Page 40 of Ruin

“What are you doing?” she murmured sleepily.

“Enjoyin’ every fuckin’ second.”

As the flared head finally popped free, a flood of pearly fluid gushed out in its wake. Ruin groaned at the erotic sight of his seed spilling from Lira's pussy, trickling down the curve of her ass to pool on the sheets below. The sheer volume was staggering—evidence of how thoroughly he'd filled her.

“Fuck me,” he breathed, cock twitching at the obscenely erotic sight.

The urge to plunge back into that inviting heat was nearly overwhelming. His hands tightened on her thighs as he fought to restrain himself.

A deep sense of primal satisfaction settled in his chest at seeing his little bird so thoroughly claimed and marked by him.

Any lingering trace of pain from the poison was gone. In its place was a profound feeling of contentment and relief. The ache in his muscles now was the pleasant soreness of vigorous activity rather than toxin-induced agony.

For the first time in perhaps his entire life, Ruin felt truly at ease.

“You alright, my love?”

A dreamy smile curled her lips. “Mmm, perfect. Just sleepy now.” She reached up to trace the sharp line of his jaw. “What about you? Are you okay?”

He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Never been better.”

In all his years roaming the galaxy, all the battles fought and blood spilled, he'd never felt this... content. This whole. He'd never experienced anything close to this profound feeling of rightness.

The universe had always felt like a harsh, unforgiving place, one that required constant vigilance and a hardened heart to survive. But now, gazing down at Lira, Ruin felt a warmth he'd never known before.

He'd spent the whole of his adulthood dealing death and violence, yet here he was, ministering to this fragile creature with a gentleness he hadn’t known he possessed.

For the first time in his life, the restless urge to keep moving, to find the next fight, was quiet. Around her, with her, he felt at peace.

Reluctantly, he rose from the bed and padded to the small cleansing room, returning with a damp cloth. With infinitetenderness, he began to clean away the evidence of their passion, his touch reverent as he wiped the sensitive flesh. Lira stirred slightly, making a small noise of contentment before settling again.

Finished, he settled beside her on the bed, gathering her in his arms and curling himself around her, relishing the warmth of her skin against his.

He tucked one arm beneath her head to cushion it, then drew her knees up slightly to ease any lingering discomfort. Through it all, Lira's chest rose and fell in the slow, steady rhythm of deep sleep.

Touch light as a feather, he brushed the damp strands of white-blonde hair from her forehead, then traced the delicate curve of her cheekbone, thumb barely grazing the corner of her parted lips.

As sleep began to claim him, his last thoughts were of how perfectly they fit, like they were made to be in each other’s arms, and a silent vow to keep her safe, to cherish this unexpected gift the universe had granted him.

Chapter 13

Arhythmic beeping sound drew Lira, very reluctantly, from sleep. Groaning, she burrowed deeper into Ruin’s chest. Blindly feeling around until she found his arm, she dragged the heavy thing over her head to block out the noise.

As soon as she did, the bed started shaking.

It took a couple of long, groggy seconds to realize it wasn’t the bed. It was him, shaking with laughter.

“Did I wear my little bird out?”

She could hear the smile in his voice, and her lips curled in reaction. Rather than answer, she tilted her head and sank her teeth into the hard muscle of his pec.

He sucked in a sharp breath, arms tightening around her until they were pressed chest to chest, hip to hip. The thick length of his cock surged free of its sheath to throb hotly against her thighs.

Arousal clenched low in her belly even as her eyes widened.

He liked being bitten.

Hauling her up higher, he nipped at her earlobe, and growled, “If Hush wasn’t pingin’ me, I’d wear you out all over again.”

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