Her palm falls flat and then explores again.

By the time she pulls back to speak, I’m dizzy.

Breathless.

Entranced.

“Hawk,” she pins her lips together and rests her palm on my shoulder, “wait.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t promise I won’t disappear.”

My body tightens in disapproval.

She lets out a breath. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re not leaving me.”

“I don’t want to, but…”

“But what?” I tighten my grip on her. “Tell me who would dare to take you away from me. I’ll end them now.”

“Stop saying that.”

“I told you.” I flip her onto her back and hover over her, my entire body glued to hers so she can feel the menacing length of me as well as the severity of my words. “I won’t allow anyone to get between us. I’ll hunt them down and destroy them one by one.”

Her eyes sharpen with desire and annoyance. “This isn’t something you can fight.”

“You’re underestimating me.” I run my knuckles down her cheek, slide them along her face until I’m holding up her chin. My thumb falls against her lower lip, parting it slightly. “Tell me who they are.”

Her tongue brushes the pad of my thumb as she says, “Fate.”

“I’ll kill him.”

She laughs.

I press my lips to hers for another hungry kiss, swallowing up her chuckles until they turn into moans. My heart shifts to racing, pounding against my ribs with crazed urgency.

My kisses become less controlled. More savage.

Pleasure saturates every inch of my body, thrumming a certainty through me that I know can never be replaced.

She’s mine.

It’ll be so in ten years.

Fifty years.

One hundred.

I’ll brand her with my body so everyone can know. So it’s handwritten on her soul. And I’ll get a matching phrase written on my heart. Property of Speedy.

Her breath tastes like strawberries and forever.

It’s all-consuming. Overpowering.

I caress my tongue with hers and sit up to drag her into my lap so she’s straddling my body. I’m much taller than her, but electricity crackles between us both as we realize how perfectly she fits against me. As if we were made to be together.