Page 105 of Impenitent Claim

His lips were on mine again, this time soft, almost delicate, as if he savored the words caught between us. Gradually, the kiss deepened. There was a growing intensity—a silent conversation neither of us could speak aloud. Ilya tasted faintly sweet, with a hint of the lingering tang of lemon.

It was perfect.

Everything about this monstrous being was perfect.Like he was made for me.

“I should have let you go,” Ilya moaned against my mouth.

I shook my head, desperate to battle back that idea.

“Trust me, I tried. Violence, alcohol,danger.I couldn’t erase you from my mind. You claimed a piece of me, rusalka. Without mercy, you struck and took what you wanted before disappearing into the dark. But you left a piece of yourself too. Your essence haunted me. It drove me to madness, and when I couldn’t find you, I had to submit to the agony of knowing we would forever be apart.”

“But you did find me,” I breathed, nipping at his lip. My hips rocked against him, grazing his erection.

He groaned. “I should have let you go. But I couldn’t.”

“It was a good thing too.” I fought back the manic laugh. “Someone would have destroyed me, used me as a pawn in their games. But you came, a thief in the night, ready to take your treasure before it was too late.”

Ilya shook his head. “It would never have been too late. I would have killed your husband and taken you. Erased his every touch.”

“Alonzo isn’t your enemy. Promise me he’ll survive.”

“I promise. I won’t be the one to end him.”

Relief rushed through me.

Ilya’s exhale sounded like a pained sigh. “The way you protect those you love is beautiful, Izzy. I wish I was lucky enough to be counted as one.”

Summoning every drop of courage, I answered the unspoken question. “You are, phantom. You’re themostimportant.”

My name was a moan on his lips as they crashed into mine. This time, it was a furious collision, a hard coming together of souls. Ilya kissed me ravenously. I breathed him in, letting his essence fill me, while he consumed my very soul.

“Would you…chase me?” I rasped, daring to give my darkest, most forbidden fantasy a voice.

In this sacred place, in this hallowed moment, it didn’t feel foolish to share the desire with this man. I could trust him with it, at the very least trust him to not mock it, and at the most trust him to fulfill it.

His arms tightened around me, pinning me in place. “Chase you? Hunt you through the night, little rusalka?”

I nodded eagerly. “You won’t actually hurt me, but we can pretend. Pretend you’re a monster who’s going to devour me.”

The dark chuckle he gave me was rich and velvety, sliding against me with a sensual caress. “But that is exactly what Iam,little one. We won’t have to pretend.”

I nearly fainted with desire.

“So…can we?” I breathed.

The strangled groan that left his throat gave me his answer before he denied me. “Not with the guards and lack of strong breeze. Besides, you’d have to stay in the thicker tree cover, and I won’t risk you tripping and hurting yourself.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.” Disappointment filled me.

His hand gripped me hard under the chin, and he forced me to look at him. The intensity shimmering there was almost too much. “Now that I know that’s what you want, I’ll move heaven and earth to make it happen.”

I smiled at him, happy with his promise and knowing he’d keep it. “Okay then, I’ll wait.”

“You won’t know where or when, so let that anticipationbuild,” he purred, lifting his hips to roll into me.

Madonna mia!I needed him. Right here, right now! I was suddenly going to explode if I didn’t.

I reached for him, but he stopped me.

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