Page 45 of Fourth

And still he kissed her like it couldbe.

Her hands weren’t passive either. She gripped the edge of his robe, dragging it apart, fingers skimming the bare skin beneath. The tremble in her hands betrayed how steady she was trying to be, while her nails scraped lightly across his ribs leaving behind a sharp sting.

He finally broke the kiss, breath coming fast. “Say it again.”

Her voice was rough, lips still parted. “I want you.”

Riv’En’s hands tightened around her. And then he carried her back toward the center of the room, the living walls pulsing faintly around them, the space shifting as though recognizing what was about to happen.

When he laid her down, it wasn’t as a captive or a threat. It wasn’t even as a warrior.

It was as a male. And it was all forher.

His hands slid over the curve of her thighs. She shivered under his touch, her breath catching in her throat. Her skin grew flushed, glowing in the low ambient light of the living walls. He knelt beside her, letting his fingers skim up her bare legs, opening and stripping away herrobe.

His voice was low, unsteady. “Tell me if you want me to stop.”

Her answer was immediate. “I won’t.”

Riv’En’s control frayed at the edges. His hands slid slowly over the soft line of her stomach, to trace the underside of her breast, savoring the softness of her skin, the way her breath caught at his touch.

His thumb brushed lightly over the peak, her nipple tightening beneath his fingers. Then he lowered his mouth, lips replacing his hand. He kissed her breast, his tongue flickingagainst her skin, tasting her, marking her with each movement, careful of his canines.

Maya arched into him, her fingers clutching at his shoulders, and he could hear her breath catch, hear the quiet sound she made as his mouth closed gently over her nipple, pulling it into the heat of his mouth. He did not rush. He took his time, lavishing each kiss, each caress, until her body trembled beneathhim.

Her fingers found his, light but sure, guiding him lower. Her pulse thudded beneath his skin—relentless, pounding.

When his mouth replaced his hands, brushing against the hollow of her hip, her breath stuttered. His teeth grazed lightly over sensitive skin, followed by the slow sweep of his tongue. She arched toward him, compulsive, helpless.

“Maya,” he breathed against her skin. The name tasted likefire.

Her fingers slid into his hair, clutching tight. “Please.”

That one word undidhim.

He didn’t rush. He didn’t force. His hands gripped her thighs, holding her steady as he kissed lower, until her body trembled under him, until her fingers clenched so hard in his hair it sent sharp pleasure down his spine.

When he finally moved up over her again, she was gasping, her eyes bright and dazed, her skin slick with heat. His robe was gone. His skin pressed against hers, heat to heat, no barriersleft.

Their eyes met. There were no words.

He entered her in a single, measured thrust, every muscle in his body tight with restraint. Her breath broke on a soft cry, her hands clutching his arms, nails digging in as he filledher.

Riv’En’s entire focus narrowed to her—every sound, every breath, every shift of her body beneath his. The connection was deeper than anything physical. The bond between them pulsed in time with each slow thrust, syncing heart to heart, breath to breath.

Her legs wrapped around him, pulling him deeper, her body arching up to meet his. Her head tipped back, eyes closed, mouth open in a silentgasp.

He couldn’t look away. Couldn’tstop.

At first, his movements were slow, measured, adjusting to the pace her body set against his. But as her hands gripped his shoulders, as her hips met his with more force, he let the control fray further, let pure need drivehim.

The pace quickened. The air filled with the sounds of their bodies moving together, with her moans, with the harsh rasp of his breath against her skin. His name broke from her lips once, rough and breathless, and it nearly shatteredhim.

When her release overtook her, it wasn’t silent. Her cry echoed off the living walls, her body tightening around him, pulling him deeper, locked by his knot. He followed with a shudder, burying his face against her neck as release tore through him, leaving him stripped bare in a way no battle everhad.

They didn’t separate. His arms tightened around her, holding her close as their breathing slowed together.

Minutes passed. Or maybe hours. Time seemed irrelevant.

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