Page 116 of Terror Tuesday

He smiles as his eyes lock onto mine. “I was only returning the favor. Life before you? It was nothing.”

The tension between us shifts, like a heartbeat quickening. His hand slips to my waist, pulling me closer.

“You’re mine, Monarch,” he says, low and firm. “All of you. Even the parts that hate me.”

Humming a breath out, I whisper, “I don’t hate you. And you’remine, Valen.Bothsides of you.”

He leans in, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “Then prove it.”

A shiver rolls down my spine. “How?”

“Come with me.” He takes my hand and leads me to the bed, his fingers warm and sure. “Let me show you how real this is.”

His hands on my waist, his breath hot on my ear, it’s so different from the violence and betrayal that’s haunted us. I let the memories of Blackwell fade, let the pain wash away.

Even as the truth crashes over me, his touch steadies me. My anger fades into longing—because I know, somehow, my soul has always belonged to him. And I want Valen and Elliot and Vanq, no matter how dangerous.

Ivy and soft, faded sheets cover the bed. A faint scent of roses from the overgrown indoor garden drifts through the cracks in the floor, mixing with the smoke from the candles as they dance around us.

Valen lowers me onto the bed like he’s afraid I’ll vanish if he doesn’t hold me close enough.

“Ride me,” he whispers against my lips. “I want to watch you and for you to see all of me.”

Slowly, I peel off and toss my dress to the floor as he watches my every move. Then, he mimics me by shedding his sports coat and his button-up shirt underneath in a hurry. I undo the bands of my garter belt and let it slip off. He then joins me by unbuckling and throwing his trousers across the room. I giggle as I undo my bra, letting my breasts free, and he smiles, maintaining his gaze on my eyes, then letting them trail over my whole body.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous.”

If I doubted how he felt about me when he told me that he loved me, the look on his face now is full of honesty. I’ve never felt insecure with Valen.

As I hook a finger into my thong and shimmy it off my hips, he shoves his boxer briefs off, and I behold his firm erection. For someone inexperienced, he certainly knows how to please me.

We kneel, facing each other on the bed, the air between us softened with sweetness. He presses his lips to mine, gently at first, tasting me like I’m a secret he’s kept for too long. My hands roam over the hard lines of his shoulders, the curve of his throat. His skin is warm, and the steady beat of his heart grounds me. He cups my ass, not in a lewd way, but as if it belongs to him.

I’m pulled straight back to our first kiss—when I pressed Elliot against the tree, breathless and undone. That moment had consumed me. And now…I’m still lost for this man. Especially knowing he’s both of them. One and the same.

When the kiss deepens, his lips parting, tongue slick against mine, it feels like our souls are caught in a private heaven. Just us. Nothing else exists.

“Valen…” I whisper, breath hitching as he shifts to lie below me, guiding me over his length until I settle onto him with a slow, teasing glide.

“I’m here.” His voice roughens with something that echoes reverence. “I’m yours.”

Every movement is tender, every sigh a confession. He reaches up to hold my face with both hands. When I lean in, his lips brush my cheek, my jaw, the soft skin below my ear. I cling to his shoulders like I’ll never let go.

We move together in a rhythm that feels both frantic and unhurried. It’s as if we have all the time in the world, even knowing that we don’t.

Magic lies in the way his hips join mine. Our hearts beating against each other. Tiny breaths swapping between us…

I remember saying that love is for the safe.

But his love is dangerous.

And I accept it anyway.

When the orgasm hits, it’s with his name on my lips, my nails digging into his chest. And when he follows, it’s with a groan that sounds like prayer.

“Olivia…”

I lay my body on top of his, candles glowing around us. Despite the fact that he killed my ex. That he was sent to kill my father. And I’m supposed to kill him.