Page 76 of A Clash of Embers

He groaned and tilted his head back, letting me move my lips to his exposed neck. My kisses were not sweet and I sucked on his neck hard enough that his fingers pushed into my hips and his head snapped back up making me pull back from my feverish kisses, and I smiled.

"No biting, darling," he whispered as I still held his head firm in my hands.

I narrowed my eyes at him as I leaned into his chest, "I didn't make that promise."

That was when he lost control, and I wanted that.

His fingers gripped my ass and flipped me onto my back as he towered over me with my legs wrapped around his trimmed waist. I watched as he unfastened his pants and pushed them down his muscular thighs. He positioned himself between my thighs and I felt his length press against my inner thigh, hard and ready for me. My eyes traced over every muscle, every part of him, and I felt the smile take over my face as I peered up at him.

Ev leaned over me pressing his chest into mine, running his hand through my hair, and pulling back to gently grasp my face in his hand.

"Tonight, I don't want you to be quiet. I want to hear every sound out of your mouth. Every part of your body singing for me."

He pushed into me, filling and stretching every part of me. I called out his name and his mouth captured mine in a delicious battle of claiming me. My body was wrapped around him, gripping him, pulling him closer to me. He was barely moving, only devouring me. A groan came out of his mouth into mine and I lost it.

"I need you to move."

He laughed and kissed me again before pulling back to look at me, "Darling, I'm taking my time with you tonight."

I giggled before he captured my mouth again and pushed right back into me, filling me till I couldn’t take it anymore. I moaned into his mouth and he gave it right back. Every part of me was consumed by him.

His hands gripped my hair at the base of my neck, pulling me into him as his mouth leaned into my neck with soft slow kisses and his hips moved at a tender pace in and out of me.

I thought of everything we had been through at this point. All the terrible parts. All the wonderful parts. Everything had brought us to this point. Him and I. Together finally. When Ev's eyes looked into mine, I knew he was all I needed. The love I had for him was all consuming.

His pace started to quicken as he held my body close. He pushed his lips into mine, lingering over them slightly with every push and pull. His tongue slipped over mine as I started to feel my orgasm build and his grip tightened. He was frantic for me as he started to lose control. I heard the sound of our bodies against one another, and the faint moans between the two of us, the need we had.

I love you.

His kiss slowed to a halt as he rocked in and out of me, flicking his eyes open to look at me. His lips were barely touching mine as he whispered, "I love you, Clara."

We both whispered each other's names as our worlds collided and our bodies became feverish for one another. He pulled back, gripping my hips and quickening his movements, slapping our bodies harder and harder until we both hit euphoria.

Both of us panted for one another as he filled me entirely with the love he had. He left one last searing kiss on my lips before pulling out of me and falling along my side.

His hands never left my body, moving them up and down my hips as we looked at each other. We didn't have to talk to understand that everything that happened was real. From now on what we did would be together. No longer alone. No longer lonely.

"I always promised I wouldn't leave you. I never did. I never will."

He pressed one last kiss on my forehead before he pulled me into his chest and I fell into the best sleep of my entire life.

When I awoke, I realized he was no longer in the room. I retrieved clothes out of the armoire and started my search for him.

I heard laughter in the dining room as I saw my mother, Eros, Consul Loveridge, Kay, and Colette gathered around the table. I squinted my eyes at Colette, knowing that I had a lot to ask her, and she nodded at me. She acknowledged that I needed to speak with her.

"Oh! Clara. You're awake. We were just discussing some funny stories about when you were little," my mother announced to me and theentire table.

I rolled my eyes, "Gods, Mother, why are you the way that you are?"

She laughed and I knew that she didn't care. Not one bit.

Eros eyed me from across the room and I knew that I was blushing. I felt the flush run down my cheeks and neck as his eyes wandered over me. What we had done last night was nothing short of amazing. He was gentle, kind, and passionate. He was my person and I was his. Forever we would be with one another. We were eternal.

"Today we are leaving to approach Avellino. Clara, you will go with Eros and Lachlan." I eyed them at the table as my mother continued, "Consul Loveridge, Kay, and Mia will accompany you as well."

I looked over at Consul Loveridge and smirked because I couldn't wait to bother her some more. I needed to break through to her, find out more about her. See what crept under her skin. What made her tick?

"You will head out today towards the battleline to try and reconcile our relationships with the allies. We need to try to keep the casualties to a minimum, to try and resolve most of this before Immure comes. That will kill off our soldiers more than our enemies would," my mother's voice announced and grabbed my arm, making me follow her to the table. I sat down and looked around at everyone at the table.

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