Page 174 of Sands of Atonement

“I’ll buy another.” His hands were about to rip it from me.

“Don’t.” I pressed a hand against his chest. His eyes locked with mine, and I could see I was testing his patience. His lips twitched for a moment, and he leaned back.

“Fine. Take it off.”

With ease, I withdrew my fingers from him. I gently slid the dress down, lowering it from my hips while he stood near with eyes that never left me. His eyes darkened with intensity, eradicating any air from my lungs. Slowly, I secured it from my body, still intact, and placed it near me. I raised my head and smiled at him innocently.

“There.”

“That. Took. Too long. What did I say about anything not keeping me from you, hmm?” Something flashed across his eyes.

My jaw dropped. I feigned innocence, but I couldn’t contain the laugh from within. “You couldn’t possibly be angry at a piece of clothing, Ezra!”

“Don’t act all innocent. I’m going to destroy that fucking dress,” he promised as he crawled on top of me. Our warm bodies pressed against each other.

My lips curved into a smile, knowing I got exactly what I wanted from this. I just wanted him to suffer a bit. Patience was a virtue.

He saw my smile. “You little⁠—”

I kissed his words as he muttered them in my mouth. He pressed himself for a moment between my legs and locked his eyes with mine.

His eyes darkened even more as he gently entered me, my body trembling as if it were the first time all over again. When I tensed, he whispered in my mouth, “Breathe for me, Eshe.”

My body began to relax more with each sound of his breath, with each kiss he gave me, and I allowed him further and deeper, letting go completely.

I pressed my hand on his shoulders, and this time he didn’t fight me as I crawled on top of him. I lifted myself so that I was seated on him, and his hands took control of my hips. I never felt so connected, so vulnerable with anyone before, not in the way I did with Ezra. He saw me for who I was and met me every time, showing me I was safe with him. Feeling him completely and deeply inside me sent a spiral of thousands of sensations building upon each other within me.

“Ezra. Ezra.” I couldn’t handle it when he pressed into me deeper, as he in turn answered my calls with my name. He was it for me. He was my person. He lifted his body to capture my moans, but his hands never left my hips, guiding me faster.

“I got you, Eshe,” he said with a gentle voice. And he was gentle. Unlike the first time when we unleashed so much from within. This time, he held me, caressed me, kissed me with a thousand kisses, and made me fall even deeper in love with each side of him. I let go against him, arms curled around his neck just before he released into me.

Chapter 45

Eshe

I pulled my dark green hood further in front of my face as I walked with Ezra up the stairs to the palace of Zyriah—my home.

My eyes flitted to the area furthest to the right, where I could see part of the destruction from the fire. Our main hall was further than that, but I guess the explosion had taken a good part of the palace out.

It hadn’t even been rebuilt. I frowned. Maybe Kavid kept it up as a reminder of what he lost that day.

No, I reminded myself. I wasn’t part of what he lost. He wasn’t my brother. Not in the literal sense, but in the sense that he attempted to kill me, failed, and killed our bond instead.

As my sandals hit step by step, bringing me closer to the entrance, I was waiting for that familiar sense of safety or pride seeing my home to flood my veins.

But it never did.

Only a deep sadness lingered there, and I was grateful to have Ezra nearby to remind me what love truly was.

It was an action, not just a feeling. Love, I’d come to realize, was something that had to be shown. Ezra saved my life time and time again. He put my safety above his wants and desires by sending me off with Salazar, not knowing how dangerous he was. He stuck by my side even when he didn’t agree with what I was doing. He was on my team, no matter what. We now fought on the same side. I suppose that was what love with growth looked like.

My steps slowed on the stone flooring as we approached the wide-open doors. The guards had let us in when they recognized Ezra. Their brows were raised at me, but they didn’t question it in his presence. It was strange walking to a place I used to call home, yet the guards didn’t recognize me. I was dead to them.

That didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would.

Ezra’s broad shoulders caught my eye. He wore his usual black tunic and black headscarf, which was lowered to show his identity. As though sensing eyes on him, his head moved over his shoulder, meeting my eyes. I could feel his tense body. He didn’t want to be here, but he was here for me.

I lowered my head and brushed my sweaty hands against my loose beige dress.