His eyes flash with regret. "I know, and I hate myself for what I put you through. But I promise, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you and our daughter."

My heart swells and I capture his lips again, unable to get enough of his taste and touch.

His hands slide under my shirt, caressing the sensitive skin of my back and sides as I grind my hips against him. I shiver, heat pooling low in my belly.

I tear my lips from his and trail hot kisses down his neck, breathing in his intoxicating scent.My mate.

"I need you," I whimper against his skin.

With a possessive growl, he stands up from the couch, lifting me effortlessly in his arms. I wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me to the bedroom. I giggle when he kicks open the door and we both tumble onto his bed in a tangle of limbs.

“These clothes need to go,” he mutters, pulling at my jeans.

I wiggle out of my clothing with his help and then unbutton his jeans, pushing them down off his hips.

My fingers trace over the hard lines of his abs and chest as I press my body against him.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispers against my lips before capturing them in another searing kiss. “So damn much.”

Even though we’ve only been intimate once, there’s a familiarity with him, a potent memory in the way our bodies fit perfectly together. It ignites a fire within me that has been smoldering for far too long. Our hands roam over each other's skin, rediscovering every curve and dip as if it were for the first time.

He pulls away briefly to trail light kisses down my neck and collarbone before settling on one of my breasts, swirling his tongue around my nipple. My back arches and I moan loudly, feeling myself growing wet with need.

His hand slides between us, stroking me as I grind against him in desperation. His eyes meet mine and I see nothing but love and desire reflected back at me.

“Please,” I beg breathlessly. I rake my nails down his back, and he shudders, eyes glowing silver with lust and passion.

All the years of longing and heartbreak seemed to dissolve in this perfect moment.

Every touch, every kiss, every gasp of pleasure feels like a million little sparks igniting within me. I cling to him, wanting to be as close as possible, wanting to feel every inch of his skin against mine.

His lips continue their path down my body, leaving a trail of heat, kisses, and nibbles in their wake.

“I want you more than anything in the world,” he murmurs against my skin, his voice husky with desire. “And I desperately need to taste you.”

He spreads my thighs apart, exposing me to him fully. His silver eyes darken with desire as he looks up at me, and I see a hunger in them that hasn't been satisfied in years. It spurs me on, makes me wetter for him.

I gasp when his lips find my center, his tongue flicking over my sensitive clit. I arch up, grinding my hips against his face. He growls, low and primal and the warmth in my core spreads from my head to my toes.

"You taste so fucking good, Yelena," he moans against me before plunging his tongue inside of me.

He feasts on me like a starving man, lapping at my folds and sucking on my clit in a way that sends little jolts of heat up my spine.

I grip the sheets above my head, nails digging into the soft comforter as pleasure courses through my entire body.

“Austin,” I pant, “I can’t. It’s too much.”

He growls against my folds and slides a thick finger inside me, then a second, curling them in just the right way to make me gasp in pleasure.

I call out his name, thrashing on the bed in pleasure as he continues his ministrations.

My hips buck against his face as I whimper his name over and over again. My legs shake uncontrollably from the need building inside of me.

"Austin...Oh God...I'm...I'm..." I can’t finish my sentence. Stars explode behind my eyes and a wave of pure ecstasy washes over me.

Holy fuck.

I can barely get my breath back before he pulls back and flips us over so that I am on top of him and my hair falls around us like a curtain. I lean down and kiss him, rocking my hips against his hard length. I can taste my own arousal on his lips. It spurs me on further.