I wrap my arms around his neck, my legs around his waist, clinging to him like I can fuse us together through sheer force of will.
When he finally pulls back, I'm breathless and dizzy and so full of love I feel like I might actually burst.
"Teach me," he rumbles against my mouth, his voice dropping into that dark, possessive register that makes heat poollow in my belly. "Teach me how to be your partner, Quinn. Show me how to walk in your world without destroying it. I will learn. I swear it."
I pull back just enough to meet his eyes, seeing the vulnerability there, the genuine fear that he won't be enough, that his nature will always be too much.
"You already are my partner. You just proved it. The old Lanek would have dismantled that developer with his bare hands. The new Lanek dismantled him with legal code and preservation statutes. You learned my language. You fought my battles on my terms. You gave me what I needed."
"And what do you need now?"
The question hangs in the air between us, heavy with promise.
I lean in, pressing my forehead against his.
"You."
CHAPTER 19
QUINN
Ipull him up by his massive shoulders, fisting my hands in the fabric of his shirt and dragging his mouth back to mine with a ferocity that startles us both.
This kiss is different.
There's no hesitation, no uncertainty, no barriers left between us. Just pure, unfiltered want and the absolute certainty that we belong to each other.
He makes a low, rumbling sound deep in his chest, his big hands spanning my waist and lifting me effortlessly off the ground. I wrap my legs tighter around him, feeling the solid, overwhelming heat of him pressed against me, the sheer size difference making my head spin.
"Office," I gasp against his mouth. "Now."
He doesn't question it, doesn't slow down. He just turns and carries me through the narrow doorway into his cramped office space, kicking the door shut behind us with enough force to rattle the frosted glass window.
The space is barely big enough for his massive desk and the worn leather sofa shoved against the wall. I don't need space. I just need him.
He sets me down on his desk, and I immediately reach for the hem of his shirt, yanking it up and over his head in one smooth motion. The fabric catches briefly on his tusks, and he helps me wrestle it free, tossing it somewhere behind him.
I flatten my palms against his bare chest, feeling the ridges of hard muscle beneath his green skin, the raised texture of his intricate tattoos, the heat radiating off him like a furnace.
"You're so warm," I breathe, pressing closer.
"And you are so soft." His hands slide up my thighs, pushing my vintage dress higher. "Every part of you. Soft and sweet and perfect."
"I'm not that sweet." I bite down gently on his lower lip, feeling him shudder against me. "I just let you grovel on a concrete floor for twenty minutes before putting you out of your misery."
"You are merciless." His enormous hands grip my hips, dragging me forward until I'm perched right on the desk, pressed flush against him. "Ruthless. Terrifying."
"Good." I slide my hands up his neck, threading my fingers through his hair and pulling his head down to mine. "Because I need you to stop talking and start using all that incredible strength exactly how I tell you to."
The growl that rumbles through his chest is so deep I feel it vibrate through my body.
"Tell me what you need, little baker. Command me. I am yours."
The words send a thrill racing down my spine.
This is what I need. Not him making decisions for me, not him protecting me from battles I need to fight myself, but him giving me his strength willingly, letting me direct it, trusting me to know what I want.
Equal partners.
