Page 50 of Savage Devotion
He's everywhere, surrounding me, filling me, his scent in my lungs, his taste on my tongue, his body moving with mine. The cord near my throat seems to pulse with the same rhythm as my heart, as if it's marking time with the beat of our joined bodies.
The pressure builds, tighter and tighter, until I'm teetering on the edge, my nails digging into his shoulders, my body straining toward release. His movements become more insistent, more demanding, driving me toward the peak I'm so desperate to reach.
And then I'm there, tumbling over the edge, my body clenching around him as waves of pleasure crash through me. He follows me over, his body going rigid as he finds his own release, his groan lost against my skin.
We collapse together in the furs, our bodies slick with sweat, our breaths coming fast and ragged. The fire has burned low, but the heat between us is enough to keep the chill at bay. He rolls to the side, gathering me against him, my back to his front, his arm a solid weight around my waist.
For a long moment, there's only the sound of our breathing, the crackle of the dying fire, the distant call of a night bird. His fingers trace idle patterns on my skin, grounding me, keeping me present in this moment, in this reality that feels fragile and precious.
I twist in his arms, needing to see his face, needing the reassurance of his eyes on mine. What I find there is a warmth, a tenderness I never expected to see directed at me. His hand comes up, his thumb brushing my cheekbone, his touch impossibly gentle.
"Ressa," he murmurs, my name a benediction on his lips.
I lean into his touch, turning my face to press a kiss into his palm. His fingers curl slightly, as if he can hold me there, keep me safe in the circle of his hand. The gesture, so simple and so profound, undoes me in ways I can't articulate.
We stay like that for a long moment, wrapped in each other, in the quiet understanding that something has shifted irrevocably between us. The throat cord seems to hum with the truth of it, a physical reminder of the promises we've made, the bonds we've forged.
Eventually, he shifts, pulling a fur over us, tucking me against his side. I go willingly, settling my head on his shoulder, my hand over his heart. His arm comes around me, holding me close, and I can feel the steady beat of his heart under my palm, a counterpoint to the racing of my own.
Sleep tugs at me, but I resist, not wanting to lose a moment of this, of him, of us. His fingers card through my hair. The motion was soothing, lulling. I turn my face into his chest, breathing him in, memorizing the scent, the feel of his skin under my cheek.
"You're thinking too loudly," he murmurs, his voice rough with sleep.
I huff a quiet laugh, the sound muffled against his skin. "Just memorizing this."
His fingers still in my hair. "This?"
"Us. This moment. The way you feel against me, the sound of your heart, the scent of your skin." I press a kiss to his chest, right over his heart. "All of it."
His hand resumes its slow path through my hair, the motion comforting, grounding. "You'll have more moments. More memories."
The promise in his voice wraps around me, warm and sure. I tilt my head back to look at him, finding his gaze on me, steady and true. In his eyes, I see the reflection of the fire, of the stars, of a future I never let myself imagine.
I shift, pressing a kiss to his lips, soft and sure. "I'm holding you to that."
His answering smile is slow and sweet, and when he kisses me back, it's with a tenderness that makes my heart ache. We settle back into the furs, our bodies fitting together as if made for this, our breaths slowing, our hearts finding a rhythm that's uniquely ours.
The fire burns low, but the heat between us is enough to chase away the chill. His arms are a haven, his body a shelter, and for the first time in longer than I can remember, I let myself believe in the possibility of safety, of home, of a future that might hold more than just survival.
Dawn will come soon enough, bringing with it the return to duty, to responsibility, to the world beyond this fire-lit circle. But for now, there's just this: his breath evening out as sleep claims him, his body relaxed and warm around mine, the steady beat of his heart under my hand.
I let my eyes drift closed, let myself sink into the warmth, the rightness of this. The cord pulses once, a silent promise, a vow kept and renewed. For the first time in years, I sleep withoutdreams, without nightmares, wrapped in the certainty that no matter what comes, we'll face it together.
Morning light finds us still entwined, our bodies fitting together as if made for this precise configuration. The fire has burned to embers, but the heat of the night lingers in my skin, in the way my body hums with remembered pleasure.
Kaelgor stirs first, his body tensing slightly before he seems to remember where he is, who he's with. He relaxes into me, his arm tightening around my waist, pulling me closer. I let him, shifting to press a kiss to his shoulder, tasting salt and skin and something uniquely him.
"Morning," I murmur against his skin.
His hand comes up to tilt my chin, lifting my face to his. His kiss is slow and sweet, a greeting and a promise all at once. When he pulls back, his eyes search mine. Whatever he finds seems to satisfy him, because he smiles, a small, private thing that melts me.
"Morning," he replies, his voice rough with sleep.
We stay like that for a long moment, wrapped in each other, in the quiet understanding that last night changed something between us. The cord at my throat seems to hum with the truth of it, a physical reminder of the promises we've made, the bonds we've forged.
Eventually, reluctantly, we untangle ourselves, dressing in comfortable silence. His fingers brush mine as we both reach for the same shirt, and the contact sends a spark through me, a reminder of last night, of the way our bodies moved together.
We break camp with an efficiency born of long practice, our movements falling into sync as if we've done this a hundred times before. There's a rightness to it, a sense of partnership, and a professional respect or tactical alliance.
