Chapter 74

SEVENTY-FOUR

XERO

Amethyst’s climax will be forever seared into my memory. The way her body responded to my touch was so intoxicating that I almost came to the thought of being the one to restore her sexuality.

She gazes up at me, breathing through parted lips, her green eyes still dilated with lust. A flush stains her cheeks, and her pretty curls lie damp against her brow.

“There’s more?” she whispers.

“I could worship you day and night, and it wouldn’t be enough,” I say, my voice rough with need.

Her eyes widen. “Even with my scars?”

My chest tightens with a surge of fierce protectiveness and the need to destroy every bastard who ever made her doubt my commitment. Those scars haven’t diminished her worth. They only make her more precious. My arms tighten around her waist, pulling her close.

“I almost lost you,” I snarl, my voice shaking with restrained rage. “If you think those scratches will lessen my desire for you, then you’re mistaken.”

She lowers her lashes, but I’m not about to allow her to slide back into despair. If I have to tell her a hundred different ways how much she makes me burn, then I will.

“Place your hand over mine.”

Raising her gaze to meet my eyes, she places trembling fingers over the hand fisting my cock. “Like this?”

Her voice is tinged with curiosity, reminding me of the skittish girl who first answered my call during a thunderstorm. She was so nervous that morning, yet I coaxed her into climaxing with my voice.

“Just like that,” I say with a groan.

Amethyst’s hand rests atop mine as I stroke my shaft, and her breath quickens. That’s all I need to tell she’s excited.

“Does this feel like I’m put off by your scars?” I ask.

She gives her head a vigorous shake, making her curls bounce. One of her fingers wanders off mine and slides against my cock, sending jolts of pleasure through my core.

I hiss through my teeth, my gaze locked with hers as I wait for her courage to bloom. Her touch is hesitant at first, with just the barest trace of a fingertip grazing my shaft. When a second joins, my breath hitches.

“Is this okay?” she asks.

“More,” I groan, my hand continuing along the same rhythm.

The sensation of her fingers on my cock is almost too much to bear. When she licks those swollen lips, I groan.

My hips buck, wanting her to add another finger. “That’s it, little ghost,” I say, my voice thick with lust. “You’re doing so well.”

Her eyes spark with determination and desire as she looks up at me. Slowly, she replaces my hand with hers, taking full control. Her strokes become more assured, more deliberate, each movement a calculated promise of ecstasy. My balls tighten, the intensity of her touch sending shivers up my spine.

“Fuck, Amethyst,” I groan, my breath hitching. “You’re driving me crazy.”

The corners of her pretty lips lift with a smile, radiating confidence. “Are you going to come for me, Xero?”

Her voice is so sultry that I’m on the brink of release. When did my little ghost get so bold?

“Answer me,” she says.

Anticipation, mixed with the slow and sensual rhythm of her hand, pulls me into a whirlwind of pleasure. I’m drowning in her seductive green eyes, drowning in her scent, drowning in her touch.

“Fuck, yes,” I groan, barely recognizing my own voice.

Her hand pauses, leaving me teetering on the edge of madness. My body shivers, the desperate need for release coursing through every vein, pooling like liquid fire.

“Why did you stop?” I rasp.

Her eyes glint with mischief before they narrow into dangerous slits. “Because I can. Because I want to see you beg.”

“Amethyst,” I growl, my body thrumming with need.

My heart pounds like a caged beast, ready to break through my ribs. It matches the rhythm of my throbbing cock. I have never had to beg a woman, but Amethyst has a way of making me break my own rules.

She licks her lips again, and I imagine that little pink tongue swirling around my crown. Her fingers tighten around my shaft, reminding me of what’s at stake.

“Enjoying yourself, little ghost?” I grind out.

“Yes,” she answers, her eyes glinting with wickedness. “I love seeing you so needy.”

The primal instinct to take control rears forward, but I clench my jaw, fighting back the urge to demand satisfaction. This is her test, her way of exerting control. I force myself to stay calm, to obey.

“Go on. Beg for it,” she murmurs, her voice sending shivers down my spine. “Beg me to continue.”

Rage and desire mount within my soul, bringing up my drive to dominate. But I swallow it down, focusing on her delicate trust. This is more than a test—it’s a chance to prove I will never take more than she’s willing to give.

“Please, Amethyst,” I rasp, my voice raw with need. “Please don’t stop. I need it. I need you.”

Her eyes darken, and her lips curve into a satisfied smile. The fingers around my shaft loosen and tighten, shocking me with jolts of pleasure and pain.

“More,” she demands, her thumb sliding back and forth beneath my Prince Albert in a maddening rhythm.

“Please, little ghost,” I repeat, my voice cracking with desperation. “I’m begging you. Don’t torture me like this. Let me come for you.”

Her hand glides over my shaft in a slow, deliberate rhythm, each stroke delivering ripples of sensation. A low moan escapes my lips, mingling with her excited panting. I want to buck my hips, fuck her hand and take my pleasure in an almighty explosion of rapture. Instead, I ball my fists, letting Amethyst set the pace.

She pumps me faster, her eyes locked with mine, her lips so close that we’re breathing the same air. She’s feeding off my desperation. I never knew my little ghost could be so predatory. But then, this is the same woman who tortured a man to death and a woman to the brink of insanity.

The thought of her taking what she wants from me ignites a fire across my libido that spreads through my veins like lava. Tension coils tight within my core, and I teeter on the edge of release.

Her hand halts, depriving me of pleasure. My muscles tremble, straining to obey the silent command to stay still.

“Amethyst,” I moan against her lips, choking back a groan of frustration. “Fuck… Please…”

“You’re so close, aren’t you?” she murmurs, her breath hot against my ear, her lips brushing my skin like the softest silk.

“Yes,” I groan, my body trembling with the effort to hold back. “So close. Please, little ghost.”

She continues forcing me to beg until my words become an incoherent babble. Her thumb rubs back and forth over my slit, each stroke driving me closer to madness. Her gaze locks onto mine, the connection between us almost unbearable in its intensity. Tension mounts. The hunger in her eyes mirrors my desperation, amplifying our shared desire.

Rage rumbles like distant thunder at being teased so mercilessly. But it’s nothing compared to my overwhelming need to make her happy, to prove myself worthy of her trust.

“You’re doing so well,” she finally whispers, her voice a balm to my frayed nerves.

Her hand moves with renewed purpose, faster and firmer, driving me back to the brink of ecstasy. My breath comes in strangled gasps, my body straining towards release, every muscle taut with anticipation.

If she stops one more time, something inside me will crack. I need this woman more than I need air—more than I need the blood flowing through my veins. I need her more than I need the strength in my limbs or the electricity powering my heart.

Every second without her touch felt like a lifetime of hell, every moment without her love an eternity of torment. As though sensing my perilous state, she leans closer, melting her naked body into mine. Citrus, peach, and vanilla flood my senses, consuming what’s left of my sanity.

“Who do you belong to?” she asks, her strokes quickening.

“You,” I say through clenched teeth.

“Say my name,” she says.

“Amethyst. Amethyst Crowley. My little ghost.”

“Say my real name, too.”

I swallow hard. “Amaryllis Salentino.”

“Come for me, Xero,” she commands, her voice a siren’s call that shatters my last vestiges of control. “Come apart for your little ghost.”

With a final, shuddering groan, I explode, my release spilling over her hand. The pleasure is overwhelming, an inferno igniting every nerve, leaving me breathless and utterly spent.

Every muscle in my body trembles in the aftermath, my mind blank with ecstasy. I collapse onto the mattress, gasping for air, trembling through the aftershocks.

Her touch is the only thing anchoring me to reality, her fingers still tracing patterns on my skin. The room spins, the intensity of the moment overwriting everything that’s gone before. My body resonates with my slowing heartbeat, a reminder of the connection we just forged.

I lie on my side, trying to catch my breath, and turn to the woman who’s become my life’s purpose.

She smiles, her eyes shining with affection and triumph. “You’re mine, Xero. And I’m yours.”

The bond between us solidifies in that moment, and I know this truth, deep in the marrow of my bones. I will die for this woman, kill for this woman, slice through every living being on this planet for this woman. I would steal fire from the gods just to see the flames reflected in her eyes. I would tear apart the heavens to keep her safe, and face any measure darkness to hold her in my arms.

In her gaze, I find my destiny, my reason for existing, and nothing else in the world matters but her.

I thread my fingers into the back of her hair and pull her into a kiss that rivals the intensity of my climax. Her lips mold to mine with a burning fierceness. I’ve unlocked a new level of confidence in my little ghost that didn’t exist before, and I’ve never been so proud.

As we pull apart, our breaths coming out in ragged gasps, I know we haven’t just crossed a threshold. We’ve forged a bond that no other can break.

And I will do everything in my power to protect it.