Page 43 of Fallen Court

He didn’t wait for permission this time. His lips captured mine, and there was nothing fragile about this kiss. It was as much a claiming as it was a declaration. He wrapped an arm around my waist, drawing me impossibly close as his tongue traced the seam of my lips. They parted in welcome, and I moaned at his taste, at the overpowering flood of emotions that poured through me.

He drew back, keeping a firm hold on me. “I’m in love with you.”

He loved me. I’d known it, but hearing him say it… Something was cracking open and spilling out, and I knew I would never be the same.

It was the first time a man had ever said those words to me. He was the only man I ever wanted to say them. Now and for the rest of my life. I stared up at him, thoughts muddled in the depth of my feelings. Tears slipped down my cheeks, and I blinked in surprise.

“Cate?” He brushed one away, his brows knitting together in concern.

I hooked an arm around his neck, dragging him back to me. “I need you inside me. Now.”

“So demanding, princess. Are you sure you don’t want to head back to the Avalon?”

It was at least an hour’s walk from here. Calling for a ride would get us there faster—but then his family would know we had returned, and I needed him to myself. I dropped his jacket on the ground. “Now.”

“As you wish.” His mouth twitched as he cradled me in his arms and gently laid me on his coat. Straightening, he knelt beside me and brushed his thumb over his lower lip as he assessed the prize before him. “This is some dress. Exactly how did you escape from Oberon?”

I cringed, peeking at the red silk I’d stolen off Titania’s back. “Long story.” I crooked my index finger. “Tell you later.”

He chuckled, and I went molten. I squeezed my thighs together as the heat settled into a demanding throb. Lach gripped my ankle and lifted it to his mouth. Pressing a kiss to it, he tugged off my high heel and tossed it over his shoulder with a smirk before moving to the next one. He paused and fingered the hem of my stolen gown. “I dreamed about you.”

My mouth went dry, but I lifted a brow. “Oh?”

Leaning over me, he plucked the dress’s straps off my shoulders before his fingers continued to the plunging neckline. “I nearly lost my mind when I woke up.” He traced the curve of my breast. “I felt like I was dying without you.”

He found the side zipper and tugged it slowly down. My breasts spilled out, and I bowed off the floor, nipples peaking in the cool air. Lach seized his chance and peeled off the dress. A growl rumbled in his chest when he had me completely bare.

“You said it was a long story,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “Did he…?”

The unfinished question promised violence.

“He didn’t touch me,” I whispered. “No one touched me.”

But something tortured lingered in his gaze as it skimmed over my flesh, the intensity pinning me in place. His teeth sank into his lower lip, and I found myself squirming.

“Please.”

He grinned, the light in that smile chasing away those shadows. “Somebody finally found her manners.”

“Never mind.” I glared at him, my annoyance faltering as he swiftly unfastened his buttons. Glimpsing the smooth, muscled chest beneath, I whimpered. “Forget please. Get your damn clothes off.”

But Lach didn’t laugh. He snarled—and pounced. I arched to meet him, my hands sliding to slip his shirt off. His scent bloomed in my nostrils, and my chest tightened.

The rest of his clothes followed with equal urgency. Strong arms bracketed my body, and I clutched his shoulders, nails digging into his skin as our mouths crushed together. I needed him, needed his skin on every square inch of my own, needed there to be no separation between us. There would be time to linger later.

I bucked closer, rewarded with a brush of his cock. Shifting, I rolled my hips, trying to urge him inside. Lach broke the kiss, drawing back just far enough to meet my eyes as he reached between us and guided his tip to my entrance. My breath hitched as he pushed in a fraction. He paused until I gasped, nodding for him to continue. He slid in, inch by inch, giving me time to adjust as he stretched and then filled me entirely. His piercing gaze held mine, boring through me as if claiming not only my body but my soul.

Darkness curled around him, unfurling like smoke as his magic spread from his body and coasted over me. I craned myself toward it until the shadows brushed my skin, blazing paths of fire where they touched.

“Holy…” My eyes rolled back as his magic ignited every nerve ending into an inferno.

Lach reached over and gripped my chin. “Look at me, princess.” The words strained out of him, and I wondered what he was holding back. “I need to see you.”

I couldn’t refuse, even as the wisps swept long, sensuous strokes up my arms and over my collarbone before continuing to my breasts. His magic circled my nipples, drawing them into tight buds before playfully tweaking them. A sob of pleasure choked out of me as the shadows inflicted their sensual torture, continuing until my body sang with need and my entire being centered on where we were joined.

Lach pulled out a few inches until I protested with a slight squeak of disapproval. A smile ghosted his lips, and he slammed deep before retreating again. In and out, the punishing rhythm taking me closer and closer to the edge. The shadows moved with each thrust, their touch shifting from gentle to demanding. He held nothing back, his entire body claiming me. His magic licked at my body, demanding my submission, and I gave in to its pull.

“Lach!” I cried out his name, and he answered by slamming into me harder and faster. The room spun, and I clung to him. He was both the tempest and my shelter in the storm. The world splintered, emotions tearing through me as I went over the edge, Lach following with a strangled shout. He spilled inside me, his mouth finding mine as the world reknit, weaving bits of his soul into mine.