Page 44 of Until the End of Ever (To the Cruel Gods #2)

KLEOS

N o one seemed to have any intention of leaving the manor tonight and I was grateful for it, blushing every time I so much as glanced at Lucian—which happened a lot.

He’d been ready to die for me, without question or hesitation, knowing that losing his life during our mind journey would have killed him in the real world.

And then I had to go and profess my undying love for a guy I’d technically dated for a week.

What could I even say to him after that? Please don’t freak out?

Except he wasn’t freaking out at all. Ever the accommodating host, Lucian threw together the most delicious lasagna imaginable while I was regaining use of my limbs in the bath, using the leftovers from Friday’s ragù.

The six of us ate enough for twenty, all before the amused eyes of the patriarch, who was never one to miss a meal.

And this time, we certainly didn’t skip the wine.

It must have been one or two in the morning when Gideon slurred, “I suppose we should get going…” halfheartedly.

Lucian rolled his eyes. “Right. Like I’d let a bunch of drunken, exhausted, slightly high morons traipse all over town at the witching hour. There are spare rooms aplenty. You’re staying.”

“I’ll show you to the best one!” Lucky offered, hopping off her seat, Silver, Gideon, and Ronan on her trail.

The latter had presumably no need of a guide, but we were all ready to sleep at that point.

I watched them leave the floor, head tilted. My own guest room had been right next to Lucian’s, so I’d assumed the rest were close by. The gods knew I hadn’t had a chance to check out the many doors on this floor alone.

“The best guest bedroom’s over there, huh?” I teased. “And here I thought you liked me.”

Bringing his hand to the small of my back to guide me to our rooms, he sniggered. “Silly witch. You didn’t get a guest bedroom at all. You’d think I’d suffer any visitor snoring right next to me?”

I flushed. Come to think of it, he definitely didn’t seem the kind of guy to let just anyone so close while he slept.

“Oh.”

“You can stop fidgeting,” he said with that knowing crooked grin. “I’m not going to interrogate you while you can barely stand. I know that ritual was a lot.”

My shoulders relaxed, and I chuckled, embarrassed. “Am I that easy to read?”

“If one pays attention.” In the room, he kissed my forehead and slid into the bed next to me.

I truly was exhausted, but my heart beat fast in anticipation. There was a difference between fucking a man in every feasible position for a week straight, but lying in bed with him after professing eternal adoration was another story.

I won’t make it. One of us has to.

The moment you sink, I let go. It’s you and me. Until the end of ever.

He wasn’t running. He hadn’t called me clingy or told me maybe we needed a bit of space, suggesting I return to the other room for the night. He was here, after I shoved my big foot in my mouth and told him I wanted him forever.

His hands were gentle, stroking my back, holding me close.

It occurred to me that Lucian probably wanted to go to sleep.

And I needed to sleep, too, bone-tired, despite the fact that I hadn’t technically moved in three days.

It was an exhaustion of the soul rather than the body.

But I needed him more. I hungered for his touch, desperately craved it after believing we both would die in that hellish storm.

Lucian generally initiated most touches, his uncanny ability to tell just what I was thinking making him kiss me, hold me, tease me and fuck me just when I wanted, how I wanted.

I chased any awkwardness away as I pressed against him, dragging my hips against his groins, my mouth claiming his.

He responded immediately, deepening our kiss, the soft touches growing more demanding.

I pulled at my clothes impatiently, annoyed at myself for wearing any, while Lucian had wisely dispensed with all of his.

As I hopped on top of him, straddling his hips, he smiled against my collarbone. “Hungry little witch, huh?”

I rocked against his hard length.

“Uh-huh.” We were both exhausted, but the urge to feel him inside me was so much stronger than any other consideration. “Sorry if you’re too tired.”

“If I ever deny you, you may assume I’ve perished and only a husk of a man remains.” His cock aligned at my entrance, and I sank onto it slowly, feeling every inch.

I didn’t even think sex was going to be good tonight, given that logic dictated we should already both be passed out. But somehow each deliciously languorous stroke of his cock, each time my hips moved to meet him, felt better than ever. It shouldn’t have been possible.

Lucian’s mouth greedily closed over my pointed nipple as I clawed at his back, rocking up and down, back and forth, unhurriedly, and taking him so, so deep.

I wanted this now and forever. Witches had urges, and I’d satisfied mine just fine my entire adulthood, but no one had felt so perfect, like our bodies were meant to fit with each other.

I was quite certain that there was no one else in the entire cosmos, nothing else in the mess of chaos, which made more sense than Lucian and me.

We came together without warning, silver eyes devouring mine as he grunted my name against my tits. I might have drawn his black blood with my nails.

The next moment, I was cradled against his side, his cock still inside me as we both fell asleep.