Page 149 of The Powers of Nyx

And a future with her.

The kisses continued down her body until I was on my knees before her. I slid my hands beneath the dress and curved them up her legs until I had handfuls of her ass. Ivy gasped, bucking, hands falling from my hair to grip the column.

With a grin, I grazed the skin peeking through the dress with my teeth. “I’ve been wanting to taste you for months,” I said, meeting her stare, taking in her flushed cheeks. “May I?”

“Yes,” she breathed. “I’m all yours.”

And fuck I loved it when she said that. I loved hearing it, more than I ever expected to.

And I loved her, more than I thought possible.

Definitely not the time to admit that, I thought, gently hooking my thumbs into the waistband of her panties and tugging them down her hips.Telling her I love her the night she takes my virginity? Probably not a great look.

I would have to tell her soon, though. There was no way I’d be able to keep that to myself. It was the one secret I was more than happy to reveal.

Ivy stepped out of her panties, and I tucked them into my pocket. “I’ll return them in the morning,” I said, smirking as I hiked one of her legs up over my shoulder, baring her glistening pussy. “But for now, this is mine.”

Before she could respond, I took her in my mouth, licking theseam of her pussy and tasting the sweet desire coating her.Fuck. I groaned as I tested her entrance with the tip of my tongue. She tasted better than I thought possible. Better than Summer Court wine on a hot day.

“Yes, like that,” she moaned, and like a good boy, I kept doing it.

I fucked her with my tongue, taking my sweet time tasting all of her, lapping up her arousal like it was water in the desert. Her fingers curled in my hair again, this time not as gentle, and fuck it drove me mad. But I gave into her demands as she rode my face, claiming her first orgasm.

She shuddered, and her thighs trapped my head between them, burying my face in her pussy. My name fell from her lips over and over with each twitch of her hips taking the pleasure she desired.

Only once she’d slumped into the column did she let me rise. Her cheeks were red, eyes hazy as she sucked in a breath.

“Did I do good?” I asked, resting one hand above her head and leaning into her. “Was I a good boy?

She hummed under her breath as she traced her fingers over my mouth. “A very, very good boy,” she murmured.

If it was possible, I got even harder. So much so I thought I might burst out of my jeans.

“I need you right now before I explode,” I admitted, probably in the least sexiest tone possible.

Ivy’s lips twitched into a smile, but she shook her head. “Do you want to wait a moment? Get yourself sorted before…”

I grabbed her hand and pulled her into my chest. “Nope. Now is good.”

Whatever control she had over her amusement fell apart, because she laughed as I dragged her over to the sun bed. Iswiped away the damned rose petals before cupping her cheeks.

“I know, more than anything, what I want right now,” I said, “and that is you and our bond. I don’t need to wait a moment or sort myself out. This is the most certain I’ve been about anything.”

Ivy cupped my hands where they rested on my face, the amusement changing into a softness that tore into me. “I want this bond, too. Not just because of everything else. But because I want to be with you, Rowan. I always have.”

My throat tightened. Dropping my forehead to hers, I threw caution to the fucking wind. “I love you so much, Ivy Wilson. And I am honoured to be your mate.”

54

IVY

THEweight of his words, the promise they contained, almost undid me.

I sucked in a sharp breath. The impulse to ask if he was sure died on my tongue. I didn’t need to hear his answer to know. It was written across his face, a burning certainty in his eyes. Rowan might have joked around, but he never lied—especially about his feelings towards me. He never had to.

And I had no reason to not believe him now.

Rowan held me to him, keeping our foreheads connected for a long moment as his admission settled between us. My heart raced, pounding hard in my chest, tears burning the corners of my eyes.

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