Page 143 of Fate of the Sun King

“No, but I can give you this. A birthday present.”

I take it from him and crack open the lid. Inside is a beautiful ring with a deep red stone.

“What’s this for?” I ask, pulling it out.

“It’s my promise to you,” he says. “To keep you safe. To love and protect you for as long as there’s breath in my body.”

I look at him. “It’s beautiful.”

“And red, of course, because you are the Heart Queen, and what other color could it be?”

I smile at that. “How about the color of the northern lights?”

He shakes his head. “You are Heart through your soul, Lor. That is your legacy and your home. No matter what happens going forward, always remember that. No matter what’s happened in my life, I’ve always held on by remembering what I was fighting for.”

He stops and then takes the ring from me. “Wear this, if you choose, as a reminder that whatever demons we face, I will follow you until the very end. Into the fires of the Underworld if I must.”

My throat grows tight, and I find myself unable to speak as I nod and hold out my hand. Nadir slides the ring onto my finger and then stares at me.

“What do you want, Lor? For your future. What do you want more than anything?”

“This,” I say immediately. “You. A life where we can live together and be happy and free. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

He tips his head and smiles. “No more revenge?”

“Oh yes. I still want that. After we finish that part.” He laughs.

“That’s my girl.”

“But when it’s all done. If we win. Then that’s what I want.”

He nods as the corner of his mouth twists up. “Then I want to give you that.”

Nadir leans over and kisses me, his mouth hungry as our tongues slick together.

“I want you,” he says, his voice rough. “Here under the sky.”

“Everyone is right there,” I say, and he doesn’t hesitate, his hand lifting as beams of light sprout from his fingers and close around us, forming an iridescent dome hiding us from the outside world. Lightning bugs slip through small cracks, gathering at the peak, making this seem like the most magical spot to have ever existed.

“Now they can’t see or hear anything.”

“They’re going to know exactly why you just did that,” I laugh, and his eyes go dark.

“Good, then hopefully, they stay the fuck away.”

He pulls me towards him and kisses me long and deep with a hand cupped around the back of my neck as he eases me onto the grass. We continue kissing as his hand slides down my ribs and then up, cupping my breast before his fingers roll my nipple. We continue kissing, taking our time, allowing it to stretch and bend as we dive and roll and languish in this moment.

His hand travels over my stomach and then under the hem of my skirt, where he finds my stomach, smoothing over my skin, tracing slow circles around my navel.

Slowly, I pull apart the buttons on his shirt, exposing brown skin and the swirl of his bright tattoos. He watches me, holding still as I open the last one and then run my hands down his chest and over his back, loving the flex and bunch of his muscle and his silken warmth.

“You’re incredible,” he murmurs against me as his hand drifts lower, under the waistband of my underwear, directly to the needy wet ache between my thighs. He groans as his finger slips against me. “Always ready for me.”

I gasp as he touches me, circling my clit with his finger before he dips into me. I fumble for the button on his pants, pulling them open and feeling for the hard evidence of his cock straining against his underwear.

As he continues to alternate between fucking me with his fingers and rubbing my clit, I slip under the fabric and take him in my hand, stroking him as he moans into my mouth. We continue pleasuring each other for several indulgent minutes, our short breaths and panting gasps filling the quiet night.

He pulls away and then tugs off my underwear, yanking them off before he crawls on top of me, nudging my entrance. Slowly, he eases into me, and I cling to his shoulders as I whimper at the pure, exquisite sensation.