Page 124 of Veil of Dust

She brushes her lips against mine.

The kiss is soft. Not searching. Just…home.

It’s the kind of kiss that doesn’t try to own anything. It just stays. And I stay with it.

The heat between us is low, steady, like a fire that doesn’t burn unless we ask it to.

I rest my forehead against hers.

“I’m yours,” I whisper. Not because I’m surrendering—but because I’ve already chosen.

She nods, just once. Then kisses me again, slower this time. A little deeper. Still patient.

She presses a hand to my chest again. I feel my heartbeat under her palm.

Steady. Certain.

There’s no fear in this room. No noise. No past trying to claw its way back in.

Only her.

Only me.

Only this.

She moves closer, easing me back onto the bed. My bound hands shift slightly in my lap, not pulling, just present.

I don’t need to fight anything here.

This moment is all trust. All care. All her.

The candlelight moves across the silk canopy above us, casting slow shadows. The folds sway gently. The whole room feels held.

So do I.

I breathe in again.

Jasmine. Sandalwood. Warm cotton sheets.

Her skin.

Her.

We’ve been through hell to get here.

But we made it.

And now I can finally rest.

Her body presses close. Her hands move with purpose. With love.

And for the first time in a long time, I let go.

I stay.

Vespera straddles me, her gray eyes locked on mine, steady and warm, like she’s seeing every part of me—scars, hopes, all of it—and choosing me anyway. Her weight settles over my hips, solid, grounding, a reminder we’re here, together. My wrists, bound by soft silk behind my back, rest against the bed, the fabric cool against my skin.

“You’re everything to me,” I say, my voice low, steady, my heart pounding as her gaze softens.

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