Page 49 of The Dark Elf's Found Family
But I'm not done with her yet.
Before she can fully recover, I flip us again, driving her into the mattress as I take control. Her legs wrap around my waist automatically, and I set a punishing pace, fucking her through the aftershocks of her orgasm.
"Too much," she gasps, but her body betrays her words, her hips rising to meet each thrust.
"You can take it," I growl against her ear. "You can take everything I give you, can't you?"
She nods frantically, her nails raking down my back, and I know she's building toward another peak already. The thought of making her come again, of feeling her fall apart beneath me one more time, drives me harder.
"Tell me you love me," I demand, my thrusts becoming more erratic as my own release approaches. "Tell me while I'm filling you up."
"I love you," she sobs, her legs tightening around me. "I love you so much, Ciaran."
The words hit me like a physical blow, and my control finally snaps. I bury myself as deep as I can go and come with a roar, filling her with hot spurts of my release as my body shudders above hers.
We collapse together, both of us breathing hard, and I gather her close before rolling us onto our sides. She fits perfectly against me, her head tucked under my chin, her hair tickling my throat.
When I can finally form coherent thoughts again, I tilt her face up to mine and capture her lips in a slow, deep kiss. This one is different from the desperate hunger of before—it's tender, full of promise and love and all the things I can't quite put into words.
"I love you too," I murmur against her lips when we finally break apart. "More than I ever thought possible."
She smiles, soft and satisfied, and the sight of it makes my chest tight with emotion. Everything feels so perfect.
And for the first time in years, I actually believe it might be true.
25
BRYNN
Iwake to the soft press of lips against my shoulder, warm breath ghosting across my skin. For a moment, I'm disoriented—then the events of last night come flooding back. Ciaran. The revelation about Rhea. The way he held me afterward, whispering promises against my hair until I fell asleep in his arms.
"Good morning, love," he murmurs against my collarbone, his voice rough with sleep.
I stretch beneath him, feeling deliciously sore in all the right places. "Morning." My voice comes out husky, and I feel heat creep up my neck at the satisfied sound of it.
He lifts his head to look at me, those violet eyes warm with affection. His dark hair is mussed from sleep, falling across his forehead in a way that makes my fingers itch to brush it back. There's something different about him this morning—lighter, somehow. Like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders.
"The girls?" I ask, suddenly remembering that we're not alone in this apartment.
"Playing in Rhea's room," he says, pressing another kiss to the hollow of my throat. "I checked on them when I got up. Rhea's perfectly fine—chattering away like nothing happened."
Relief floods through me at his words. Even though I could hear their soft voices when I woke, hearing him confirm it settles something anxious in me. Last night feels like a fever dream—the terror of watching Rhea struggle to breathe, the magic crackling through the air, the impossible revelation that she's Ciaran's niece.
His lips trail lower, finding the sensitive spot where my neck meets my shoulder, and I arch into the touch despite myself.
"Ciaran," I whisper, my hands finding their way into his hair. "We should?—"
"Should what?" he asks, nipping gently at my skin. "The sound barrier is still up. They can't hear us."
The reminder of his magic, of how he protected our privacy last night, sends a fresh wave of heat through me. But there's something I need to know first, something that's been nagging at the edges of my mind since I woke.
"Does this mean you're staying?" The question comes out smaller than I intended, vulnerable in a way that makes me want to take it back. "Permanently, I mean?"
He stills against me, then slowly lifts his head to meet my eyes. There's something intense in his gaze, something that makes my breath catch.
"I want to," he says simply. "I never got to tell you at Ikuyenda like I planned."
"Planned?"
