Page 19 of Ruin

The moment he secured the door and turned around, Lira launched herself into his arms.

Her kiss was hungry, demanding—all teeth and desperate licks and needy whimpers that punched straight through to his soul. He growled low and gathered her closer.

“Please,” she whispered feverishly against his lips. “Please, Ruin. I need you… ”

How the fuck could he deny her when she begged so pretty?

Chapter 7

Lira's pulse thundered in her ears as Ruin tangled his hands in her hair and kissed her back with a passion and ferocity that threatened to consume her.

Melting into him, she opened at the probing flick of his tongue against the seam of her lips, then moaned when his taste flooded her senses. Dark, exotic, heady. Intoxicating.

His hands slid down her back, leaving trails of liquid fire in their wake, before settling at the curve of her ass and pulling her flush against the rigid length pressing into her belly.

There was no fear, no anxiety or hesitation. There was only need, sharp and insistent, pulsing between her thighs. Despite having no memory of it, she knew in an instinctive way she’d had sex before. Even if she hadn’t, she trusted Ruin not to hurt her.

Tearing his lips from hers, he trailed hot, openmouthed kisses along her jaw to the sensitive spot just below her ear.

“Wanted you the moment I saw you, little bird,” he growled, the gravelly rasp of his voice doing delicious things to her insides.

Lira shivered, tipping her head to grant him better access as he nipped and sucked at her neck. “Yours. All yours.”

A low rumble vibrated against her skin, his grip on her tightening fractionally. Making her breath hitch with a final nip of those sharp fangs, he straightened. Those molten gold eyes swept over her from head to toe with blatant hunger.

“Are you sure you want this?”

“Completely.”

“You don’t have to?—”

“I know,” she interrupted, knowing exactly what he was about to say. “I want this, Ruin. I want you. Not because you saved me, but because you’re kind and thoughtful and beautiful and caring and you make my mouth water and I want to touch you so badly my fingers ache.”

Swallowing hard, he caught and held her gaze, then slid those big hands under the straps of her dress.

In spite of her assurances, he continued to watch her closely. She could see he was poised, waiting for her to tell him to stop as calloused palms ghosted down her arms.

He’d be waiting a long time. She had no intention of telling him to, or even letting him, stop.

Slowly, inch by inch, he dragged the straps down her arms. She felt the cool air hit her breasts, but didn’t look away from him. Couldn’t. The expression on his face, the way he was staring at her…

He looked at her like she was the most precious, most beautiful thing in all the galaxies.

With a swish, the material fell away, pooling around her feet and leaving her naked before him.

“Godsdamn, little bird.”

Heat bloomed in her cheeks at his choked groan.

Lira knew what he was seeing. Almost every inch of her body was marred by scars, new and old. But so was his.

They matched. Two damaged souls, cut from the same cloth.

The thought emboldened her.

Heart hammering, she pushed the cloak off his shoulders with shaking hands. Together, they divested him of his weapons.

Left in only his black leather pants and boots, Lira drank in the sight of him. Brawny, corded muscle, a myriad of scars crisscrossing pale skin, intricate tribal tattoos swirling and twisting.

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