Page 78 of Ronan

“I can’t,” I wail as my muscles wring, desperate to let go.

“You can,” he soothes, using his grip around my middle as he thrusts. Sweat beads on my forehead as I rut against him, bearing down and aching, wanting him inside me more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. My name rips out of him on a growl, but I can’t tell if it’s encouragement or a warning.

“Yours… I’m yours. All yours, only yours,” I gasp, and his hands land on my arms, his mark covering mine. A ripple blasts through my body, a straight shot of adrenaline as my muscles clench and my toes curl. Pleasure like I’ve never known makes me fear I might explode with it.

He calls my name again in a broken shout, and his body jolts as his head throws back, tendons in his neck drawn taut. Heat floods inside me as his cock pulses, fillingme until it runs out along my skin, soaking his lap. The hormones from his release hit me like a sledgehammer and catapult me over the edge.

My fingernails dig into his shoulders as I grind on him, my cock jerking between us as my cum shoots across his abs. He yanks me into a sloppy, passionate kiss as we both move in tandem, riding out the final waves of ecstasy.

“Mine,” he murmurs as I slump against him, tucking my face into his neck as our hearts pound.

“Yours,” I agree, taking a deep breath and smiling when he kisses the top of my head. We sit like this for a long time, curled up in one another as we float back to earth. “Ro?”

“Yeah, mo’sziv?”

“We should probably shower before we touch these books, unless we want the pages to be glued together.” His laughter is a low, happy sound, and he curls his arms around me and hugs me so tight, I believe he could single-handedly hold me together.

Chapter 24

Ronan

“Ronan!” The insistent rasp of Cameron’s voice slices through my sleep, and I bolt upright with my sword in hand, whirling to confront the darkness. The cold steel is comforting in my grip as I scope the room, ready to attack.

“Where do you keep that thing?!” The lack of panic in his tone loosens my grasp until the weapon hangs at my side.

“Why is it that every time you have something to say, it’s when we’re sleeping? Fucking hells, I thought someone washere.” Metal scratches against leather as my sword slides into its sheath, and I place it under the bed, a perfect distance for when I need it. I flop onto my stomach, covering my head with a pillow. “This is my life now,” I lament into the mattress, voice muffled.

“I will shove your giant ass right off this bed if you don’t get out here and talk to me,” Cameron threatens, and I snort as I close my eyes. When his feet land against my side, my head whips out and I glare at him through the blackness.

“I swear on everything sacred, if you push me out of bed, you’ll find yourself tied up before bedtime from now on. Every single fucking night.”

“First you threaten to gag me, now you’re saying you’ll tie me up, too? Kinky.” My head thunks onto the pillow when he grabs my shoulder. “Will… you… wake… up?” He shakes me with each word and my temper explodes. I grab his hands and shove him back on the mattress, rolling us until I’m straddling his waist, pinning him.

“What is so godsdamned important it couldn’t wait until morning?”

“It’s awfully dark tonight, isn’t it?” My eyes lock on his face, reminding myself that I love him and will not murder him.

Despite the current urge.

“You woke me in the middle of the night to tell me it’s dark?” I ask, my voice completely flat. “It’snight, Cameron. Of course it’s fucking dark.”

He scoffs, forgetting I can see his eye roll in the darkness. “All your DNA really went straight to making you pretty, didn’t it? It bypassed whatever part of your brain is responsible for being observant.”

“Cameron,” I growl in warning, and he releases a long-suffering sigh.

“Here, I’ll just have this conversation for you since you aren’t capable of anything besides grunting right now.” His voice turns grumpy and deep, which I assume is meant to imitate me. “‘Why, yes, it is awfully dark tonight. You are so observant and amazing and I’m pretty sure you’re the last genius on the planet, so let me ask you… why do you think it’s so dark?’”

Tone normal, he answers himself. “Why, golly, I am a genius, thank you for noticing. If you ask me, it’s dark becauseour marks are no longer glowing.”

Surprise knocks me backward as I yank my hands from his wrists and stare at my palm. He’s right—the golden glow that radiated since the night we first met is gone, and now there’s nothing.

“What the fuck?” I whisper. “What happened?”

“I don’t know… I woke up and saw how dark it was, and I realized the light from your mark was missing.”

“And yours?” My throat tightens as I wait, even though I already know the answer.

His tone is infinitely gentle as he whispers, “Gone.”

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