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“Closer.” Calum beckoned her again, and Fern’s feet moved of their own accord. She walked past numerous bookcases built into the walls, sconces lit with candles, and carved panels depicting various scenes from Scottish myth.
Fern stopped a few feet from Calum, her mouth going dry at the sight. He turned to look at her, and the tension between them skyrocketed. Heat ran over Fern’s body, and she knew it wasn’t from the raging fireplace.
Calum was wearing a white dress shirt and black pants with a pair of red velvet loafers and a matching smoking jacket. It was incredibly formal and yet the most casual that Fern had seen him look.
She had to fight to remember what words were before she jumped on him.
“I know, Calum.” It was all that Fern said, and it hung in the air between them. Calum said nothing in response, but his eyes flashed gold, and Fern sensed the trickle of power flowing over his skin.
My god, what must he feel like when the curse is broken?
Calum stood slowly, bearing some of his weight on his cane, all of his muscles going tight. He moved like a predator, fluid but controlled. Fern realized he hadn’t been relaxed as he sat in front of the fire—he had been waiting.
“You know.” His thumb trailed patterns on the cane’s silver handle. A wave of arousal ran through her at the memory of how he fucked her with it a mere few hours ago. His stare was unapologetic.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Fern quipped, feeling her blood heat. Her magic was responding to him again. Whatever semblances of power they had left, they responded to one another.
“What I think doesn’t matter.” Calum tilted his head. “I’m in your hands now.” Fern nearly melted at the admission, but her frustration rose with her angst.
“Now you care what I think?” Fern snapped and closed the distance between them. She poked him in the chest. “You certainly have been doing a great job recently of telling me I don’t know what’s best for me.” Her voice dropped to a growl, and Fern hardly recognized herself when she spoke.
Fern’s restraint was hanging on by a thread, and she could see his body reacting to her.
“I needed you to be sure!” he snapped, grabbing her wrist.
“You pushed me away!” Fern struggled in his grip, but Calum refused to let go, walking her backwards until she was up against the wall. The heat in his gaze was inescapable, and she could feel the weight of him against her. Fern’s whole body trembled in response, and she struggled to keep her anger at the forefront of her mind.
“I did what I had to!”
Fern tilted her hips and ground against Calum’s erection, watching in pleasure as he hissed. “So did I.” Fern sighed, grabbing his face and forcing him to look her in the eye. “What are you afraid of, Calum?”
She watched as Calum’s face faltered and then finally broke. The atmosphere in the room changed instantly. He dropped his head to Fern’s shoulder and wrapped an arm around her waist. His shoulders shook and she realized that he was crying. Fern hugged him and held him there, running her fingers through his hair until she heard him murmuring.
“Hmm?” She gently guided him to pick his head up so she could hear him. “What was that?”
Calum sighed, his eyes red and tired. “I couldn’t bear it if you rejected me. If I failed you, too… I wouldn’t survive.” The weight of his words hit Fern like she had been physically struck. If she wasn’t leaning against the wall, she would’ve fallen to her knees.
“Calum,” she murmured, pressing kisses to his face. “I know. I choose you, Calum.” She repeated it over and over like a mantra. Calum stood up to his full height and stared down at her, the heat returning to his gaze. “You’re not the only person who’s struggled with the weight of caring for others, you know.”
“If this is what you want, there’s no going back.” Fern opened her mouth to speak, but Calum shook his head. “Listen to me. This is forever. I don’t know what I can promise you. I don’t know if we can break the curse.”
“I don’t care what you have to offer me,” Fern sighed in disbelief. “You don’t need to be a prince or a professor with me, Calum. You don’t have to provide anything. I just want you.”
Calum’s face flooded with shock as if he had heard no one say something like that to him before. He was used to people needing things from him. When he couldn’t provide them, especially after the curse had bound them all, he thought he was a failure.
Calum scooped Fern up in his arms, and she let out a small noise of surprise. He carried them over to the fireplace and laid her down on the soft carpet, straddling her waist. Fern basked in the warmth that was coming solely from Calum and nearly purred.
“Whatever I have is yours,” Calum promised her. He leaned down and kissed her, softly at first, until their desire thickened the air around them and the embrace became more desperate. Fern broke away.
“Take all of me,” she kissed him back. Fern lifted her hands and started shoving Calum’s jacket off his shoulders.
“Wait.” Calum grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Are you sure? If you need more time…”
“I’ve wanted you since I saw you.” Her voice was thick with emotion. “It just finally all makes sense. I don’t need more time, Calum. Just tell me what we need to do.” Calum got off Fern and started undressing, and Fern licked her lips as more of him became revealed to her.
She realized in the flickering light of the fire that she hadn’t had nearly enough time to focus on a naked Calum. Every inch of him was battle-hard and wrought from years of training. Scars cut through the dark hair on his chest and wrapped around his torso; Fern made herself a promise that she’d map out each one with her tongue.
She stripped herself as Calum kicked his pants off. They were both naked as he lay down next to her. He cradled her jaw with one hand and looked at her with such a sense of awe, Fern found herself nearly drunk with arousal.
