Chapter 13

Chapter

Thirteen

PHOENIX

Rain erupts from the sky with zero warning, but Ani refuses to head home. Going against every fiber in my body that wants to return to the attic where it is secure and dry, I keep going. For her. I’m doing this for her.

I take her hand in mine and lead her up the lighthouse stairs, our footsteps echoing in the silence. The storm outside rages on, but inside, it’s as if we’re in our own little world. As we reach the top, we step out onto the platform and look out at the sea below. The waves are crashing against the rocks, the wind is howling, but we’re safe in our little cocoon.

I pull her close, wrapping my arms around her and holding her tightly. I don’t want her to slip and fall. Nothing can happen to her.

She leans into me, and we stand there, watching the storm rage on. It’s as if the storm outside reflects the storm inside me. I like Ani… more than I should.

We take a moment to appreciate the amazing vista. Miles and miles of rolling waves sparkle silver beneath the full moon below us. The sky glows with the stars and brightness of the moon, with storm clouds drifting by like otherworldly entities. The air is cool, yet salty, as if an alchemist had crafted it himself.

Somewhere in the distance, a lone seagull cries out, its piercing call breaking the spell and reminding me who I’m standing next to.

I pull away enough to look into her eyes, and I know that whatever happens next, I want to be with her. Leaning down, I press my lips to hers, and in that moment, the storm outside fades away and it’s just the two of us, lost in our own little world.

I wrap my arms around her tighter and lift her off the ground, pressing her body to mine as our lips lock together. It isn’t a tender kiss; it’s an assertion of my claim on her.

She’s mine.

I use one hand to bring her face even closer. “You’ve unlocked something wild inside me, and I can’t get enough of you. You’ve only given me a taste, and now I want more.”

The tension between us is electric, and I’m filled with a desperate urge I can’t explain. The passage of time fades away as we stare deeply into each other’s eyes. I’m swept away by the power of this moment, wishing it will never end. Finally, our lips part, and the spell is broken.

We pause, acknowledging the gravity of our interaction.

My words sound foreign to me when I whisper, “What is this?”

She looks away and inhales deeply. “I don’t know, but I don’t want it to end just yet.”

The realization that she also feels it, hits me like a bolt of lightning. I have been aware of our powerful chemistry, but until this moment, I haven’t comprehended how much we have connected.

I must kiss her again. It deepens as I press her closer. Her body is warm where it presses against mine, and the heat of desire that courses through my veins. In this moment, I realize that I’ve been fighting an urge to take what I want from her all along. For the first time in my life, I’m keeping a possession that matters to me. Ani is mine, and I’ll no longer try to deny it.

Without asking for permission, I part her lips with my tongue and explore her mouth with an urgency that feels almost primal. Our tongues move together like two lovers in perfect harmony, and it feels as if nothing else exists but us in this moment of passion. Nothing else matters. We are completely lost in each other’s embrace until eventually our lips part, and we slump exhaustedly against one another.

For a long time afterward we just stand there, caught up in the afterglow of our passionate embrace until finally Ani pulls away and looks into my eyes.

“I want to keep you, Phoenix Godwin,” she says softly, laying her head on my chest as she wraps her arms around me tightly once more.

I nod solemnly in agreement, understanding all too well the repercussions of these words. Yes, Ani is mine now, and she actually wants to keep me as hers.

“Why are you shaking?” Ani asks me.

My hands tremble as I caress her face. “I’m trying to hold back.” I feel as if I’m swimming against a tidal wave of darkness.

“Hold back? From what?”

“I’m trying to be gentle. You deserve soft and light, but I don’t know how to be anything but rough and hard.”

“Don’t hold back,” she whispers. “Be you. Unleash the monster you claim to be. I’m wanting him. I’m wanting you.”

My body aches to do as she asks, and I let go, giving myself up to the darkness with a feral growl. Lifting Ani up in my arms, I take her inside the lighthouse.

She looks up at me, eyes wide and trusting, “I don’t break, Phoenix. I can’t be broken. Many have tried.”

My body quivers in anticipation, and I press my lips against hers. The heat of her body envelops me, awakening something primal inside me. I let go, allowing my untamed nature to take over. Our movements become more passionate and relentless.

I take a deep breath as the darkness within me takes over. My muscles tense. As I look deeply into Ani’s eyes, a transformative energy shifts within me. It’s like electricity running through my veins. It’s like I’m standing on the edge of a precipice, ready to jump into the unknown.

“You can always be broken.” I’m not sure if I mean the words to sound like the warning they are.

Ani’s eyes blaze with a hunger that I recognize. “Yes.” Her voice is a whisper in the night. “Break me. Give me everything you have.”

Giving in to the urge, I tighten my grip of Ani with the need ravage her body. I kiss her hungrily as I explore every inch of her curves. She shivers underneath me, her body arching to meet my every touch. Her passion grows as the heat radiates off her. Our movements become faster and more intense, our desire rising ever higher.

Fighting the urge to go any further, I place her on her feet and cross the room, creating distance between us. The splash of cold-water action leaves me breathless.

“I’m too big. You’re too small. I’ll truly break you,” I say as I run my fingers through my hair, looking out the window at the sea below.

Ani steps close to me. I feel her warmth against my back as she wraps her arms around my torso. “You won’t hurt me. I can take it. I want to take it. To take you.”

I turn to face her, my heart pounding. Ani’s eyes are burning with an intensity I’ve never seen before. I can feel the fire of her soul, and all the passion that she holds within her. I know my answer before I even say it.

“We need to stop. We can’t do this right now.” I glance outside at the growing storm. “We need to head back to the house. It’s really raging outside.”

Ani sighs, her body deflating in disappointment. But she nods in understanding, and I’m grateful for her respect. She steps back, giving me space to breathe.

We stand there for a long time, just looking at each other. The energy between us is obvious, no matter how much I try to fight it.

But right now, I need to keep her safe. Back in my attic. Safe.