Page 68 of Lords of Ruin: Owned

“You defended your king’s honor, Princess,” he says, his tone low and teasing. “I think it’s time we made you a queen.”

20

VINCENT

Ican't breathe.

My chest is tight, my heart pounding against my ribcage as I hold her close. Her body is pressed against mine, her warmth seeping into me, and I can feel every inch of her.

Her lips are soft against my skin, her hands trembling as they clutch at me, desperate for something—anything—from me. And I want to give it to her. I want to claim her in every way, make her mine in a way no one else ever could.

But I can’t.

Not like this.

Not with everything that's hanging between us.

Not when she deserves more than just a moment of weakness.

But she’s looking at me like she needs this. Like she needsme. Her eyes are full of that same fire, that same pull that’s been there since the first moment we met. And damn it, it’s hard to resist.

Her lips part slightly, her breath catching in a way that forces all the heat to my cock. It’s too much. I pull her closer, letting my lips graze her neck, just the softest touch, and I feel her shiver, her body responding to me in ways that leave me breathless.

“What do you mean, queen?” she whispers, and the question hits me like a punch in the gut. Her voice is so innocent, but there's something so raw in it that I can’t ignore. The words are loaded. And I know, Iknowwhat that innocence hides.

I pull back, forcing myself to look at her, to focus. Her eyes are wide, her cheeks flushed, her lips so damn kissable I almost lose myself again. But I don’t. I won’t.

Her brow furrows slightly, but she doesn’t pull away. Instead, she inches closer, her breath hot on my skin. It’s maddening.

She whispers my name, soft and sweet, but with an edge of something darker. "Vincent…"

Fuck. That’s it. It breaks me.

I can’t stop. I shouldn’t be doing this, but I do. I grab her chin, tilting her face up to meet mine, and this time, when I kiss her, it’s not gentle. It’s desperate, almost angry, as if I’m trying to consume her, to claim her in a way I know I can’t. But I can’t help myself.

Her body melts into mine, her hands gripping me tighter as I pull her closer. She’s responding to me—to me—and that realization sends a surge of something possessive straight through my veins.

"Do you know what you’re asking for?" I growl between kisses, my hands roaming, feeling every curve of her body. "You’re mine, Willow. And I’m not letting you go."

Her whimper is barely audible, but it fuels me, makes me lose myself even more. I can feel her hesitation, but I don’t give her a chance to pull away.

I spin her around so her back is pressed against my front, and pull her in even closer. My hands lock hers behind her back, and her cheeks dig into the hedges, but like the good girl she turns to look at me.

Her big wide eyes grow even bigger as I run my other hand under her sundress, over her hip and immediately yank down her bra and the top of the dress, freeing her breasts.

I graze my fingers over the sensitive skin on her breasts before pinching her nipples.

“Shit,” she whimpers into the hedge.

I lean down, whispering in her ear. “While I am fucking you, you are to only scream my name, ask for your god, or moan incoherently, understand?”

Her breath hitches, her ruby red blush travelling up her neck and around her ears. “I am going to lose my virginity, right now?”

“Yes,” I breathe heavily, pushing Damien away from my thoughts because he can’t recognize how great she is. If he wants to be blind then fuck him. I won’t let my Princess starve, just because he decides to satiate his hunger with Isabel, despite the fact that Isabel is tofu and my girl is a fucking steak. I whisper out my next words, “are you okay with that?”

Willow holds her breath, looking away from me. “Yes.”

I release her hands, crawling around her waist and inching to her core. “Look at me when you say it, Princess.”

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