Chapter 27

27

THORAK

T he low, romantic lights of the balcony dance across Mariah's face as she gazes up at me, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Every muscle tenses as I drink in her words—an apology, a confession, a plea for forgiveness and a second chance.

Emotions crash over me like storm-tossed waves. Relief, joy, hope, all tinged with the lingering ache of our month apart.

How many nights did I lie awake, torturing myself with thoughts of what could have been? How often did I replay our short but passionate romance in my mind, craving her touch, her scent, her soft sighs of pleasure?

And now here she stands, more beautiful than ever, laying her heart bare before me.

My eyes rake over her, taking in the way her chestnut hair tumbles around her shoulders, the flush of her fair skin. Desire pulses through my veins, hot and insistent.

I want to crush her against me, claim her lips in a searing kiss, trail my hands over every delicious curve. But I hold back, knowing we have wounds to mend first.

"Mariah," I rumble, my voice raw with emotion. "This past month has been agony without you. I've replayed that day in the square a thousand times, wishing I had done things differently. I should have been more firm with both my parents and Ygra from the start. Everyone in town should've known that you were my woman and that it was real. I let my pride get in the way, and it nearly cost me everything."

I step closer, my large frame towering over her petite one. She tilts her head back to hold my gaze, and the vulnerability in her expression makes my chest ache.

"I love you, Mariah," I confess, the words tumbling out in a rush. "I think I've loved you from the moment I first saw you again, standing in your inn with pixie dust in your hair. It consumes me. It controls me. And I'll spend every day of the rest of our lives proving myself worthy of your trust, if you'll let me."

Happiness flares in her eyes, bright and fierce, and an answering warmth spreads through my chest. This is more than reconciliation—it's a new beginning, a chance to build something real and lasting together.

"Oh, Thorak," she breathes, a radiant smile blooming across her face. "I love you too. And I promise, no more assumptions, no more running away. I'm yours."

The last of my restraint shatters. I reach for her, my hands spanning her waist as I draw her flush against my body. She comes willingly, melting into my embrace as if she was made to fit there.

Unable to hold back any longer, I capture Mariah's lips in a heated kiss. A groan rumbles up my throat as I taste her sweetness, feel the silk of her skin under my hands. Every nerve ending ignites with the rightness of it.

Her small hands fist in my suit jacket, tugging me impossibly closer as she matches my fervor. I nip at her luscious bottom lip and she opens for me with a breathy moan that shoots straight to my core.

I walk us backwards until Mariah's back meets the ivy-covered wall of the balcony. Never breaking our frantic kiss, I hoist her up, encouraging her legs to wrap around my waist. She does so without hesitation, rolling her hips against the evidence of my arousal.

The layers of fabric separating our heated flesh are maddening. I want to tear through them, to claim her, mark her as mine for all the world to see.

"Thorak," Mariah gasps as I trail open-mouthed kisses along the slender column of her neck. "Please...I've been thinking about this for weeks. I need you."

I pull back from her, glancing back at the balcony door a few feet away. We're very secluded out here, and the entrance to the balcony is not near the main part of the hall. But still…

"You're not worried that someone might see?" I ask Mariah, the risk of being caught sending a delicious, forbidden thrill through me.

Mariah looks up at me wantonly through her eyelashes, her cheeks flushed, lips parted and glistening from our kisses. "Let them."

A low, primal growl bursts out of my throat, I set her down just long enough to fumble with the zipper of my pants. Mariah shimmies her dress up her hips, revealing her white cotton panties. I rip through the fabric with a satisfying shred, leaving her bare and glistening. The intoxicating scent of her arousal fills my nostrils, stoking the flames of my desire.

"We don't have any lube," I warn her.

"I don't care," she whimpers. "I want to feel you, all of you, Thorak. I need this so badly."

I hike her back up, bracing her against the wall as I notch myself at her entrance. Our eyes lock, the intensity of our shared gaze a silent promise, an unbreakable vow. Then, I slowly push into her heat, pausing as I go to make sure she's comfortable.

A ragged groan escapes my throat as Mariah's tight warmth envelops me, inch by delicious inch. She arches against me, fingernails digging into my shoulders, head tipped back in ecstasy. The sensation is indescribable, like coming home after an eternity adrift.

"Thorak," she keens softly, and the sound of my name on her lips nearly undoes me.

I still, finally buried to the hilt, savoring the exquisite sensation of our bodies joined so intimately. Mariah hooks her ankles around my lower back, pulling me impossibly deeper.

Slowly, reverently, I begin to move. Long, deep strokes that make her shudder and clench around me. I set a relentless pace, driven by my inner monster's need to possess her, to brand myself on her very soul.

Mariah clings to my shoulders, meeting each dominating thrust with a sinuous roll of her hips. Our mouths crash together in a mess of tongues and teeth, swallowing each other's moans and whimpers. The rough stone of the mansion bites into my palms as I brace myself above her, but I relish the sting. It grounds me in the moment, reminding me that this is real, that Mariah is really mine.

Our pace grows more frantic, our bodies moving together in an instinctual rhythm. Mariah's moans escalate, breathy and high-pitched, spurring me on. She starts to flutter around my length, her pleasure building to a crest.

I snake a hand between our sweat-slicked bodies, finding the sensitive bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs. I rub in firm, fast circles, determined to bring her over the edge with me.

Mariah shatters with a keening cry, her head thrown back in abandon as ecstasy overtakes her. The sight of her, lost to the bliss I've given her, is my undoing. With a guttural roar, I spill myself deep inside her welcoming body.

We remain locked together, chests heaving, pulses gradually slowing as we float down from our shared ecstasy. Eventually, I carefully set Mariah back on her feet, making sure her wobbly legs can support her before I release my grip on her waist.

She leans into my chest with a contented sigh, nuzzling her nose against me.

"That was...intense," she giggles.

"You're telling me," I chuckle, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear. "I'll never look at a balcony the same way again."

A thought occurs to me then, chasing away the haze of afterglow. I capture Mariah's hands in mine and rub my thumbs over her knuckles, mustering my courage. It's now or never.

"Mariah," I begin, my voice rough with emotion, "I meant what I said. I love you, and I want to be with you, for real this time. No more pretending, no more hiding. Will you...will you be my girlfriend? My partner?"

Mariah's eyes widen, her breath hitching in her throat. For a heart-stopping moment, I think she might refuse, might push me away again.

But then a brilliant, beautiful smile breaks across her face, practically lighting up the evening sky with its glow.

"Yes," she whispers. "Yes, Thorak, I'll be yours if you'll be mine."

Joy explodes through me like a firework, filling me with light and color. I crush Mariah to me in an exuberant embrace, peppering her face and hair with kisses.

She laughs, the sound like music to my ears, and winds her arms around my neck to keep me close. She leans in, her warm breath tickling my ear.

"Let's go back to the reunion, hand in hand," she suggests, a playful lilt to her voice. "Show everyone that we're the real deal now."

The thought of walking back into the crowded ballroom with Mariah at my side, proudly declaring our love to the world, makes the possessive side of me want to growl with pleasure.

I want nothing more than to show everyone that this gorgeous, amazing woman is mine, and I'm hers.

"Lead the way, my love," I murmur against her hair, relishing the sweet scent of her lavender perfume.

Hand in hand, we make our way back inside, not even trying to hide the giddy smiles plastered across our faces. Mariah leans into my side as we walk, her head resting on my bicep, and I've never felt more complete.

As we enter the ballroom, a hush falls over the crowd. Curious eyes follow our every move, widening at the sight of our joined hands and rumpled clothing. A couple of monsters turn to each other with scandalized whispers, and some of our former classmates wear shocked expressions.

Surely everyone remembers how I treated Mariah in high school. Even if they heard of our rumored engagement last month, it's probably a surprise to see us acting this cozy right now.

But I remind myself that I don't care about the whispers or the stares. Let them talk. All that matters is the amazing woman beside me and the love we share.

I lead Mariah onto the dance floor just as a slow song begins to play, the romantic melody swelling around us. Pulling her into my arms, I hold her close, swaying gently to the music. Her body molds perfectly against mine, like two puzzle pieces finally clicking into place.

Mariah lifts her head from my chest, the soft light making her skin glow.

"I love you, Thorak Ironfist," she murmurs, her lips curving into a tender smile. "I'm sorry it took me this long to realize it."

"I love you too, Mariah Parker," I rumble, brushing a feather-light kiss across her forehead. "More than anything. And I'm going to spend the rest of my days proving it to you, and making up for all the time we lost."

Mariah's eyes glint with unshed tears as she rises up on her toes to press a soft, sweet kiss to my lips. I lose myself in her, in this perfect moment where nothing exists but the two of us, swaying together.

For the first time in weeks, the tightness in my chest eases, replaced by a deep sense of rightness, of coming home.