Page 7 of King of Rage

His mouth covered hers, his kiss deepening as his lips moved against hers with a hunger he had kept buried for far too long. His tongue brushed against her lower lip before he drew it gently into his mouth, sucking on it for a moment before moving to her upper lip.

Stella's breath caught.

He kissed her again, taking everything she willingly offered, his fingers still cradling her face as though he couldn't bring himself to let her go.

The kiss was gentle, yet it awakened something inside her that had been missing for so long that she could barely breathe.

She had missed this.

Missed him.

And as his lips moved against hers, she wanted nothing more than for the moment to last forever.

Lucius finally leaned back into the car, bending toward her as he slipped one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back.

Before Stella could react, he lifted her out of the car.

Her arms instinctively wound around his neck, and her legs curled around his waist as he carried her toward the house.

One of his hands settled firmly against her hip, keeping her secure as she continued kissing him. Every time he tried to pull back, she followed him, her lips finding his again.

“Stella,” he murmured against her mouth.

She only tightened her hold on him.

Lucius exhaled through his nose, his jaw flexing as he carried her through the entrance.

The house was brightly lit despite the late hour, and the moment they stepped inside, the familiar scent of him surrounded her.

It was everywhere.

The clean, expensive fragrance she remembered from their life together, the scent of his clothes, his bedroom, and the home she had once shared with him.

Stella pressed closer, burying her face against his neck for a moment before lifting her head to kiss him again.

She wanted to lose herself in that familiar scent.

In him.

Her arms tightened around his neck as Lucius carried her upstairs toward his bedroom.

He pushed the door open without bothering to close it behind him and carried her inside.

A moment later, he lowered her carefully onto the bed.

But before he could straighten, Stella reached for him, drawing him back down.

Her lips found his again.

Lucius braced one hand against the mattress while the other settled against her waist. He tried to pull away long enough to look at her, but Stella followed him, kissing him again and again, as though she couldn't bear to let the moment end.

Finally, she broke the kiss, drawing in a shaky breath.

Her arms remained wrapped around his neck as she gazed up at him.

A small, dreamy smile appeared on her lips.

She reached up and brushed her fingers along his jaw, studying his face through her alcohol-blurred vision.