Page 36 of The Succubus's Song

Mara’s entire body stiffened. Finley managed to pin her down so accurately, she was almost nauseous. Mara started to fidget out of Finley’s lap, almost subconsciously, as if putting space between them physically would work emotionally too.

“Stop,” Finley demanded gently. “Stop running, Mara. From who you are, from this…from me.”

Mara heard Finley’s voice hitch and looked up at him to find tears in his eyes.

“I don’t know what it is,” Finley kept talking, sounding nearly desperate. “I’ve been going slowly mad ever since I saw you. From the day I met you, it feels like I gave up a part of myself to you, and I can’t even be bothered to ask for it back.”

“Finley…” Mara started, her hand cupping his jaw.

“Let me finish.” Finley swallowed thickly. “I know we said we would try this out, but seeing what your sister did… What they plan to do… I can’t take it. I need more. I need all of you.”

Mara paled. “Where is this coming from?”

“I just…” Finley squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away from her. “I feel sick when you aren’t around. I have no explanation for it, but it’s been slowly carving out pieces of me ever since you came into my life. I’ll stomach a thousand more rejections from the rest of the world if you’ll have me.”

Mara’s world imploded.

She thought the arrival of her sister and the imminent threat her family posed to her city was her greatest weakness.

But Mara learned, in that moment, something her heart had known for a long time—her greatest weakness was Finley McEwan.

“Finley,” Mara hiccupped, brushing away tears that were suddenly threatening to spill down her face, “I don’t…”

“Please,” Finley croaked, still unable to meet Mara’s eyes, “if you’re going to let me down, do it easy.”

“Let me finish.” Mara sat up and wrapped her arms around Finley’s neck, readjusting herself so she straddled his waist. “I was going to say that I don’t know how but…” she paused and could feel the tension radiating off Finley, “but you’ve done the same thing to me. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to understand how I can feed off you, how my magic affects you…how I feel around you.” Mara’s voice broke. “You’re the only person I feel safe being my complete self around.”

“Fuck me, Mara,” Finley exhaled.

His arms wrapped around her waist, and before she could respond, Finley was kissing her.

There was an urgency to their kiss that immediately turned Mara’s blood to liquid heat. Her entire body reacted to him instantaneously; only Finley managed to flip a switch in her every time.

Mara bit Finley’s lip playfully, threading her hands through his hair and locking her feet behind his back. There was nothing gentle about this kiss. Finley met her bite for bite, until their lips were swollen, and they were gasping for air.

Mara’s body moved of its own accord, and she started grinding against Finley, pistoning her hips and feeling him harden underneath her.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Finley hissed.

Mara let out a little squeak of surprise as Finley stood effortlessly to his feet, carrying her through the hallway towards his bedroom. His kisses were desperate as he finally managed to kick the bedroom door open wider and deposit Mara on the bed.

She was out of breath and struggling to calm her racing heartbeat—even for a succubus, she couldn’t recall the last time someone pulled such wildness out of her so quickly.

Mara’s eyes widened as Finley dropped to his knees, placing his hands on her thighs and pushing her legs open wider.

“What do you want?” Finley asked quietly.

There was a subtle plea in his voice, his brown eyes so dilated, they were nearly black. He looked up at Mara in utter adoration, like she was the only woman in the world.

“You,” Mara whispered, and she was shocked at how deeply the feeling ran through her.

Finley nearly jumped on top of Mara and kissed her again, their movements awkward and frantic as they moved up the bed.

Finley settled his weight on top of Mara and broke away, his chest heaving as if pulling himself away from the embrace physically pained him. He slowly stroked Mara’s cheek with his thumb.

“Is it true?” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Is what true?” Mara bit her lip and tried to look away, but Finley tightened his hold on her face and refused to let her turn away.

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