Page 34 of Until She’s Mine

Evelyn

T here’s magic in being held by someone who sees the darkest parts of you and still refuses to let go.

Lucian’s arms are a fortress, unyielding and warm, as he carries me to the bedroom.

His lips trace a path of fire along my collarbone, murmuring dark promises against my skin.

Promises of protection, of possession, of a future intertwined so tightly that not even the ghosts of our pasts could tear us apart.

He lays me down on the bed with a gentleness that contrasts sharply with the intensity in his eyes.

His hands move to my blouse, undoing each button slowly, deliberately, as if he’s savoring each second.

I watch him, my breath hitching as he reveals more of me—not only my body, but the truth I’ve tried so hard to bury.

I’m a monster.

And he still wants me.

His fingers brush the skin beneath my ruined blouse, mapping my ribs. Each touch is electric, a brand marking me as his.

“Perfect,” he says. “Every part of you.”

The years of fear, of looking over my shoulder, of holding my breath and waiting for the past to catch up—they start to dissolve under the heat of his gaze. He sees the rot beneath the surface, the bloodstains I can never scrub clean, and he calls it perfect.

I swallow hard, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. No one has ever looked at me like I’m something precious, something worth cherishing despite the cracks and flaws. Lucian gathers me closer, his lips finding mine in a kiss that’s both a promise and a claiming.

My hands reach for him, pulling him down to me. The buttons of his shirt give way beneath my fumbling fingers, revealing the hard planes of his chest. I press my palm flat against his heart, feeling the steady, powerful beat beneath my touch. It’s the most solid thing in my crumbling world.

“Lucian,” I whisper. His name is a prayer, a plea, a confession.

He lowers his head, his mouth finding the pulse point at the base of my throat. His lips are hot, insistent, and I arch into him, offering myself up completely.

There are no more secrets between us now, no shadows left to hide in. Lucian knows the worst of me, and he hasn’t run. He hasn’t recoiled. He’s claimed me even more fiercely.

His hands slide beneath the waistband of my skirt, fingers tracing the curve of my hip before dipping lower.

I gasp as he finds the damp heat between my legs, his touch reverent.

He knows how to map my body, how to find the places that make me unravel, and he uses that knowledge with devastating precision.

“You’re mine,” he whispers against my lips. “Every scar, every secret, every shadow. You’re mine, Evelyn.”

I don’t argue. Not when his words ignite something fierce and primal inside me, something that mirrors his dark devotion.

He strips away the remnants of my clothes with agonizing slowness, his eyes mapping every inch of skin revealed.

My skirt joins the discarded blouse, leaving me bare beneath his scrutiny.

He touches the faint scar on my hip, a relic from a childhood fall, with the same reverence he touches my breasts.

Every part of me, flawed and broken, is worthy of his attention.

His fingers dip lower again, parting my folds, testing my readiness. I whimper, my hips lifting off the mattress instinctively, seeking more of his touch. He chuckles, a low sound that vibrates through the room. “Impatient, love? You want me to claim you properly?”

“Yes.” The word is torn from my throat. “Claim me. Make me forget everything but you.”

Lucian’s hand leaves me for only a moment as he sheds his clothes, tossing them aside carelessly.

When he returns to me, kneeling at my feet, his body is a masterpiece of sculpted muscle and controlled power.

His eyes burn into mine, holding me captive as he leans down, his lips hovering above mine.

“There’s no forgetting, Evelyn,” Lucian murmurs. “There’s only acceptance. This is who we are. Broken. Dangerous. And utterly devoted to each other.”

Then he enters me, slow and deliberate, filling me completely.

It’s not just a physical joining; it’s a fusion of souls, a merging of two fractured beings into something whole.

My body arches to meet his, accepting him fully, unconditionally.

Tears stream down my face, but they’re not tears of sadness or guilt.

They are tears of joy.

The stretch and fullness of him is almost too much, but then he moves, and everything else falls away. There’s only him: his hands on my hips, his lips on my skin, his body moving over me with a rhythm that feels like it’s been written in my blood.

I cling to him as waves of pleasure crash over me. He whispers my name like a mantra, each syllable a promise that binds us tighter together. And when I finally shatter in his arms, it’s with the knowledge that I’m not alone anymore. He’s here, he’s mine , and nothing will ever be the same again.

L ater, as we lie tangled in the sheets, the storm outside has quieted to a gentle rain. Lucian’s arm is draped over my waist, his breath warm against the back of my neck. The room smells like sweat and sex.

I turn in his arms to face him, my fingers tracing the contours of his face.

He watches me with those dark eyes that see straight through me, and for the first time in my life, I don’t feel the need to hide.

There’s a quiet understanding between us, a silent acknowledgment of the darkness we both carry and the light we’ve found in each other.

“What now?” My voice is barely audible over the soft patter of rain against the windows.

“Now,” he says, reaching for the nightstand drawer and pulling out a small velvet box.

My breath hitches as he opens it, revealing a ring.

It’s a single emerald, surrounded by diamonds that catch the dim light like fire.

“Marry me. Not because I know, or you owe me anything. Marry me because you want to. Because you know we’re stronger together than we are apart. ”

I can’t speak, can’t move. I only stare at him, at the ring, at the future he’s offering.

And I want.

I want him too, with every flaw, scar, secret, and lie. He’s not offering me a fairytale. He’s not asking for perfection. He knows what I am, what I’ve done, and he’s choosing me anyway.

I blink back the tears that threaten to spill over and say, “Yes.”

My hand trembles as I reach for the ring, but Lucian catches it, his fingers intertwining with mine. His grip is firm, grounding me as he slides the ring onto my finger. It fits perfectly, as if it were always meant to be there.

His lips meet mine in a kiss. When he pulls back, his forehead rests against mine, his breath mingling with mine in the quiet space between us. “You’re mine. And I’m yours. Forever.”

“Forever,” I echo.

I’m a monster, and I found my match.