“But, you didn’t get to choose this.” Her voice was soft as she replied. “You didn’t get to choose us.”
“Neither did you, starlight,” I stated. “But even so, I would choose this . . . I would choose you . . . in this life . . . in the next . . . every single time. I wouldchooseyou. You have been on my mind every single moment since I first saw you at the Tilted Tavern. Even then, before we even marked, I wanted to spend time in your presence. So don’t tell me that I didn’t get tochoosethis . . . because Idochoose this.”
I felt the overwhelming flood of emotions flowing from her—happiness, excitement, worry, and desire. Tilting her chin up, I met her gaze. “I mean it, Raelyna. It’s been you . . . since the moment I laid eyes on you.” I didn’t give her a chance to respond as I pressed my lips to hers, molding them together as I claimed her. The moment my lips touched hers, I was ensnared, captivated. The scent of jasmine enveloped me, and I found myself pushing closer to her, my lips never once leaving hers.
Raelyna folded into my touch. My hand tightened on her hip, tugging her against me as my other hand trailed up her back, before my fingers snaked through her hair, angling her head as I deepened the kiss.
I pulled back for the briefest of moments, my eyes fluttering open to meet sea-glass hazel orbs holding mine. I watched a torrent of emotions flicker across her irises—longing, satisfaction, desire—matching the pulse of contentment I felt radiating from our starbound mark.
“I meant it, Raelyna,” I whispered against the shell of her ear. “I choose you. You aremine.”
“I choose you, too,” she answered.
I angled my head once again, my lips touching hers oncemore in a soft kiss as I ran my tongue across her bottom lip in a slow motion. And then I was taking control, a low growl rumbling in my chest as I tugged her closer to me, our lips colliding in a tidal wave of consuming desire.
Hands ran through my hair, tangling at the nape of my neck as I guided the kiss, taking control, my lips claiming hers in a ferocious dance. Every fiber of my being demanded to be closer, wanting more. I could feel the array of emotions flitting through our mark—contented, satisfied,accepted. I broke apart, gasping for breath, only for us to collide once again.
All I could think about was her . . . she consumed my thoughts, my memories, my actions as the taste of her flooded my mouth and our tongues danced in a wickedly vicious battle of control. I leaned into her, feeling the soft curves of her body pressing against me as I held her, my lips brushing against hers in a synchronized dance.
Raelyna broke away after a moment. Staring up at me as she gasped for breath, her chest heaving, she opened her mouth. “Don’t you need to?—”
A growl tore from my lips at her words. “No.” The word was a snarled command as I pressed her backward, pinning her body firmly between me and the bedroom wall as I stole a kiss from her. My tongue traced along her lips before demanding to be let in. I let my hands roam across her body, tracing tantalizing circles over her skin that had her gasping and whimpering from my touch as I explored every inch of her skin.
I broke the kiss as I began to place feathered kisses along her jawline. My tongue trailed down the column of her neck, lips covering her neck in claiming brushes as my fingers moved under the material of her shirt, causing shivers over her skin as my hands danced over her bare skin, moving lower and lower. A strangled noise sounded from the female beneath me as I continued to edge her on, playing with her body as my fingersdelicately traced across the planes of her stomach, dipping lower with each touch.
“Stars-damn me.” The words were a panted plea from her lips as her hand snagged in my hair in a demanding pull. A growl slipped my own lips, and I tilted my head as I met her pleading gaze, a demand for more clear in her eyes. I could feel the contentment coming through the starbound bond as she stared at me, her body pressing against mine.
“Tell me what you want, starlight.” The words were a low husk as my voice brushed across her skin.
Her head dropped against the wall, eyes filled with overflowing emotion as she stared at me. “You, Cal. I just want you.”
Her words had me pressing against her, pinning her to the spot as my lips claimed her lips once more in a bruising kiss. I felt the starbound mark pulsing on my forearm, an increasing demand to claim, claim,claim.
A low growl tore through me, heat coursing through my body as my desire increased, and I forced myself to tear away from her. Raelyna gasped for breath, staring up at me in confusion as I tucked a strand of wavy, brown hair behind her ear before pressing my forehead to hers.
“You are so stars-damned beautiful,” I whispered against her skin, panting as I regained my breath. “But if I don’t leave now . . . I will stay here all night, showing youexactlywhat it means to be mine.”
Raelyna stared up at me, fighting for breath as she trailed her fingers over my arms, tracing over the lines of hardly-restrained muscle. “I don’t see a problem with that,Sergeant.” Her bottom lip pulled into a sultry pout as she pulled back slightly, staring up at me.
“Fuck . . . starlight,” I groaned as I rubbed against my jaw, calling on every ounce of self-control I possessed. “The things I’d do to you . . .”
A sharpyipsounded from the ground, and I huffed a short chuckle at the noise, shaking my head.
Because, of course, the stars-damned fox would takethisexact moment to appear, his little yipping demands for attention growing louder as he brushed against my leg. I pulled away from Raelyna, her soft laughter filling the room as I bent down, rubbing the fox’s snout as he excitedly purred.
He leapt into my arms at the first sign of attention, and I sighed as he nestled into me.
“Your fox needs help,” I said as I rose, finding Raelyna standing in the doorframe, looking at the two of us with a mixture of elation and joy.
“He’s perfect just the way he is,” she scolded as she turned on her heel, leaving me no choice but to follow. I watched as she fidgeted with the curtains by the window, hating that I had to leave her, but knowing I’d already pushed my luck on time.
“I’ll be back for you soon enough,” I told the creature as I gave him one last pat before setting him onto the chair close to the living room window. “I’ll be back forbothof you.”
“You have no other choice,Sergeant,” Raelyna teased, attempting to hide the worry lining her eyes as she looked at me.
“Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone,” I told her, repeating what I’d said when I last left from this same window.
“I could say the same back to you,” she replied softly. “Just come back, otherwise I will have to do something stupid just to make sure you’re okay,” she demanded.
