Page 78 of Chaos Carnival

“For the moment,” I murmured against him, seeing the flickers of future in the strands around us. “But no matter what happens...” I pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, savoring how he leaned into it instinctively. “I'll always remember choosing you. Always. In every turning of fate. Again and again.”

He took my mouth, pulling me ever closer and when we broke apart, both breathing heavily, I traced patterns on his chest. “I know you're torn between wanting this new version of me and missing who I was.” I met his gaze. “I know you're afraid this power won't last, that I'll shatter when it fades.”

“Will you?” he asked, his voice rough with emotion.

The threads of my future stretched out before us, countless possibilities spiraling into oblivion. “Yes,” I admitted. “But not today. Not tonight.” His energy surged to meet mine as I pulled him closer. “Tonight, I want to show you everything I've become.”

His hands slid up my back, and I felt his surrender even as he tried to maintain control. “Everything?”

“Everything,” I promised, already knowing exactly how this night would unfold, every touch, every gasp, every moment where he'd struggle between dominating and yielding. “Trust me.”

And as I drew him down onto the bed, he finally let go of the need to protect me, if only for this moment, if only for tonight. Because across every possible version of us, this was the constant—this gravity between us, this inevitable collision.

The lamp flickered, though neither of us had touched it.

I stepped back from his embrace, watching with amusement as he struggled to process my sudden change in demeanor. Magic thrummed under my skin. The predator recognized its prey, and a spark of mischief ignited in his eyes. He wanted to play? Oh, we could play.

With a swift movement, I flipped him onto his back, the mattress dipping beneath his weight. He started to sit up, eyes wide with awe and challenge, but I held up a hand, forestalling any further movements.

“Stay right there,” I purred, the words velvety soft with a hint of steel beneath.

His gaze flicked to my hand, then back to my face, a lazy smile playing at his lips. “Whatever you say, goddess.”

I couldn't contain my grin at the note of anticipation in his voice. With a subtle flex of my control, I slipped into a different place for just long enough to snag what I needed. When I stepped back into this timeline, I was wearing it. The black leather dominatrix suit molded to my body, highlighting every curve and dip. My hair tumbled loose around my shoulders, and in my hand, I held a whip.

Maverick's eyes went wide, his breath catching in his throat. His gaze flicked from the whip to me and back again, and then, slowly, he let out a low whistle. “Well, hell,” he managed after a moment. “I think I like this new Tess.”

“Get on your hands and knees, big boy,” I ordered, my voice taking on a husky edge.

Conflicting emotions played across his face—surprise, desire, a hint of uncertainty—but he didn't hesitate. With a smooth, lithe movement, he obeyed, his powerful body coiled and ready, his eyes fixed to mine.

I let out a soft, appreciative whistle of my own as I circled him like a predator stalking its prey. “Tasty,” I murmured, trailing the whip across his shoulders. He shivered at the touch, and Ileaned closer, pressing my mouth to the spot just behind his ear. “Perfect,” I whispered.

His muscles tensed beneath my fingertips, and with a soft laugh, I drew back, the whip brushing down his spine. “You have no idea what I'm about to do to you,” I promised, my tone silken and dangerous. “But I bet you can't wait to find out.”

His response was a low, sinful chuckle. “You have no idea how right you are.”

I grin at the challenge in his eyes. “You think this is a game, Maverick?”

He smirked, and for a moment, the confident, mischievous seraph was back, the dominant I knew so well taking control. “Don't you?”

My energy buzzed as I stepped closer, displaying the full force of my power. “Maybe I do,” I whispered, my voice husky with dark promise. “But only one of us gets to choose the rules.”

His eyes darkened, desire warring with the instinct to fight for dominance. I might have lost myself in the ether, but I found the part of me that had been missing. The will to claim my place at Maverick's side, to be his equal in every sense of the word.

With a fluid movement, I turned and began to walk away, the soft rasp of his breath lingering in the quiet air. “You want to play?” I paused, looking over my shoulder with a feline smile. “Then crawl to me, pet.”

I didn’t need to see his face to know the request hit him in all the right ways. I felt the spike of his desire, and then he moved, the soft rustle of his clothes as he shifted position, the scrape of fabric against the hardwood floor as he began to crawl.

His hands calloused from centuries of battle, his shoulders powerful from bearing the weight of his own personal wars. His muscles bunched and flexed with every movement, and he moved with the deadly grace of a predator. But in that moment, I was the hunter, and he was my prey.

When he reached me, I grabbed a handful of his hair, tilting his head back to expose the strong line of his throat. For a moment, I simply looked at him, studying the contours of his face—the stubborn jaw, the mischievous curve of his lips, the dark heat in his eyes that reflected my own desires back at me. Then I leaned down, claiming his mouth with mine.

The kiss was deep, demanding, possessive. I tasted the heady mix of darkness and light that made him who he was, and he groaned into my mouth, his hands lifting as if he wanted to touch me but held back, unsure of the rules of this game. I trapped his lower lip between my teeth, then pulled away, stroking his hair. “Undress,” I ordered, my voice soft but with an edge that made it clear it wasn’t a request. “Slowly.”

He complied, his fingers steady as he began to unbutton his shirt, never taking his eyes from mine.

“Now touch yourself,” I whispered, my gaze dropping to follow the path of his hands as he stripped away his clothing. “Show me what you'd have me do to you.”

---