Page 121 of Aine

“I need you to tell me what you want from me. Do you want me to step down and move us to the human village? I’ll do it.” His voice takes on a desperate edge I’ve never heard before. It rises as he continues to offer things he thinks I may want. “Do you want a pet? I can’t get a cat, but dogs don’t have the same instincts and usually aren’t scared of us. What about a baby? I will give you one if it makes you happy.”

My tears spill over as he continues with his list. Why’s he making this so hard?

His voice dies as I let out a loud sob.

“Why won’t you leave me?” I croak.

Damien doesn’t hesitate to give his answer. “Because I love you, Aine.”

He seems so assured in his words, hardly reacting to them as he immediately goes back to listing out the things he can buy for me. I’m frozen. He loves me?

I can tell he’s genuine by the way the bond between us hums, the revelation paralyzing. Why does he love me? We hardly get along and barely know one another. It’s preposterous to think he grew such strong feelings in such a short period of time.

“The bond makes you feel that way,” I eventually whisper, cutting off his ramblings.

Damien blinks, shaking his head. “That’s not how the bond works. It makes me interested in you, yes, but it can’t force me to love you. Those feelings are all my own. Can’t you feel it? Feel my emotions toward you? I don’t love you because some bond told me to. I love you because you’re a little brat who challenges and excites me. Who keeps me on my toes and forces me to be a better person.”

My lack of argument seems to spur him on because before I can tell what’s happening, we’re on the couch and I’m on his lap. I straddle him without complaint, continuing to reel from his words.

“Because you’re my little human who threatens to touch her mark when I don’t give her what she wants and makes me pay the innkeeper whom I’ve been shortchanging and is so, so resilient and—”

His words are cut off as I smash my lips against his. I refuse to let myself overthink my actions as my arms wrap around his neck and I press my body against his, shivering as he groans and returns the hold.

Damien loves me.

My body practically melts as he tilts his head and deepens our kiss, his tongue slipping between my parted lips. While he’s by no means aggressive, his confidence leaves no question as to who’s in charge.

I struggle to form a coherent thought as I tighten my hold on his neck, pulling him closer until there’s no space left between us. He seems to enjoy the action, a quiet groan seeping from his throat as he squeezes me harder.

He loves me.

I can feel through our bond that he told nothing but the truth, the words breaking the last bit of resolve I had to push him away. All I’ve ever wanted was somebody to truly care for me, and I grew to believe it would never happen after marrying Henry.

I thought it was impossible for somebody to feel such emotions about me, and while I suspected Damien felt strongly, I refused to even consider the possibility that it could be love.

He grows hard between my thighs as we kiss, his breaths deepening as I gently grind myself against him. His moan is so quiet, I barely hear it, the sound followed by him grabbing my waist to still me. My eyebrows furrow as I pull away, eager to know why he’s stopping this.

Doesn’t he want to be with me?

His face and neck are flushed red, his eyes wide with shock. I’m sure my expression matches his. I wasn’t exactly anticipating throwing myself at him so aggressively.

The hands on my waist tighten before loosening, and I look down to watch his fingers twitch against my skin.

“Aine,” Damien says, drawing my attention back to his face.

A wide grin spreads across his full lips as we make eye contact, his visible happiness enough to have me lunging at him again. He laughs against my lips as I connect them with his, the noise vibrating through me as he lets me take charge of the interaction.

That laugh fades as I tilt my head and slip my tongue between his parted lips, my hands simultaneously sliding into his hair and gripping the strands at the base of his neck.

My world’s thrown sideways as Damien tosses me on my back, his waist slotting between my open knees as he hovers above me. His erection pushes against the seam of my pants in this position, and I throw my head back as it rubs against my clit. I’m desperate to feel him, the emotions I’ve been holding in for weeks now tumbling out.

Damien nestles his face into my neck as I slide my hands down his back, continuing until I reach the hem of his shirt. He gasps as I slide my fingers underneath the clothing, the sound mirroring my own as he nips at the soft skin on my neck.

I want him, and I’m sure I’m making that abundantly clear as I wrap my legs around his waist and yank until he’s flush against me.

“Fuck,” he groans, his lips brushing along the sensitive skin where my mark used to be. “Fuck, Aine, we shouldn’t be doing this.”

I try to hide my disappointment as he disconnects his hips from mine and pulls back. He remains hovering over me, but no part of his body touches mine. I don’t like it, but I grudgingly remove my hands and unwrap my legs from around his waist.

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