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‘Jamie, I’m not going to regret anything, I promise you that. I’m not tired any more, and I haven’t drunk nearly enough to not know what I’m doing. It’s past time. I want this. You. Will you kiss me again? Please?’

* * *

It was the please that did it.

There was no way he could refuse her – not that he wanted to – so he stopped fighting his worries, gave in to his instinct and cupped her face in his hands to gently tease his lips over hers. She responded immediately, moulding herself against him as she wound her fingers around his neck to deepen the kiss, sending a flare of magic flashing through him. That surprised him – so far from Hudsbury, he’d expected it would have faded, but Amrita’s passion ignited it, stripping away his last arguments.

She pushed him back gently, until his legs hit the side of the bed, and he let them topple, falling into each other, laughing. It was the most incredible – and surreal – thing to be touching her like this, seeing the hungry promise and want in her eyes. To him, it had always felt like a forgone conclusion – he’d seen it so many times in the flashes of magic that had been tormenting him for weeks. He’d thought he’d known what to expect, but nothing had prepared him for the feel of her skin beneath his hands or the silky tickle of her hair all around him.

He didn’t remember moving, swivelling them both onto the bed properly, but if he lived to a hundred, he’d never forget the look in her eyes as she’d pushed him back into the pillows, or the intoxicating scent of her hair as she leaned down to kiss him again, sweetly and unhurriedly – an act of trust and devotion. He was torn between the agonies of wanting to stay there forever and needing to touch more of her.

The satin between his hands and her skin was a tease and temptation as he stroked down her back, losing himself in the welcoming heat of her kisses. He’d planned on taking things slowly, but she clearly had less patience and straddled him, pushing the creamy satin further up her legs, which he couldn’t resist touching, leaving a trail of goosepimples that made her squirm against him.

He’d thought he’d had things under control, but his magic flared when his T-shirt hit the floor and her hands hit his bare chest. They were burning, branding him as hers, forever changing him. And he welcomed it deep in his soul.

She gasped when his hands stroked their way back to her shoulders – bare but for slivers of satin. ‘Can I…?’

‘Yes.’

‘You don’t know what I was going to ask.’ He chuckled, one finger already fiddling with the flimsy strap.

‘Does it involve your hands on more of my skin?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then yes.’ Her lips found his neck, just below his ear, so he felt the next words on hot breath as well as heard them. ‘Please, yes.’

The satin whispered as it slithered over her skin, a loving caress he did his best to match with his fingers, nose and lips. He kissed trails of want and heat over her skin, leaving her gasping until she toppled down with him, her breasts enticingly and perfectly within reach of his lips – and there was no way he was going to resist that temptation. She arched her back and he followed her, his lips not leaving her excited flesh as he tasted and teased, his arms tightly around her waist and up her back as she ground against him, infuriating, demanding and delicious.

He’d dreamed about this – woken up aching more times than he’d ever admit – but it still wasn’t even close to the reality. When she grinned at him and shoved him back, he fell to his elbows, overwhelmed by sensations and happy to let her take the lead.

He almost cried when – without warning – she moved, leaving him throbbing painfully.

‘Amrita?’

‘Don’t move.’

He wasn’t sure he could even if he’d wanted to.

The seconds felt like hours before she was back, wearing nothing but her long, glossy hair and an almost shy smile.

He watched, dazed, and couldn’t stifle the groan when she reached for him, tentatively wrapping her fingers around him, watching for his reaction, for his smile and fervent nod pleading for more. He shuddered as she rolled the condom on, loving the way she bit her lip, before looking up to meet his eyes – her gaze even hotter than her hands had been.

She knelt above him, repositioning, before slowly sliding down, groaning and shivering slightly. She moved above him, a glorious vision of impossible joy and breath-stealing beauty that he could scarcely believe was real as his body and magic throbbed and glowed in response to her.

She faltered in her movements, looked down at him with such open honesty that it was almost painful. ‘Come here? I miss you…’

He sat up, wrapping one arm around her waist to anchor her to him more firmly, and tangled his other hand in her hair, dragging her lips down to kiss her fiercely while he moved with her. It was almost like dancing again, their bodies confident, at ease, and entirely aware of each other’s moves – almost before they made it, fitting together and matching so perfectly it was close to unbearable.

She shuddered against him, around him, her muscles tensing as she moved with him, her beautiful breasts bouncing against him as she delighted in his body, her breath coming hotter and faster against his lips.

Her rhythm faltered as her legs and core tightened, and he took it over, rocking into her and grinding against her with more force while she whimpered and gasped.

He held her tightly as she shuddered and climaxed in his arms, swallowing her delicious whimpers and moans with more kisses. There was no way he was letting her go. He couldn’t.

When she was limp and languid he pulled her down against him, shifting position gently so she was spread out beneath him, welcoming and still needy. She held on tightly, whimpering and pleading as he danced with her, driving into her harder and harder, pushing her higher and higher into a spiral of scorching pleasure that exploded through her body first, then dragged him with her, melting and bonding them together in shared ecstasy.

He held her tightly afterwards, smoothing his fingers through her hair and over her back while his world came back into focus – slightly different and forever changed because of the woman in his arms.