arched, and I caught the flicker of her pulse against the elegant curve of her throat. A thousand battles had sung in those veins, but now, I would only write tenderness in her flesh.

I settled my palms on her shoulders. Power stirred beneath my skin, eager, restless, waiting to be called.

Her breath eased out as I began to knead the taut muscles. The cords of tension there melted as I pressed paths along the slope of her shoulders with my fingertips. She tilted her head forward, resting it on my shoulder.

“This feels wonderful,” she sighed. “Never stop.”

“Never,” I murmured against her temple.

I worked my fingers around to her nape. I tutted when I saw bruises peppering her back.

Inhaling, I tugged magic from the air around us, feeding it like flames into my hands. The bruises began to lighten, but that wasn't enough. After gently turning her to face away from me, and shifting her hair across one shoulder, I kissed each deep purple shadow marring her skin, infusing my touch with healing power.

A hum rumbled in her chest, and her body loosened further.

“Better?” I rasped, my lips grazing her ear as heat surged through me. She nodded, and I pressed another kiss beneath one of her ears, one full of need.

Turning her back around, I trailed kisses along her neck and collarbone, my hands following the journey. Her skin, painted with the marks of battle, responded as I worked, the bruises fading. A swipe of my thumb across an inflamed gash along her arm, and the faint glow of my magic faded the angry red into nothingness. I sealed each wound with a kiss.

When I brushed my thumbs across her arms again, lazily trailing over already-healed skin, she lifted her head to meet my gaze. Her eyes were heavy-lidded, her lips parted, and her cheeks were flushed, and not only from the steam.

“You're thorough.” Her voice came out husky, and there was no mistaking the slight tremor of unspoken need beneath her playful tone.

“Always.” Her warmth, her heartbeat, the feel of her… It was all-consuming. I trailed my fingers up her arms before gliding them down to settle along her ribs. “Where else does it hurt?”

“Here.”

When she pressed her fingertip against her lips, I kissed her, pulling back to give her a crooked smile. “Anywhere else?”

“I think… here.” She slid her fingertips across the tops of her breasts.

I cupped them and ran my thumbs across her nipples.

She tipped her head back and released a soft moan.

I leaned closer, my breath brushing her ear. “Anywhere else?”

“Everywhere, Lore. I ache for you everywhere.”

I settled on the seat beside her and tugged her onto my lap, spreading her legs around my thighs. Holding her ass, I dragged her forward until she was seated flush against my rigid cock.

Her head tipped back, and she clung to my shoulders, grinding her body against mine.

Pride coiled deep in my chest. Not the kind of hollow pride a crown gave a man, but the utter joy of knowing I could bring this woman to the point where she could shed every wall and defense. The thought fanned the fire inside me, spreading heat through my blood.

I slid my hands forward and while rubbing her clit with one hand, I moved the other beneath her and surged my fingers inside.

“Lore,” she gasped, the subtle roll of her hips as she adjusted against me making my cock ache. My body tightened in response, hard and throbbing .

Her breath shuddered, and she clung to me tighter, her nails digging into my shoulders. I welcomed the bite, the proof that she was here, with me, wanting this as much as I did. Her pulse throbbed in her throat, and her gasps echoed around us.

“Lore,” she moaned again, her voice a sweet plea that sent shivers tracking through me. I loved the way she said my name, like it was both a secret and a promise. I wanted to hear it again and again, forever.

I leaned in, capturing her lips with mine. She opened for me, her tongue meeting mine in a fierce dance. I could taste the battle on her, the sweat and blood and fear, but beneath it all, something sweet that was uniquely her. I deepened the kiss, wanting more of this woman. My wife.

Her hips began to move faster, grinding against my hand. Her heat, her desire was intoxicating. I curled my fingers inside her, hitting that spot that made her gasp and her body shudder.

“Right there,” she breathed against my mouth. “Don't stop.”

I had no intention of stopping. I wanted to make her feel good, to make her forget everything but me. I wanted to give her pleasure, to give her love.

I trailed kisses down her neck, her collarbone, her chest. Taking one of her nipples into my mouth, I sucked on it, stroking my tongue across it until she writhed against me. Dragging my mouth to the other, I gave it the same attention. Her cries filled the chamber, echoing off the stone walls.

When her body started to tense, I pulled my fingers out of her hot passage.

Her grip tightened on my shoulders to the point of pinch. “You stopped,” she growled, her eyes wild and feral.

“Take what you need from my body, love. All of me is yours.” I lifted her only far enough to center my cock at her entrance.

Then I let her drop down, seating my body deep inside hers.