Page 85 of Lovely Venom

A beat passes as that declaration settles between us. Then he issues a command like he’s been waiting years to say it.

“Come here.”

A charge hums through the air as I move toward him, a cocktail of nerves flooding my veins.

I’m keenly aware that what happens in this room tonight will alter me irrevocably. Something inside me has always known that he’d ruin me for anyone else. But if this is all we have, I want it burned into my memory for eternity.

I stop in front of him, my bare feet finding a home between his polished shoes. He’s so much larger than me, I have to look up to meet his gaze.

He’s a solid, immovable force who could do whatever he wanted to me, and I wouldn’t be able to stop him. That kind of power always triggered fear in me with other men.

There’s no denying Bran is dangerous too. But not to me.

I’ve been wrong about other people before. I’ve misjudged character, and I’ve given the benefit of the doubt when I shouldn’t. But I’ve never doubted that what we share is different.

When I come here, I’m at my most vulnerable, and he’s my calm, controlled protector. He knows me intimately. The things I crave, the things that terrify me. He knows exactly what to give me and when. And while I swore I’d never let my guard down for anyone again, this is probably the closest I’ll ever get.

“Hello, dea.” His fingers trace the curve of my face. “Miss me?”

The raw hunger in his voice sends a rush of warmth through me, and when he drags his thumb over my lips, it ignites.

“Yes.” I close my eyes and let out a shuddering breath.

“Good.” He turns me in his arms, anchoring my back to his chest as he breathes me in. “Because this is where you belong.”

The heat of his possession wraps around me and doesn’t let go. It taps into something deep inside me I’ve tried so hard to numb.

It’s only temporary.

But right now, I’m his.

“No kissing on the mouth.” His lips ghost over my throat. “But what about here?”

A soft sigh of surrender escapes me, and goosebumps ripple over my skin as he kisses his way down to my collarbone.

He’s never done this before, and in any other circumstance, it would break my no-intimacy rule. But tonight, I want to free myself from the prison of my armor, if only for a little while.

His hands drift over my silk robe, and the familiar pull of his control is so intoxicating, I melt into his touch.

“Your body remembers me.” His observation is a warm caress against my skin.

I nod, and a deep sound of approval reverberates through him as his fingers sweep over my breasts.

I tip my head back, nipples tightening as a drunken, blissed-out feeling washes over me. Under his spell, the chaos in my mind slips away, and I let go.

It’s something I’ve never been able to do with anyone else.

Even after all this time, he’s still attuned to my needs. He doesn’t rush. He takes the time to ground me in the safety I so desperately need.

It’s just so incredibly…hot.

“You updated your consent form,” he murmurs.

“Yes,” I echo.

“Is this your way of telling me you want to get fucked bare?”

A deep, consuming desire gathers low in my belly as his question hangs in the air. It wasn’t a mistake when I updated my preferences. I knew exactly what I was doing.