Page 35 of Forbid Me

I wanted to protest, but I didn't have the energy to. The adrenaline had left my body. Mending my arm had left me exhausted. Being brave and strong had been hard. I decided to let Oz manhandle me into being coddled and protected instead.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured, his breath warm against my skin. "I've got you now. I'll never let you go, never let anything happen to you."

His words were a balm to my frayed nerves, soothing the storm of fear and uncertainty that had been raging inside me since he'd frozen as I kissed him. I'd thought he was rejecting me. But it had been a bitch of a witch flipping my Oz to off.

Now it was on. He was on. His words were practically a declaration of love. Just without the L-word. Other than that, it was everything I had ever wanted to hear, a promise of safety and belonging I had longed for all my life.

I tilted my head up to meet his gaze, seeing the sincerity and resolve shining in his eyes. I leaned in and kissed him, a soft, heartfelt expression of all the emotions churning within me. This time, Oz responded instantly. His lips moved against mine in a kiss that spoke of protection, commitment, and a budding love. The kiss wasn't the only thing budding. My nipples became tight buds of desire as he pulled me close and deepened the kiss.

"You two look like you'd be good in charge."

Oz and I broke apart to find the kelpie standing before us. The woman was completely naked, her boobs up high and perky. Her waist was snatched like an actual hourglass which flared down into smooth hips and long legs. Even though she’d just saved my life, I hated her instantly.

"I'm turning this over to you." She dropped the keys to the riverboat into Oz's hands.

"Who are you?" I asked. I'd never seen a kelpie before.

"Name's Styx. I came through the portal from Tartarus."

All I knew of Tartarus was that it was a prison planet. But she didn't have the desperation of an inmate. She looked like someone who was in charge and used to dealing with miscreants.

"I'll be back to clean this mess up later."

She waved her hand, not at the bruised and bleeding people on board the boat, but at the murky river water.

Before we could react, she leaped gracefully back into the water, disappearing beneath the surface with barely a ripple. I wondered who else had come through the portal and if they weren't all bad. Styx was definitely one of the good guys.

The passengers, who had been watching in stunned silence, let out a silent sigh of relief. The tension that had been holding us all in its grip dissipated, replaced by a sense of safety.

I knew it was all because Oz was now in charge. That sensation everyone was feeling was all I was willing to share of my man. I laced my fingers with his as we made our way to the wheelhouse. Unfortunately, there were windows where onlookers could look inside. So I'd have to wait until we reached dry land to finally bang my new man. But I still had every plan to stake my claim. Publicly.

A low hum filled the space as the engine came back to life. Oz navigated the controls with ease. The man clearly possessed many skills that I was still discovering.

Finding my place in his lap, I wrapped my arms around his neck, drawing him closer for a kiss. Once again, he came willingly.

The riverboat's steady thrum beneath us was just like his heartbeat, rhythmic and reassuring. Oz's hands found their way to my back, pulling me closer, as if he couldn't bear even a sliver of space between us. His touch ignited a fire within me, a desire that had been simmering since the moment I’d laid eyes on him. The ugliness of the world outside dimmed in the evening light, leaving only the warmth of his embrace, the taste of his lips, and the promise of a future together.

CHAPTER 24

Oz

Ihad one hand steady on the wheel as I steered the riverboat. The other hand was wrapped around Stella. My fingers dug into the curve of her hip. Gone was the shame. Guilt was a faint memory. I had nearly lost her. She would not slip through my hands again.

The rhythmic churning of the boat's engine and the soft lap of the Mississippi River against its sides formed a soothing soundtrack to our moment of calm. Stella nuzzled into my neck like the cat that she was. Her warmth pressed against me as the night lifted its curtain and a new dawn greeted us.

Stella's scent, that calming blend of lavender and vanilla, wafted up to my nostrils, mingling with the crisp, salty breeze that swept over the river. I breathed her in, taking a moment to do some of my own nuzzling in her hair. The color fascinated both man and panther. Her hair, a crown of ebonystrands with golden highlights cascading down her back, was reminiscent of a leopard's coat. Her locks tickled my chin as she nestled closer, her breath soft against my neck as she dozed.

Her eyes, closed in peaceful slumber, revealed nothing of the danger that had just passed, the near death experience we'd narrowly escaped from. And we weren't out of danger yet.

Now, in addition to the vampires from the Crossroads chasing after her for her visions, I had to also guard against a pirate witch intent on draining her royal blood. I would've thought each supernatural would've wanted the other: the vamps her blood and the witch her foresight.

Didn't matter. Neither would get so much as a fingernail from her so long as I breathed.

As the first light of dawn painted the sky in hues of pink and gold, a surge of protectiveness washed over me. I vowed to keep her safe, to shield her from the dangers of this world, until my last breath.

"Mmmh." The rumble was low in her throat, like a lover awaiting pleasure.

She moved to tilt back her head. The movement brought her bottom lip against the pulse in my throat. That spot I'd only ever shown to two people: my mother, who had clamped down on it, causing pain, and Dion, who'd told me to rise and then extended his hand in friendship.

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