Page 157 of Modern Romance September 2025 5-8

‘Torture you?’

‘With your beauty,’ he rasped. ‘You lured me out because I wanted to see you, get closer to you. A siren calling me to my doom. My reckoning. I came willingly. And still you torture me. Because I want to see more. I want to touch all of you.’

‘Then end it. This torture.’ She sucked in a trembling breath. ‘And touch me.’

‘It will never end. I know this now.’ He raised himself up on his knees until she looked up at him, and he down at her. ‘I will only ever want more. More of your presence. Of your touch.’ He pressed her down until her head met the pillow he’d made using the long furs. ‘As I have every day,every moment, since we met.’ And he leaned down, caught her lips and kissed her.

‘More,’ she demanded. ‘I want more.’

His mouth moved, whispering kisses across the tip of her chin, her cheeks, the lids of her eyes.

He sat up on his knees, gazed down at her and tore the T-shirt from over his head. And she looked at him. At the broad shoulders, taut with strength. Power pulsed in his heaving, muscular chest. Her throat turned dry. Her mouth opened, her tongue seeking his tight pink nipples. Her eyes roved down to the prominent V leading down from his hips, lightly scattered with dark hair, and disappearing into his jeans.

‘I will give you more.’ He undid the button of his jeans, slid down the zip, and pushed them off with his boxers. Until he was naked at her feet. Proud and pulsing. ‘Slowly,’ he promised thickly.

With unhurried hands, he undressed her. Pulled the lightweight stretchy dress down and over the bump protruding between them. Down over her thighs.

He gripped her ankles, one after the other, and pulled the dress free from her body until all she had on was her white knickers.

‘I want to see all of you,’ he growled, and reached for the white material sitting low on her hips. And slowly, agonizingly slowly, he took them down. His knuckles grazed the skin on her outer thighs.

‘Oh,’ she moaned, electrified.

He didn’t pause. Didn’t falter. He kept pulling the cotton down against her knees, down the tender flesh of her calves to her feet.

‘Bend your knees,’ he commanded, and she did just that. She bent her knees and planted her feet. Presented herself to him.

‘Aurora,’ he growled, his eyes moving over every naked inch of her skin. Her breasts, her darkened aureoles, her tight nipples. And down. Across her wide hips, her round stomach. His eyes rested on the dark triangle of curls between her legs. And she slickened. Felt the moisture coat her intimate lips.

‘You are beauty itself,’ he told her.

And she felt it. She felt precious. An artwork created just for his eyes. For his body. His hands.

Only for him.

He positioned himself between her knees. And ducked. Pressed his lips to the bone in her ankle and licked her.

‘Sebastian!’

He didn’t answer. He moved. Kissing upwards. Up her calf, her knee. Her inner thigh.

And then he kissed her there. At her core.

She squealed. Tried to lock her hips.

‘I want to taste you.’ He gripped her hips, pulled her onto his mouth and laved her with his tongue.

‘Yes,’ she panted, closing her eyes to encourage the intensity, or to diminish it, she didn’t know. But the pleasure was overwhelming. Having his mouth on her. Kissing. Licking.

‘Ahh!’She reached down and thrust her fingers into his hair as he caught the swollen nub at the centre of her and brought it between his lips. But he didn’t relent as she pushed his head harder against her. He flicked his tongue and sucked until all she became was heat and trembling desire.

She didn’t feel his hand leave her hip, but she knew it had when his finger pushed inside her. She clenched intimately around him. Rocked herself on the welcome digit. He pushed another inside her as his mouth worked her flesh.

And she was frantic. She clawed at him, tugging hair. Until all she could do was hold her breath and let it take over her. The warmth. So hot, so intoxicating was the illicit heat he dragged from inside her. It drugged her. And she was helpless as the light burst in her abdomen. Behind her eyes.

She locked her thighs around his head.

And Aurora screamed.