Page 167 of Sands of Atonement

I was his, and he was about to take me.

Chapter 42

Ezra

To be honest, I didn’t know what the fuck just happened. I promised I would never leave Eshe, and I meant it. I wanted to be with her. I wanted to follow her. I wanted to hold her, kiss her, comfort her.

My world was slowly orbiting Eshe more and more. I followed her to my chamber, and once we passed my threshold, I closed the heavy door with a lock.

The towel was on the floor as Eshe lifted a brown dress over her head. Three long strides and I found myself behind her, tearing the dress from her hands.

“You won’t be needing this.”

She twirled around, her body still glistening from the bath. “Why not?”

“Waste of fabric. I’ll rip it off you if there’s anything but my hands on you.”

A shudder ran down her spine, and I took a step further, snaking my hands around her naked waist. She let out a soft gasp, and I could feel her trembling where she stood. Her breasts were hard points toward me, and I stood with one hand around her waist and the other palm barely grazing over her nipples. It’d been too long. They fit perfectly in my palm, molded just for me.

Her lips parted, and I took her mouth in mine. It was like finally arriving home. She let out a sigh as if she felt it too, and I brushed my lips down her jaw, her neck, her wet, glistening shoulder. Her arms went around my neck, pulling me closer. I felt like I could finally breathe, knowing she was in my arms again. She was warm. Naked. Safe. Bending her slightly backward, I leaned further, taking her right breast into my mouth.

Eshe cried out as I bit down, her hand pulling my head closer to her, and my tongue danced around her tip. She was so perfect. The way she responded so well to me. She wanted me, even though she never admitted it all those nights ago in Tranah. I released my teeth and pressed gentle kisses on the pain I had caused. Her breath became shaky.

Dropping to my knees, my lips and hands trailed the length of her body down to her calves.

I watched her from below, her lowered eyes on mine. Her hands caressed my head as if she couldn’t get enough of me.

“I adore you, Eshe.” I swallowed the vulnerability. I’d never been so raw before. And I felt raw. Exposed.

Her eyes glistened, and her brows crumpled.

My hand wrapped around her right foot, and I placed more kisses up her inner leg, my stubble only adding more effect to her breathing. I raised myself slightly, lifting her leg over my shoulder as I continued trailing my affection on her inner thigh.

I whispered between kisses, “You are perfect.”

I allowed my tongue to move closer. I could feel her heartbeat against my lips, and she writhed above me. The moment my lips pulled her into me, barely grazing her with my teeth, she arched against the tapestry on the stone wall. Tongue searching, teeth biting, sucking anything for the little whimpers she let out in my room. They were perfect. Everything about her was. I was getting hard just by the sound of her voice, just by her taste, and watching her squirm in pleasure.

“Ezra,” she moaned. “Ezra, I⁠—”

I kept her from moving away, wrapping my tongue around her, her thighs clenching me as she cried out. I didn’t let go until she was nearly limp with heavy breathing. Her arms wrapped around my neck as I pulled her close and brought her to my bed. This woman was a stark contrast to the woman fighting for revenge. In here, her guard was down. In here, she trusted me.

But this woman wasn’t satiated. She bit her lower lip, watching me as if she wanted to devour me.

“You don’t get anything more until you admit it.”

Admit you want me, my eyes told her. I already knew the answer, but this little game was over.

Her breath quickened, and she couldn’t hide her smile.

“Say it.”

“I do want you. I want all of you,” she admitted, her eyes trailing down my body. My trousers tightened around my hips as she pulled my arms closer to her. “I demand all of you, Ezra.”

“Be careful what you demand, little warrior. There’s a beast inside of me that wants to tear into you.”

Ruin you, devour you, and release what I’d been thinking of doing to you thousands of times over the past years was what I didn’t say. Wondering what it would be like to feel Eshe’s entire body. The nights I couldn’t sleep because I couldn’t get her out of my head. The anger I felt within myself was released in years of fighting because of that tragic night. I reluctantly decided I wanted her safe instead of with me. And I thought she was safe, away from the desert countries, away from me. I didn’t think I’d ever forgive myself for making such a foolish mistake of letting her go to her enemy.

“Unleash him. Unleash every part of him that wants me.” She trailed her kisses down my neck and whispered into my ear. She tucked her fingers into the seam of my waistband.