Page 124 of Sands of Atonement

The world stopped spinning when I opened my eyes.

Before this moment, I had never felt so seen. Now, there was nothing between us anymore. No lies, no masks. He was seeing every inch of me.

It was all I ever wanted.

“I know,” I whispered so only he heard and not me.

Ezra released a throaty grumble and tightened his hold on me. He brushed his free thumb across my full lips as his gaze dropped to them. His thumb pressed gently into them, tugging them.

My breath caught in my throat, and his face leaned in.

His forehead met mine.

Ezra lifted his eyes to mine. They were so dark, no light to be seen. I saw the pain in them.

I felt the tip of his strong nose move along my cheek, his lips so close to mine. I froze. Afraid to break this moment. His lips brushed my cheek, down to my jaw—he was exploring me. He moved his hands down from my waist to my hips, pressing me closer to him. I gasped when I felt something hard between my legs. When the sound escaped me, he only gripped me harder. I nearly whimpered at the intensity of his grip.

His leather scent completely wrapped itself around me, and all I wanted was to see him, smell him, touch him, taste him.

Ezra continued moving his lips around my face, on my eyelids, my nose, licking and biting my neck in the same sore spot.

I was flooded with heat.

“Tell me you hate me,” Ezra said in a husky tone. He was resisting, fighting a battle within himself. I could practically hear it. “Don’t let me do this to you.”

But I didn’t want him to stop. I closed my eyes and felt his mouth around my throat. Sensations pooled beneath my stomach, and it warmed my body, sending shivers along my skin. I breathed in his scent.

“Tell me to stop, Eshe. Please.”

Please.

He had never said please to me before. My heart was pounding violently against my rib cage—I couldn’t stop this even if I wanted to.

My body was only bringing him closer to me.

I knew why he was pushing against something so powerful between us, but my body wasn’t as good as his. If I were a better person, I would listen to his wishes—I wouldn’t push him to this point. But I needed this.

His breathing was heavy, and I could tell he was on the cusp of something so beautiful.

Ezra barely leaned back to see my eyes.

Something was unleashed in them.

And his lips were on mine, taking all of my breath away.

Ezra’s lips were warm and soft as he moved them across mine. Time was gone, and I was sinking into the boulder with Ezra. Nothing else mattered as he kissed me. The hunger he held in was released on his lips, and finally, he feasted on mine.

His hot lips were so divine. I opened my lips slightly, and his tongue found mine. Our tongues wrapped around each other's.

I sighed, and he pulled me harder against himself in response, his large hands pressing against my hips. As his punishment for my sounds, his teeth nipped my lower lip. I couldn’t help the moan that escaped, but his mouth captured the sound. Metal exploded in my mouth, and we shared the taste of my blood.

“Eshe,” Ezra prayed, and I nearly fell apart with my name on his lips. I wrapped my fingers into his smooth, black, wavy hair and pulled our kiss deeper. His tongue was fully in my mouth, and it was sweet and riveting. Dangerous and safe.

Everything that I ever wanted.

Suddenly, I was brought back to when I was sixteen. She would have freaked out to know I was kissing Ezra eight years later. She would never have believed Ezra wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

“You’re so fucking perfect,” Ezra rasped into my mouth. “You’re so fucking mine.”