Page 50 of House Ignis

He pulled back just enough to brush a strand of hair from my cheek, his gaze piercing. "Ava…" he murmured, his voice low and raw.

Something shifted in him then. He moved with intent, shedding the last of his clothes, and the sight of him stole the air from my lungs. The usual princely restraint was gone—replaced by something rougher, something possessive. I craved it.

A knowing smirk tugged at his lips. "Like what you see?" I could only nod, biting my lip.

He climbed back over me, his hands drifting lower.

When he finally touched me, a feral moan tore from my throat—slow, agonizing strokes that quickly turned frantic, driving me toward an edge I couldn't handle. My legs shook, my nails clawing at his arms.

"Fuck, Ava, you're so wet," he groaned, pausing just long enough to make me ache.

Then he settled between my thighs. The first contact sent a shiver racing down my spine. A soft whimper escaped me as I felt him at my entrance; he groaned in return, his forehead dropping against mine. With a single, slow push, he filled me completely.

We both gasped, bodies molding together as if they were always meant to be this way.

"Gods, Ava… you're fucking mine," he breathed.

He moved with purpose now, each thrust stealing the breath from my lungs. We lost ourselves in it—moaning, gasping, chasing a release that felt bigger than both of us.

Our mouths crashed together in a frenzy of tongues and teeth, hands gripping and hearts thundering in perfect, chaotic time.

It wasn't just physical. It was history, heartache, and hunger all burning at once. And I wanted every bit of it.

And for one night, I let myself have it.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Morning light spilled through the grand window in pale, honeyed strokes.

I blinked awake with my cheek pressed to the familiar, radiating warmth of Jeremy's chest. It took a heartbeat for reality to settle in: he was actually here.

Last night hadn't been a fever dream.

I smiled, lifting my head to trace his sleeping face—peaceful and entirely unguarded—when the door burst open.

The crash sent my heart into my throat. Jeremy nearly rolled off the bed as Aether and Kora bolted in from the balcony, fur bristling on high alert.

"AVA—oh gods, you would not believe—" Ember froze mid-sentence.

Her gaze flicked from me to Jeremy and back again.

Her eyebrows climbed so high they practically vanished into her hairline.

Jeremy shot upright, blinking in a haze of sleep and confusion, while I yelped and dove under the sheets, mortification flooding every inch of me.

"Hey, Jeremy," Ember said brightly, a wicked delight already sparking in her eyes. She paused, taking in the full tableau—the tangled sheets, the evidence of our night scattered everywhere—and she grinned. "So wonderful to see you."

Jeremy, traitorously polite even while half-naked, gave her a small, awkward wave.

Ember nodded once, satisfied, and backed toward the door. With one final, smug look, she straightened her shoulders and clicked it shut behind her.

"Gods," I groaned, burying my face in my hands.

My cheeks burned hotter than an Ignis flame.

Jeremy slid closer, the heat of his body grounding me as he brushed a tender kiss to my palm. "I… thoroughly enjoyed last night, sweetheart."

I peeked at him through my fingers and smiled, soft and honest. "Me too."