The loft is simple, just a big bed under the skylights and a few shelves built into the walls. But it feels like something out of a dream, the stars above us glittering like they’re close enough to touch. King sets me down gently on the edge of the bed, his hands lingering at my waist as if he’s reluctant to let go.
I look up at him, my heart hammering in my chest. “What now?”
“Now,” he says, his fingers brushing a strand of hair from my face, “I show you exactly what it means to be mine.”
The air between us thickens, heavy with the weight of everything unspoken. I should say something, push back like I always do, but the words get caught in my throat as his hands trail up my sides, slow and deliberate. He’s watching me like a hawk, like he’s cataloging every reaction, every breathless hitch and tremble.
“You’ve been driving me insane,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against my temple. “Every damn minute without you feels like a year.” His hands cup my face, forcing me to look at him. “I’ll never stop wanting you, Indie.” His thumb brushes my cheek, wiping away a tear I didn’t realize had fallen. “I won’t let you walk away from this mountain,” he says, his voice low and rough. “Not unless I’m coming with you.”
Before I can respond, his mouth is on mine, hot and demanding. It’s not the kind of kiss that leaves room for doubt or hesitation. It’s a claiming, pure and simple, and I find myself melting into him, my fingers tangling in his hair as I pull him closer.
His weight presses me back against the bed, his hands sliding under my sweater to find bare skin. I gasp against his lips, the calloused roughness of his palms igniting every nerve ending in my body.
“Too many clothes,” he mutters, his voice a growl as he tugs at my sweater. I laugh breathlessly, helping him pull it over my head before reaching for his shirt. He catches my hands, pinning them above my head as he looks down at me, his expression fierce and hungry.
“Slow down,” he says, his voice a command. “I’m not rushing this. Not tonight.”
My pulse quickens, the tension in his gaze making it impossible to look away. “And what exactly do you have in mind?”
His lips curve into a wicked grin. “You’ll see.”
He releases my hands, his mouth trailing down my neck as his fingers work the clasp of my bra. When it falls away, he leans back, his gaze raking over me like I’m something to be worshipped.
“Perfect,” he mutters, his hands skimming down my sides before settling on my hips. “Every damn inch of you.”
I feel heat flood my cheeks, but the way he’s looking at me makes it impossible to feel self-conscious. Instead, I reach for him, my fingers trailing down his chest as I push his shirt up and over his head. My breath catches at the sight of him, all hard muscle and rough edges, like he was carved out of the mountain itself.
“Your turn,” I say, my voice trembling but firm. “You’re wearing too much.”
He chuckles, low and dangerous, but obliges, shedding his jeans and boots with a practiced ease that leaves me breathless. When he’s standing there, bare and unashamed, the full force of his presence hits me like a freight train.
“See something you like?” he teases, his grin sharp and cocky.
I roll my eyes, but the heat in my cheeks gives me away. “Maybe.”
He doesn’t give me a chance to say more, lowering himself onto the bed and pulling me against him. The warmth of his skin against mine sends a shiver down my spine, and I can feel the tension in his body, the restraint he’s barely holding on to.
“Indie,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against my ear. “Tell me you’re mine.”
The words send a jolt of electricity through me, and I tighten my grip on his shoulders, my voice barely a whisper. “I’m yours, King. Always.”
His control snaps. His mouth crashes against mine, his hands roaming my body with a desperation that matches my own. There’s nothing gentle about it, nothing restrained. It’s raw and wild, a tangle of limbs and gasps and moans as we lose ourselves in each other.
“If you're brave enough to let me into your heart, I promise I'll never break or bruise it,” he says, his thumbs trailing down the line of my neck. I swallow, feeling all the hard edges of himpressed against my soft and eager ones. “I swear I'll tread lightly and love all of you, every day, Indie.” His words send shivers down my spine as he continues, “I didn't think I could love anyone until you came into my life, and then you showed up with those big round eyes and you were it for me.”
Tears start to form in my eyes before he wipes them away with his thumbs and then licks the salty tears off his lips.
“Even your tears are sweet,” he murmurs.
His lips find mine, urgent and hungry as they roam over my lips and skin until I feel like I might burst into flames. He hovers over me, kissing along my shoulder before settling on the hollow of my neck. “No one has been in this house, in my bed, not even in my life since...well, I can't even remember.”
His hand slides over my skin, igniting a fire along the path. I moan and arch into him as his palm envelopes my soft stomach, making me feel safe and loved and completely his. A surge of desire rushes through me. He claims me as his own and I revel in the thought.
"You brought life back into my dead soul, Indie," he confesses, tracing my lips with his thumb. "There's something about you that drew me to your sweetness, your loving nature. It was foreign to me but now it consumes me." His thumb then grazes my temple before our lips meet like magnets. A soft sigh escapes me. "You’re perfect and captivating," he whispers, bringing me to my knees with just the mere thought of him.
He traces his tongue along my lips, our breaths mingling as we explore each other's mouths. I can feel the fire building to an inferno between us. His hand slides between my legs, teasing my soaked pussy and moving between my ass cheeks. A growl of pleasure rumbles from his chest and sends spirals of need through my system.
“You sound like a growly grizzly bear protecting what’s his,” I husk.
