Page 101 of Fated

The way he said it sent a rush of butterflies swirling through my chest.

But just as I lost myself in the sensation, Ash’s hands gripped my waist tightly, holding me in place and stopping the movement of my body against his.

“Fuck, Areya,” he groaned, his voice heavy with frustration and need. Yet he held me motionless, and my heart stilled with him.

“Why?” I whispered, desperation lacing the word, cutting through the haze of desire clouding my mind.

“We can’t …” His voice was strained, desperate.

“Why don’t you want me?” My voice trembled, betraying the hurt tightening around my heart. I fought back the tears threatening to spill, determined not to let him see me cry over this.

“Shit, Areya, of course, I want you,” he groaned, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. Fuck.”

I didn’t understand. The tears pressed harder behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

“Just not yet,” he said, his hand finding my cheek, his thumb brushing over my skin. “Not like this. I need you to trust me.”

I nodded numbly, a hollow ache settling deep inside me as I lifted myself off him.

The loss of contact was like a physical blow and his pained expression told me it hurt him just as much. Desperation flickered in his eyes, mirroring the turmoil in me.

Pulling my knees to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them as a crushing sense of self-consciousness washed over me. The intrusive thoughts circled relentlessly. How many beautiful women had Ash been with over the years? They must have been stunning, flawless. How effortless it must have been for them. How could I ever have thought, even for one minute, that someone like Ash would truly want me? The doubt gripped me tightly, suffocating my thoughts, making me question everything. Every look, every touch—it all felt uncertain now.

“Please don’t look like that, beautiful,” he said softly, his voice subdued. Sitting up, he pulled me into his arms, and I couldn’t stop myself from burying my face into his chest, breathing himin, seeking comfort in him. He cupped my chin, lifting it until I met his gaze.

“Areya, you are the most breathtaking woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. You consume my every thought. From the moment I met you, my entire world shifted—it shifted completely around you.” His hand brushed against my cheek, his touch impossibly tender, as if I were something precious that he could never let go. I leaned into it.

“You have no idea the dark, sinful thoughts I have about you,” he murmured, his voice like a slow, smoldering fire. “The sounds I picture leaking from your lips as I do unspeakable things to your body. How your bare skin will respond to my fingers, every inch of you quaking as I trace your every curve. And how I know you will taste—so utterly intoxicating.”

His voice dropped lower, a silken whisper sending a shudder rippling through me.

“I’ve been with other women, but it never meant anything—none of it ever mattered. But with you, it’s different. It’s everything. I don’t just want you. I need you. Not just your body, but your soul, your mind—everything. My soul craves yours as if it’s starving, desperate to consume every piece of you. I want to give you everything I am and take everything you are, until there’s nothing left between us but us.”

His words crashed over me, stealing my breath and leaving me faint.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, spreading like wildfire as his gaze locked onto mine, so intense it made me feel exposed, vulnerable, and completely overwhelmed.

I wanted to say something—anything—but my throat tightened, the words dissolving before they could even form. All I could do was stare at him, overwhelmed by the sheer weightof his affection, the raw sincerity in his voice, and the way his presence took up all the space around me.

How do you respond when someone bares their soul to you like that?

He paused, his expression shifting. “But there is something I need to tell you, something you need to know before …” He trailed off and a knot formed in my stomach.

“I’ve taken so much from you already—I just want you to be sure.”

I began to speak, but he pressed a finger to my lips, silencing me.

“Let me take you to my home and show you what your life would look like with me. After you know exactly what you’re getting into, once you knoweverything, then if you still want me, if you say yes, then nothing in this universe—no force—will be strong enough to keep me from you.”

I swallowed hard, my heart still racing. “Ok.”

“Ok?” He seemed surprised, his brow furrowing slightly.

“I know what I want, Ash,” I said, my voice steady. “But I’ll humor you. Take me to your kingdom, show me who the King of Ambrosia is, then I’ll give you my answer—tonight.”

Quickly, I’d slipped in the last word.

“Areya,” he began, but this time, my finger moved to pausehislips.

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