Page 126 of Deathless & Divided

“Just us,” Damian said through his clenched teeth.

Lily blew out a shaky breath. “Just us.”

He could feel every inch of her walls flexing around his shaft as he fucked her. Damian’s hand dug into the soft ground, needing something stable. Lily’s legs tightened around his hips, her heels digging into his lower back and pushing him into her with every thrust.

“Fuck,” Lily said, whispering the word. “Damian.”

She came undone around him shaking, mumbling his name, with a tear streaking down the side of her cheek as her nails scratched a set of lines across his chest. Damian wasn’t far behind. He finally let go of the hold he had on her shirt and grabbed tightly to her hips. Holding her still to his body so his cock was as deep as he could fucking manage to get it, Damian released into her sex in thick, ropey streams.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Damian chanted, falling forward.

Lily wrapped her arms around his torso and didn’t let go. With his face buried into Lily’s neck and the feeling of their sex still lingering around his senses, Damian was content. Far more than he had ever been. Peace—that was what this beautiful, strong woman was to him. She brought a sense of completion into his heart, filled his body with fire, and he loved it. He needed it.

“Openness,” Lily said softly.

Damian kissed her neck, the waves of pleasure still keeping his cock semi-hard inside of her sex. Nothing had ever felt quite so sublime clenching around his dick. “Hmm?”

“You need to be open with me. Everyday. No matter what. Whenever I ask. No omitting.”

“I can do that.”

“I don’t forgive you,” she said.

“This isn’t about that.”

Lily nodded. “Yeah, I know that, too.”

Damian leaned up enough to capture Lily’s lips with his own. He kissed her hard and let his tongue war with hers as she sighed into the kiss. Weaving his fingers into her hair, Damian kissed a path over her jaw, down her dirty neck, and over her collarbones.

“Tell me you love me,” he said against her skin.

“I love you.”

“Need me.”

“So much,” Lily breathed, writhing under his wandering hands and desire.

“Marry me.”

Lily stilled.

Damian didn’t relent. “Marry me, Lily. Marry me because you love me; because you don’t have to like everything I do or even understand the reasons why I do it. Marry me because you want to; because you want to walk down the aisle and see me waiting there to meet you. Marry me because you need that like I need it, too. Marry me.”

“I—”

Damian met her gaze, quieting her instantly. “It’s a yes or no question.”

“I don’t have a choice,” Lily said.

“I’m giving you one.”

“You can’t do that. Dino—”

“Stop,” Damian interjected firmly. “I am giving you one, Lily DeLuca. I am giving you what he didn’t. You can say no and I will refuse to follow through with Dino’s arrangement, regardless of what might happen. That doesn’t matter. It will never matter. What does matter at this moment is a yes or a no. That’s all.”

Tears slipped from the corners of Lily’s eyes. For once, Damian didn’t try to wipe away the proof of her emotions that usually hurt him so badly.

“Yes or no,” he said again.