Page 49 of Turmoil's Target

And true to it, he sets about taking me apart with lips and teeth and tongue.

Cherishing and ravishing in equal measure until I’m a writhing, incoherent mess beneath him.

When he finally joins our bodies, twin groans of ecstasy fill the room.

It’s completion. Absolution. A piecing together of souls.

We move together in perfect synchronicity, racing toward the pinnacle.

I crest with his name on my lips, seeing galaxies explode behind my eyelids.

Abe follows me over the edge with a harsh cry, his face awash with awe and adoration.

As we lay tangled in the afterglow, I realize this is more than desire. More than affection.

Abe’s arms tighten around me, cocooning me in warmth and security.

I nuzzle into his broad chest, inhaling his intoxicating scent of sandalwood and cedar.

His fingers lazily trace up and down my spine, raising goosebumps in their wake.

I’ve never been much of a snuggler, always quick to flee as soon as the deed was done.

But here, with him, I find myself craving this quiet intimacy.

Remnants of pleasure still spark along my nerve endings, making me languid and sated.

Abe presses a kiss to the crown of my head, his stubble rasping deliciously against my skin.

“Get some sleep, Your Majesty,” he murmurs, his voice a low rumble. “I’ve got you.”

And I believe him. For the first time in longer than I can remember, I feel...safe.

Protected.

Cherished.

Lulled by his even breaths and the steady thump of his heartbeat beneath my cheek, my eyelids grow heavy.

I burrow deeper into his embrace, relishing the way our naked bodies fit together like puzzle pieces.

Just as I’m about to drift off, an errant thought runs through my mind—a whisper of unease.

This...thing between us...it’s only supposed to be physical.

A way to scratch an itch.

Nothing more.

I can’t afford any emotional entanglements, but I want him, and dammit, I’m going to have him.

Not with my task to take down the MC responsible for my father’s death.

One wrong move, one misplaced trust, and everything could come crashing down.

But as sleep finally claims me, wrapped in Abe’s strong arms, I can’t bring myself to care.

Just for a night, I’ll bask in this happiness.

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