Page 69 of Crowned

The world tilts, but I don’t care.

Right now, there’s only Bhodi.

He groans into the kiss, the sound vibrating through me, sinking into my bones. His hands tighten on my waist, fingers digging in like he’s anchoring himself, like he’s afraid I’ll slip through his grasp. There’s no hesitation in the way he kisses me, no second-guessing. It’s raw, unfiltered hunger – like he’s been waiting for this, holding himself back, and now that I’ve let him in, he’s done pretending he doesn’t want more.

His mouth moves over mine, claiming, consuming. He parts my lips with a deep stroke of his tongue, coaxing, demanding, and I meet him just as fiercely, drinking him in. The taste of him – salt and steel, something distinctlyBhodi– floods my senses, and I swear I feel it everywhere, in every inch of my body. My fingers curl into his shirt, gripping the damp fabric as if I can pull him even closer, as if I can fuse us together through sheer will.

But it’s not enough.

I arch into him, pressing against the hard lines of his body, and he groans again, the sound rough, primal. His hands shift, one sliding up my spine, fingers teasing over the back of my neck before tangling in my hair. The other drags down, slipping over my hip, curving around my thigh before gripping behind my knee. In one swift motion, he lifts me slightly, pressing me fully against the railing, pinning me between the solid wood and the heat of his body.

My breath catches. His lips leave mine, only to trail a searing path down my jaw, over the sensitive skin of my throat. He lingers there, his breath hot, his teeth scraping just enough to make me shiver. My pulse is thundering, racing beneath his mouth, and he feels it – hears it – because his grip tightens, his fingers digging into my thigh.

“I’ve thought about this,” he murmurs, voice thick, rough, as his lips brush just below my ear. “About you.”

I suck in a breath, my fingers flexing against his shoulders. “Have you?”

He huffs a laugh against my skin, the sound dark, strained. “You have no idea.”

He kisses me again, harder this time, like he needs me to understand, like he needs to prove it to me. And I do – I feel it in the way his body trembles against mine, in the way he grips me like he’ll never let go.

I shift, rolling my hips against him, testing, teasing, and he lets out a sharp breath, his head dropping to my shoulder. His fingers flex against my thigh, his entire body taut with restraint.

“Don’t start something you’re not ready to finish, Malia,” he warns, his voice rough with need.

I grin, though my own breath is uneven. “Who says I’m not ready?”

His head lifts, green eyes burning as they lock onto mine. For a long moment, he justlooksat me, searching, warring with something inside himself. And then, just when I think he’s about to step back, about to pull away?—

Bhodi growls, low and deep, a sound that rumbles through his chest and into mine, like a warning I have no intention of heeding. His grip tightens, and before I can react, he shifts, lifting me fully against the railing. My legs instinctively wrap around his waist, locking us together, andfuck, the sheer strength of him, the raw power in the way he holds me, makes my head spin.

His mouth is back on mine in an instant, hot and consuming, stealing every breath, every thought, until all that’s left ishim. His hands slide down, gripping my thighs, his thumbs pressing into the sensitive skin just beneath the curve of my hips. He rolls his own against me in a slow, deliberate grind, and I swear I feel it everywhere, heat sparking along every nerve.

I whimper against his lips, my body arching into his, seeking more,needingmore, and that’s all it takes. His restraint, already hanging by a thread, snaps completely.

Bhodi’s hands move, one gripping my hip to hold me in place, the other trailing up, slipping beneath my shirt, skimming over my stomach, then higher, his touch possessive. His mouth leaves mine, only to trail hot, open-mouthed kisses down my neck, his teeth scraping, biting, soothing with his tongue in a way that leaves me gasping.

“You drive me fucking insane,” he rasps against my skin. “Do you have any idea how hard it’s been? Watching you. Waiting. Holding back.”

“What about the shower?” I ask, smirking.

He shakes his head, deadly serious. “Not enough, Mai-Tai. I’ll never get enough of you.”

I shudder, my nails digging into his shoulders.

Something dark flashes in his eyes, something wild, and then hesnaps.

“Everybody out.”

The few remaining soldiers who hadn’t already taken the hint, scarper. Bhodi impatiently waits until we’re alone and then grips the fabric of my shirt and yanks it over my head in one swift motion, tossing it aside like it’s an afterthought.

His gaze rakes over me, devouring, lingering on the lace of my bra before he grabs the material and pulls it down so that my breasts spring free. He caresses my nipples into stiff peaks, then slides his hands beneath me, lifting me just enough so that his mouth can replace his hands.

I moan as his lips close over me, heat searing straight through me, melting every last bit of control I have left. He sucks, licks, his tongue flicking over my hardened nipple, and my hips roll against him of their own accord, desperate for any friction.

“Bhodi—”

He growls again, his fingers digging into my thighs as he presses me harder against the railing, like he needs me tofeelhim, to know exactly how much he wants me. His mouth leaves my breast, trailing lower, his teeth grazing over my ribs, my stomach, until he’s at the waistband of my leggings.

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