Page 22 of House Ignis

"Gods," he whispered, his gaze dropping to my lips, then lower. A low, primal growl vibrated in his chest.

"Ava, you're a fucking dream."

My thighs clenched instinctively and my lips parted just as his mouth crashed against mine.

This wasn't the sweet, hesitant kiss of our youth. It was a claim.

A warning to every watching eye in the ballroom.

A promise of what was to come. And gods help me… it felt good to be wanted with that kind of ferocity.

He pulled back, both of us breathless, his forehead resting against mine.

"Gods, I want you," he rasped. "I need you, again."

A violent shiver ran through me.

He was the first person who had ever loved me without conditions or crowns. It cracked something wide open in my chest because, despite everything, I loved him too.

"Tell me you're mine," he murmured against my ear, the words hovering between a plea and a command.

I leaned up, my gaze drifting over his shoulder until it collided with those piercing eyes watching from the shadows. I didn't blink. Instead,

I leaned closer, brushing my lips against the shell of Jeremy's ear.

"I will always be yours," I whispered.

Jeremy's breath hitched—a jagged sound of triumph and need.

His hand fisted in my hair, tugging my head back just enough to expose my throat before his mouth crashed onto mine again. Fierce. Unyielding.

A territorial claim for every soul in the hall to witness, especially the one standing in the dark.

And gods… it felt so dangerously good to be claimed like this.

When the music finally tapered off, Jeremy lingered, pressing one last, firm kiss to my forehead.

"I'd better check on the Terra table," he murmured, his thumb grazing my cheek. "I'm sure they're missing their lead."

I smiled and nodded, though a part of me didn't want to let go of the grounding weight of him. He kissed me once more, his lips soft and lingering against my temple.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," I whispered back. And I meant it. He was the sun my world had revolved around since we were children. I didn't know any other love.

He caught my hand, brushing his lips over my knuckles, and then he was gone.

He left me standing in the middle of the hall with the taste of him still burning on my mouth and his scent—woodsmoke and an oncoming storm—clinging to my skin.

And, of course, my eyes betrayed me.

My gaze drifted toward the pillars, finding Asher immediately.

He was leaning in the shadows, his eyes raking over me with a predatory intensity, as though he'd already stripped me bare and memorized every curve.

My chest squeezed tight, a different kind of heat pooling low in my belly.

Gods, I needed air.