Page 70 of Knot My Luck

“Do you still think you’re protecting me?” I ask, searching his face.

His throat bobs. “I think I’m selfish.” His voice drops to almost a whisper. “Because I want you anyway.”

I reach for him, sliding my hands up his chest, over the strong lines of his shoulders. “Then take me.”

His breath stutters.

But he still hesitates. “Devlin?—”

I press a finger to his lips. “I choose you, Cathal. Not fate. Not instinct. Not my omega. Me.” I tilt my chin, my heart pounding. “Do you choose me?”

His hands come up to cradle my face, and something breaks in his gaze. “I always have.”

And then he kisses me.

It’s different this time.

There’s no restraint, no hesitation – justCathal, all of him, pressed against me,claimingme. His hands skim down my back, gripping my hips as he lifts me into his arms and backs me into the bedroom.

We barely make it to the bed before he pulls back, breathing hard. His eyes search mine, his fingers skimming over my cheek, down my throat. “Are you sure?”

I answer by tugging my silk nightdress over my head.

A curse slips from his lips when I bare myself to him. Then he’s on me again, his mouth trailing fire down my neck, over my shoulder, his teeth grazing my healed bond marks. His hands map my skin, slow, reverent, like he’s committing every inch of me to memory.

He lays me down, taking his time, and it’storture.

But it’s also perfect.

Because tonight isn’t about rushing. It isn’t about urgency or desperation. It’s about this – about finally having each other.

When he sinks into me, his forehead resting against mine, I gasp, gripping his shoulders.

His breath shudders. “I love you.”

Tears prick my eyes. I cup his face, pulling him down into a kiss. “I love you too.”

The words settle between us, sinking deep,bindingus.

And when we move together, slow and deep and right, I know – this isn’t just a moment.

This is forever.

Cathal’s weight is solid above me, his body pressing me into the mattress, his warmth sinking into my skin. The slow, reverent way he moves – like I’m something precious – makes my chest ache. This is what I’ve wanted for so long.

But I want more.

I lift my hands to cup his face, tilting his head so his lips hover just above mine. His breath is ragged, his pupils blown wide with lust. Then I grip his shoulders, nails digging into his skin, my body trembling beneath him, desperate for more, aching for the friction, the feel of him deep inside me. I can already feel the slickness pooling between my thighs, the heat radiating off me in waves. Every inch of my skin is on fire for him.

“Please,” I beg, my voice ragged, my breath shallow. “I need you, Cathal...all of you.”

He groans low in his chest, his eyes flicking down to where we’re connected, the hunger in his gaze nearly overwhelming. His body is taut above mine, his muscles straining, barely holding on. But there’s a flicker of restraint there too, a battle playing out in the depths of his eyes.

His hands slide down my body, fingers tracing every curve, every inch of skin, as if he’s memorizing the feel of me all over again. His voice is hoarse when it finally comes, low and almost pleading. “What do you need, love? Tell me.”

“I need you to bite me next month,” I insist urgently, my chest rising and falling in rapid breaths. “When my heat comes…I need you to mark me. I need you to claim me completely. I don’t want to wait anymore. Please.”

He freezes above me, his entire body going rigid. A growl rumbles from deep in his chest, primal and raw. I see the hunger flash in his eyes, but also something darker, something more dangerous – the beast within him straining to take over. His fingers dig into my hips as his breath hisses through clenched teeth.

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