Page 48 of Frost and Felines

"More," she gasped, her voice trembling. "Faster, Kieran."

He growled in response, his thrusts quickly picking up speed. The sound of skin against skin filled the room, mingling with their ragged breathing. Her head fell back against the pillows, her body rising to meet his with every powerful thrust. The pleasure was overwhelming and consuming, and she felt herself teetering on the edge.

"Let go, Mallory," Kieran growled, his voice rough and primal.

Her body obeyed without hesitation. She cried out as the orgasm tore through her, waves of pleasure crashing over her in relentless succession. The room seemed to pulse with herrelease, and somewhere outside, a crack of thunder echoed her heightened state of ecstasy.

Kieran’s movements became erratic, his breath hitching as he thrust into her one final time. She felt him shudder above her, his release spilling deep inside her as he let out a low, guttural groan. For a moment, they stayed like that, connected, their bodies trembling with the aftershocks of their shared climax.

When he finally pulled out, he collapsed beside her, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. She turned to face him, her body still humming with pleasure. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close so that her head rested on his chest. She could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, a stark contrast to the wild storm that had just passed between them.

"Are you okay?" he murmured, his hand gently stroking her hair.

"Better than okay," she replied, her voice soft and content.

She nuzzled closer against his chest, her body still tingling from their shared passion. His steady heartbeat beneath her ear and the warmth of his arms around her created a cocoon of safety she hadn't felt in years. Outside, the night was peaceful - no storms, no thunder, just the gentle fall of snow. Her magic, for once, felt completely at peace.

"You've given me such a magical Christmas," she murmured, tracing lazy patterns on his chest. "I never thought I'd feel this way again. Thank you."

His arms tightened around her possessively. "I should be thanking you." His voice rumbled through his chest. "Do you know how empty this place felt before you came here? How incomplete I felt?" He shifted, tilting her chin up to meet his intense blue gaze. "You've made everything whole."

"Even with my storm-causing baggage?" she teased, though there was a hint of vulnerability in her voice.

"Especially with your storms." He pressed his lips to her forehead. "They're part of who you are, and I want all of you. Besides," he said, his lips curving into that signature smirk, "I like a little thunder with my lightning bolt."

She laughed softly, the sound muffled against his skin. "That was terrible."

"Made you laugh though, didn't it?" His fingers traced down her spine, making her shiver.

Her body hummed contentedly, feeling sleep start to pull at her consciousness. "You're impossible sometimes."

"Impossibly adorable," he corrected, pulling the blankets up around them.

As she drifted off in his arms, Mallory realized that for the first time in years, she wasn't afraid of what tomorrow might bring. The loneliness that had been her constant companion seemed to have vanished, replaced by something warm and bright and hopeful. Her last thought before sleep claimed her was that maybe she wasn't cursed after all - maybe she had just been waiting for the right person to weather her storms with her again.

22

KIERAN

Kieran leaned back in his leather office chair as he watched the sunrise paint golden streaks across his desk. His tiger lounged contentedly inside him, completely at peace. The memory of Christmas night with Mallory still made his skin tingle - her soft moans, the way she had trembled beneath his touch, and how perfectly they had fit together.

"You're grinning like an idiot again," Charlotte said from the doorway.

"Can't help it." Kieran stretched, his muscles loose and relaxed. "Everything's just... right."

"I haven't seen you this happy since we opened." Charlotte dropped a stack of papers on his desk. "Though I'd appreciate if you two would stop making eyes at each other during staff meetings. It's getting distracting."

"We do not make eyes."

"Please. You practically growl when anyone else talks to her now."

His tiger rumbled with agreement. He couldn't deny his possessive instincts had kicked into overdrive since Christmas.Just yesterday, he had nearly shifted when a male guest had gotten too friendly while asking Mallory for directions.

"She's my mate," he said simply. The truth of those words resonated through his entire being. "I've never felt anything like this before, Charlotte. It's like she completes something in me I didn't even know was missing."

"And here I thought the playboy tiger would never be tamed." Charlotte's eyes softened. "She's good for you. The whole inn feels more balanced with her here."

A knock at the door interrupted them. Mallory poked her head in, her hair falling in waves around her face. "Sorry to interrupt, but I've got a situation in the kitchen."

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