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“Then you’ve never seen yourself the way I do.”

He froze. Completely. Not his body.

Something deeper.

The hand over mine tightened.

Barely.

His breath left him slowly.

Like it hurt.

“Nyssa…”

My name sounded different this time.

Raw.

Unsteady.

Human.

He leaned down until his forehead touched mine. I closed my eyes. My lips parted.

But there wasn’t a kiss.

Not yet.

Just… surrender.

“You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Why?”

His laugh was broken. “Because I might start believing you.”

Then he kissed me. And there was nothing soft about it.

His hand slid around the back of my neck, holding me in place as his mouth moved harder against mine, pushing me back onto the bed. He dragged my panties down before I knew. Consumed by his mouth. His hunger. His love. I gave in.

He moved down, kissing my neck.

Then my nipple.

My stomach.

And stopped at my hip.

I inhaled as he caressed the scar. His touch so tender it almost hurt.

Fingers.

Lips.

Breath.

He moved over the ache, almost like knew the places that hurt intimately. I unleashed a moan, my hand moving to his head. Fingers slipped through his hair as he moved over. Kissing my scar, then my hip and the soft flesh between my legs.