29. You’re Going to Be the Death of Me

CHAPTER 29

You're Going to Be the Death of Me

H ow in the world had they ended up here?

One moment, Brynleigh was pushing Ryker to accept the truth about Representatives, and the next, their mouths were fused in a passionate embrace. A fire had ignited in her core when his lips touched hers.

More.

Desire had her clinging to him, her legs hooked around his waist as he carried her to the bedroom.

She hadn't been in here since her first night in the apartment.

The moment Ryker crossed the threshold, his thunderstorm and bergamot scent slammed into her, increasing her desire tenfold.

She wanted this—she wanted him.

Brynleigh belonged here, with him. There was nowhere else in the world she'd rather be, no one else she'd rather spend time with.

Her shadows sang in her veins, and her entire body ached for him.

"I need you," she gasped against Ryker's mouth, grinding against his impressive length.

She'd never needed anyone so badly in her life.

Kicking the door shut, he carried her to the middle of the room. From her peripheral vision, she made out the edges of the mattress behind her.

His chest heaved as he lifted his lips from hers, and he gruffly said, "Let go, sweetheart."

Once, she would've questioned whether she could trust this fae. Once, she would've berated herself for breaking all the rules to be with him.

No longer. She was free from her rules, and her heart belonged to him.

She trusted him.

Brynleigh gasped as that realization hit her just as strong as his scent had moments ago. The last bit of water that had divided them dried up, leaving nothing separating them.

As she unhooked her legs and released her grip on his shirt, she smiled. The mattress was a soft cloud when she landed on it.

The moon peeked through the clouds, lining Ryker's body in silver as he gazed upon her.

Fuck, he was stunning.

Reddish-brown damp hair framed his face. Beautiful chocolate eyes studied her. There was a new depth to his gaze that hadn't been there before, but if anything, it made him more alluring. Not that he needed any help. He was so gods-damned handsome, this husband of hers.

Her eyes traveled lower.

Ryker's shirt clung to him like a second skin, accentuating his muscles and the hard planes of his chest. Her gaze dipped lower still, past the waistband of his shorts. She paused on the evidence of his arousal, unable to stifle the small moan that rose through her.

Knowing he wanted her as much as she did him sent a rush of warmth through her. She pressed her thighs together, achingly empty.

Ryker noticed the direction of her gaze and smirked.

Those fucking dimples made another appearance. Without them, he was a handsome fae. Too handsome, if she was honest. But when those dimples showed up, she was rendered completely and utterly helpless. Add in the sight of his elongated canines, a marker of his fae descent, and a thrill raced through her .

Her fangs throbbed in her gums, echoing the desire pulsing through her.

Back in The Pit, she never thought she'd be with Ryker again, let alone experience another moment like the one they'd shared on their wedding night.

Somehow, this felt better than their first night tonight. They'd been through hell and back; now, nothing was between them.

No more lies. No betrayal. No revenge plots.

Just… them.

Husband and wife.

Fae and vampire.

Chosen partners.

It felt good . Brynleigh was able to be wholly and completely herself with Ryker. He knew everything about her, every dark secret, every fear she'd ever had. Nothing was keeping them apart.

Freedom was sweet on her tongue, and she wanted to drown in it. In him.

Reaching up, she tugged on the hem of his shirt. "Take this off."

She wanted to gaze upon every inch of him and commit him to memory.

Storms darkened his eyes, and he licked his lips. "Would you like that?"

"Yes," she breathed, not even caring that desperation leaked into her tone. "I need to see you."

She could have sworn thunder boomed outside as his hand slipped behind his neck, but she didn't dare look out the window. Her gaze was locked on him as he pulled his shirt over his head with one smooth tug. The fabric glided up, revealing the sculpted plains of his stomach.

Brynleigh pushed herself onto her elbows, not bothering to hide her intrigue as he dropped the garment on the ground.

Every inch of him was fucking perfection. It was as though the gods had sculpted him by hand.

Ryker was a gorgeous fae male… and he was hers. Her wedding band marked him as such, but she didn't need a piece of jewelry to know he belonged to her .

For as much as she was admiring him, he was studying her. His eyes trailed over every part of her like she was an exotic creature, and he was memorizing her for further study. That kind of stare would've made her want to kill anyone else, but coming from him, it made her feel loved.

The scent of their mutual desire filled the air as he stepped towards her. His hands landed on her hips, and he moved her to the middle of the bed. She didn't fight him as he leaned over her. His left hand hit the mattress, supporting his weight as his right one trailed over her still-clothed stomach.

That small touch was enough to send bolts of need racing through her.

Brynleigh gasped, her breaths coming in short bursts. Had she been on fire before? Now, she was an inferno, burning up from the inside out.

His teasing touch was far too light as it trailed down her stomach over her sweater to the waistband of her leggings. It took everything she had not to react as he hooked a finger in the elastic.

"Like what you see, little vampire?" Ryker raised a knowing brow, that smirk still dancing on his handsome lips.

"Very much so," she replied honestly.

She wasn't sure she could've lied now, even if she wanted to.

He flattened his hand on her stomach, his thumb achingly close to her clit.

His lips brushed hers, the kiss maddeningly brief. "Me, too."

She didn't have time to mourn the lack of Ryker's mouth on hers because he kneeled at the edge of the bed and tugged on her top.

He asked, "Do you like this sweater?"

Such an odd question to ask at a moment like this. She frowned. "I mean, as much as I like most of my clothes."

It was neither here nor there. She wasn't all that involved in fashion. Not like Sarai had been.

"Good to know." A twinkle entered his eyes. "Can I take it off?"

"Please." She lifted her arms above her head, but he chuckled darkly.

Taking hold of the neckline with both hands, he shifted his weight so his legs straddled her on either side. He leaned over and kissed her, his firmness resting in the apex of her still-clothed thighs. She gasped as he pressed against her.

A low chuckle rumbled against her mouth, and a loud rip filled the room. Startled, she made a sound of protest, but he swallowed the noise with his mouth. He slid the scraps of her sweater out from beneath her and tossed them aside. He pulled off her leggings and panties, and his shorts quickly followed.

She didn't have time to admire his naked moonlit figure before he returned to his position, his head dipping as he kissed her jaw. She gasped, pressing herself closer to him.

More. She needed more.

"I missed you." Ryker kissed her neck. "Every night, I wanted you." A trail of searing kisses went across her collarbone. "You haunted my dreams and my nightmares." Kiss, kiss, kiss. "I've never stopped needing you."

He covered her in kisses, tasting her as though he was starving and had never eaten in his life. Every time he lifted his lips from her flesh, he told her how much he wanted her. Needed her. Cared for her.

How he would take care of her from now until the end of their days. Again and again and again, he devoured her with kisses until she was a writhing mess beneath him.

When Brynleigh felt like she would die from the fire inside her, Ryker cupped her breasts. He rolled her nipples beneath her thumbs, his gaze dark as it met hers.

"You're mine," he told her before sucking a nipple into his mouth.

She arched her back, a strangled cry rising as he played with her other breast.

Oh gods.

When she didn't reply, he released her nipple and rested his chin on her chest. His eyes flashed with that same possessiveness she'd glimpsed on their wedding day. "Whose are you?"

"Yours," she gasped.

"Good girl." He rewarded her by taking her other nipple in his mouth.

She moaned as he licked and sucked as though his life depended on it. On and on and on he went, tasting her .

Every gasp, every moan, every movement seemed to spur him on. He didn't stop, though. Not until she was a desperate puddle beneath him, begging for more.

Ryker was playing with her. The audacity. She could sense his playfulness in every kiss, every nip, every time he ground his hips against hers, his cock just outside of where she desperately needed it.

He wasn't the only one capable of playing games. There was no doubt he wanted her—but would he let her take control?

She'd find out.

Ryker moved on from her breasts and was pressing languid kisses over her stomach, slowly moving towards her damp core when she reached for her shadows.

Those dark wisps that were her vampiric birthright flooded from her palms. In a smooth movement, Brynleigh hooked her legs around his waist and flipped them around. Shadows coated the bedroom floor as she straddled him.

His eyes widened, but his expression showed no fear or anger as he looked over her. "You released your wings again."

He reached out to touch them, but she quickly snapped them back. Touching wings was a delicate intimacy she'd never shared with anyone, and she wanted to remain in control.

For now.

"I did." Brynleigh bent and kissed him. "Do you like them?"

His gaze swept over them. "They're beautiful, just like you."

"If you're good, I'll take you flying one day," she said cheekily.

A smirk danced on those lips, and he thrust his hips upwards.

"Oh, sweetheart." Ryker's hands landed on her upper thighs. "You have no idea how good I can be. Let me show you."

The last words were barely more than a growl, and Brynleigh realized she was rapidly losing control of the situation. She'd flipped them for a reason, but she was having trouble remembering what that was.

"Maybe later. I have plans for you." She rolled her hips over his length experimentally.

His tip rubbed her clit, and she gasped, clinging to his shoulders before doing it again. Waves of pleasure shot through her.

Ryker groaned, his head falling back on the mattress and his hands leaving her thighs. "Fuck, little vampire. You're going to be the death of me."

Maybe it was the fact that Ryker looked like he was on the brink of losing control, or perhaps it was the way his hands grappled at the sheets as she rubbed wantonly against him, but Brynleigh felt like a powerful goddess of the night.

They were alone; the barriers between them were gone, and this was right .

Fanning out her wings behind her, she kissed him as her hands traveled over his bare flesh. She never lingered in one place too long, wanting to make him come undone.

Besides, she had a lot of missed time to make up for.

Eventually, he captured her wrists, stopping their tantalizing trail across his stomach.

"I need you," he groaned.

Hearing him confess his desire was doing wonders for her self-esteem.

She shifted her hips over his length, letting her wetness coat him. "How badly do you want me?"

"I would give anything to be inside you right now," he admitted.

More shadows flooded from her palms, and she spread her wings. Lifting her hips, she leaned forward and kissed him. He tasted like everything she'd ever desired, and she'd never get enough of this.

Reaching between them, Brynleigh took his cock in her hand.

A mangled groan rumbled through his chest. She drank in the sound, her fangs aching with need.

Isvana help her, but she loved that he was reacting like this because of her . She stroked him several times before lowering herself onto his length. The moment his tip entered her, she threw back her head and moaned.

This was even better than she'd remembered.

Pain and pleasure surged through her as she took him inch by inch, stretching around him. Her eyes fluttered shut, and the pain soon disappeared as she took him to the hilt.

"Oh, gods," she breathed, adjusting to his size .

Ryker reached up and brushed a hand down her cheek. "There are no gods here, love. Just me and you."

Once, she would've waited and let her body adjust to his size. Once, she would've been gentler. But after everything they'd been through, she couldn't wait.

Their eyes met, and through some unspoken command, they moved as one.

She gripped his shoulders.

His hands came to her hips, his thumbs stroking her flesh as she rode him.

"I love you," she whispered, her back arching as he thrust his hips upwards and met her movements. "So fucking much."

Love was a difficult thing, she'd learned. It was possible to fall in love without ever seeing the other person—the Choosing had made that perfectly clear. It was even possible to fall in love with the person you were supposed to kill.

But love without trust? It was dangerous. Deadly, even. It could destroy someone from the inside out. It was too close to hate and anger. She and Ryker had hovered there for far too long.

No longer.

Now, they were stronger than before. She hadn't even known that was possible. He'd proven to her that he would be there for her, that he would keep her safe, and that she was more than an asset to him.

He was hers as much as she was his.

His eyes darkened. "I love you, too."

The words were exactly what she needed to hear. Knowing he could take whatever she gave him, Brynleigh abandoned the last shreds of her control.

There was nothing gentle or slow about the way she moved. Her wings spread behind her, and darkness slipped from her palms. This wasn't a tryst meant to appease physical aches, nor was it the lovemaking of their wedding night.

This was a claiming, an apology, and forgiveness all wrapped up in one.

With every rise and fall of her hips, every gasp and moan and sound of pleasure that came from her, that trust strengthened .

She drew closer and closer to her release. She hovered on the precipice, her entire body coiled in eager anticipation.

"More," she gasped. "I need more."

Ryker's gaze swept over hers, and he nodded. In a matter of moments, he lifted her hips and was out from under her. She barely had time to mourn the emptiness inside her before he drew up behind her. He kissed the back of her neck, his hands trailing over her bottom.

"You might want to hold onto something, love." There was a dark promise in his voice that she desperately wanted to explore.

She grabbed the headboard seconds before his hands landed on her hips. Not even a heartbeat later, he lined his cock up at her entrance and thrust into her.

Stars exploded in her vision from the new angle.

This.

This was exactly what she needed.

He held her hip with one hand, his other trailing over her wings as he drove into her.

His cock hit that perfect spot, and she cried out. Everything else faded away except for the fae behind her.

She was his, and he was hers.

And when Ryker dragged his canines over her neck and growled, "Come for me," she did.

She fell over the cliff, pleasure running through her like a tsunami, and she screamed his name. His own release followed moments later, his groans of pleasure music to her ears.

He held her close through the waves of pleasure, murmuring sweet nothings as they came down from the high together.

Eventually, she released the headboard.

Ryker left the bedroom long enough to get a damp washcloth, and she retracted her wings while he was gone. She was tired, and her body was limp and sore in all the right places.

He returned, a soft smile dancing on his face. He crawled over to her, gently washing between her legs before placing the sweetest kiss on her lips.

"I love you so much," he whispered, throwing the washcloth into the laundry bin .

Brynleigh snuggled against him, letting his warmth seep into her. "Until the end of time?"

He chuckled, drawing the covers over them both.

"Forever," he promised.

A single word had never sounded so good.

He kissed her forehead. "Sleep, love."

She did.