Page 86 of My Bloody Valentine

His simple demand is all it takes to send me spiraling over the edge. I sob his name, my release claiming me completely.

His rhythm falters as my body tightens around him. With a final, hard thrust, he finds his own release. His cock pulsing inside me as he releases a guttural groan. We remain joined, panting, clinging to one another.

Slowly, he withdraws, and I feel his cum leaking from me. He brushes the hair from my face, his thumb tracing my cheekbone. His other hand removes the mask, revealing his eyes burning with intensity.

“You own me,” I whisper, my voice hoarse. “Completely and utterly.”

He captures my mouth in a fierce kiss, his tongue battling with mine. I savor the taste of him.

Adrian unfastens the ropes, and I rub the superficial marks on my skin. He slumps down beside me, and I rest my head against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. His fingers trace lazy patterns on my skin, and I feel utterly at peace despite the rope marks and small cuts decorating my body.

“I never thought I’d find someone who understands me,” I whisper, kissing his collarbone. “Who sees the true me and loves me not despite it, but because of it.”

Adrian’s hand stills on my back. “You changed everything, Maya. Before you, I was just going through the motions. Empty.” His voice carries a vulnerability I rarely hear. “You filled that void with something I didn’t know I was missing.”

I lift my head to meet his gaze, seeing the raw emotion in his eyes. “I love you, Adrian Vale. All of you—the sophisticated chocolatier, the dangerous predator, every complex layer in between.”

His fingers glide along my cheek, tender despite the strength I know they possess. “And I love you, my perfect little critic. You’re my masterpiece, my perfect match.” He pulls me closer, his lips ghosting over my forehead. “You complete me in ways I never thought possible.”

We lie in comfortable silence, the fire glowing warmly over our intertwined bodies. There are no masks or pretenses—just us, stripped bare of everything except our love for each other. It’s beautiful in its simplicity.

“Stay with me forever?” Adrian’s question hangs in the air.

I smile against his skin. “Always. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Who would have thought that I, Maya Kendall—respected food critic and voice of culinary truth—would find my home in the arms of a serial killer?

In his arms, watching the snowfall outside our secluded cabin, I finally understand what belonging truly means. It’s not about fitting into society’s mold or meeting others’ expectations. It’s about finding someone who sees your darkness and says, “Me too.”