Page 99 of The Fate of Eternity

“I’m not sorry she's dead,” I blurt, cringing at the bluntness before I quickly add, “I’m sorry she’s left you feeling like this.” He nods, lifting his hand to cup my cheek and stroke a thumb over my skin. “And just to clarify,” I continue, looking up into his deep eyes. “I would love nothing more than to bring her back from the dead and kill her myself for even thinking about laying a hand on you.”

It takes everything in me to bite back the raw snarl that threatens to take over me. I want him to know those words, but he doesn’t need me redirecting my anger toward her at him instead.

“I can’t decide if I like it more when you’re jealous or protective. Both are pretty sexy,” he muses, and it’s my turn to roll my eyes at him, but when I settle my stare back on his face, a tightness grows across his features.

“I’m starting to hate everything about myself.”

His words are a swift kick to the chest, stealing my breath as I shift my hands to grip his shoulders. I rise as high as I can go on my tiptoes, until we’re almost eye to eye. “How can you hate the man that I love?” I rasp, the truth weaving its way through each word as I struggle to breathe.

“You love me?” His pupils are wide, his hands back at my waist as he pins me against him.

“Don’t make me regret saying it,” I grumble as he lifts me off my feet, spinning us around so much that a small giggle slips from my lips.

“But you did say it,” he whispers, bringing us to a halt as he presses his lips softly against mine, and I hum.

“Yeah, because I feel it,” I admit, a giddiness creeping over my skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

“What do you feel?” he pushes, lifting me once again, but this time, he places me on the desk, slipping between my thighs as he cups my face, giving me all of his attention as I struggle to find the words.

I consider rolling over the desk and hightailing it toward the door, but decide against it when I see the earnest look in his eyes. When was this man ever told he was loved? His mother could have said it moments before she tried to kill him, but realistically, after everything he’s mentioned about being a vampire, it doesn’t feel all that likely.

He didn’t grow up in the environment I did. He had luxury, opulence, and materialistic things. But that’s just what they were;things. I had my father, my sister, and our love. Those are the polar opposites of the same stick. Attempting to guess each other’s lives is impossible, but I can see what he needs from me. I can feel it in my soul as our connection pulses with every heartbeat that rattles in my chest.

“I hated you from the beginning,” I admit, and his cheeks hollow out as he exhales. “The words you would say, the beliefs you had, they were everything I stood against.” I run my hands over his chest, hoping to show him that the connection between us now is different, but it’s unfair to either of us to forget where it all began. “But before that,” I start, and he frowns.

“There was no before that. I saw you that day in the forest and acted like a total ass,” he grumbles, hating himself for it, and that alone alleviates the anger I remember swimming in at the time.

“There was. Maybe five seconds, but those five seconds. Damn, all I could think about was how someone shouldn’t be that hot.”

He rolls his eyes, his fingers flexing against my sides. “I have more than looks, you know.”

“You do?” I tease, tilting my face as I widen my eyes, and a soft smile passes between us, lightening the mood. “I love that you own your faults. I love that you are so unapologetically you, with zero fucks to give about what anyone else says or thinks. I love that you understand what being a vampire is in our society. I love that you see me, not as a lowly fae, not even as Princess Adrianna Reagan. Me. Just me.”

His mouth is on mine the second I take a breath, melding our lips together as my fingers run through his hair, tugging him closer.

“I will love you for all of eternity,” he croaks, his lips dragging across mine as he cups my breasts through the thin material of my t-shirt.

There’s half a damn kingdom a few steps away, but I can’t tear myself away long enough to remind him. His teeth rake over my throat, making my head fall back as I groan, when the sound of someone clearing their throat cuts through the heated room.

Snapping my gaze to the door, I find Flora, an amused smirk on her lips.

“Fuck off, Flora,” Raiden grunts with no real snarl to his words, but I still whack his arm for good measure while Flora simply chuckles.

“It seems like you want me to leave soyoucan do the fucking, Raiden,” she sings as my vampire’s head drops in defeat.

“What do you want, Flora? We were in the middle of something,” he retorts, his fingers digging into my flesh so hard I know there are bruises forming already.

“Yeah, that something is going to have to wait because Bozzelli’s ready to make the announcement.”

50

ADRIANNA

Raiden pulls me from the desk, carrying me toward the door as I try to straighten my clothes while Flora laughs at the state of us. My heart feels like it’s about to burst out of my chest. It's beating so hard that when Raiden places my feet back on the floor, I sway, struggling to stand.

“Adrianna?” His eyes narrow on mine as I shake my head, and Flora laughs even louder.

“He thinks you’re dickmatized by his weiner,” she snickers, and I hide my face in his neck, holding back my own amusement, and it surprisingly helps to ground me.

---