Page 123 of His Darkest Desire

Mine.

Vex ground his cock inside her, seemingly unable to get deep enough as he held her tight. She felt him shudder, felt more of his heat flood her, felt his breath against her back as he hissed. Kinsley smiled through her own pleasure, content with the knowledge that she could undo him this way—the same way he undid her.

They remained like that, consumed by the flames of their passion, consumed by one another, until those fires dwindled to embers.

Embers that could never be extinguished.

“You are my heart, Kinsley,” he said, nuzzling her hair. “My soul.”

His wings bent toward her protectively, and he shifted his hand to rest his palm over her heart, which beat in time with his steady pulse. “I’d have endured centuries of loneliness just for this single night with you, my moonlight.”

Kinsley covered his hand with her own and closed her eyes. Her heart swelled with overwhelming emotion. “You’ll never be alone again.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Vex brushed his nose over Kinsley’s wet hair and hummed appreciatively. Despite the strong fragrance of the bath oils, he could smell her unique scent—along with that of their coupling. Those scents stirred his desire, even though he’d taken his mate over and over until they’d both lain exhausted on the soft forest floor beneath the moon’s silvery light.

Their current position certainly didn’t curb his arousal. They sat in the bath together, Kinsley tucked between Vex’s legs with her back against his chest. He was supposed to be tending to his mate, cleaning her and soothing her worn body, yet all he could think about as he ran the washcloth over her breasts was sinking his cock back into her heat.

His erection twitched against her.

Fuck, he’d never have enough of her.

Vex smirked. Fuck. He’d learned the word from Kinsley, who had cried it out many times as he’d claimed her. What a versatile, impactful, arousing word.

Kinsley chuckled and turned her face to look up at him. “I can’t believe you’re still hard after all that.”

“My sweet, beautiful mate is bathing with me, her delectable body against mine, skin to skin. I feel her every intake of breath, her every word, her every quiver.” He moved the washcloth up along her collarbone, following it to her shoulder. Trails of glittering silver paint ran down her skin to swirl atop the rose-tinted water before slowly dissipating. “You should praise my restraint, Kinsley.”

Her smile stretched into a grin. “Aww, you’ve done such a good job, haven’t you?”

Vex arched a brow. “Disregarding the mockery in your tone, yes. I have. Yet I wonder…” He slid the washcloth down, brushing it over her reddened nipple, which stiffened at his touch.

Her breath hitched as she faced forward to watch his progress.

He moved the cloth lower, dipping it under the water and over her belly, toward her sex. He felt her thighs quiver against his, heard the provocative whimper from the back of her throat. “Shall I continue my good behavior?

Kinsley caught his wrist. Voice thick and airy, she said, “Yes. At least until morning. I don’t think my poor body can take any more.”

Vex took gentle hold of her chin with his free hand and turned her face back toward his. “I am sorry, my moonlight. I should have been more controlled. Should have been gentler.”

Kinsley narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you dare vow to be gentler. Tonight was perfect. You were perfect.”

His fingers flexed, and his chest constricted. “It was perfect because of you. You are beyond anything I could ever have dreamed. Thank you, Kinsley. For being mine…and for accepting me as yours.”

Her features softened, and her eyes, looking more violet than blue in this lighting, glimmered with tears. “I should be thanking you for that. For accepting me as I am. Even if it means…”

“Ah, Kinsley…” Vex dipped his head, brushing his lips over hers in a soft kiss. “Now that our secrets have been laid bare, tell me. Tell me what he did to you.” He trailed the backs of his fingers down her cheek and along her neck. “Allow me to carry some of your pain.”

Her brow creased. “Are you sure you want to hear me talk about my relationship with Liam?”

In truth, Vex had no desire to hear about the human who’d treated Kinsley so foully, who’d hurt her, discarded her. The human who’d wed her. He wanted only one thing regarding Liam—to saturate the earth with the man’s blood.

But he sensed that speaking of Liam was important to Kinsley. Sharing her story, her pain, would help her heal, and so Vex would suppress his contempt for her sake.

“If you wish to speak, my moonlight, I shall listen,” he said.

“Okay.” Kinsley drew in a shuddering breath. “I told you how Liam and I met, and how we wound up together. I said we just…grew apart, but it was more than that. A lot more. We thought we knew each other. How could you not when you’ve known someone for more than half your life? At the time, I couldn’t have imagined anything in the world that would ever tear us apart. I couldn’t have imagined a life without him.”

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