Page 67 of Sticks & Serpents

"Then ruin me too," I gasped, my voice barely audible over the pounding rain.

And he did.

Damien's hands gripped my hips, pulling me closer as he thrust deeper into me. Each movement was a testament to the raw, untamed desire that had always existed between us—a force that neither time nor distance could extinguish.

He moved with a ferocity that bordered on desperation, as if trying to reclaim something lost or prove that we were meant to be together despite the chaos that surrounded us. I clung to him, fingers digging into his shoulders as I matched his rhythm, our bodies moving in perfect sync.

The sound of our ragged breaths filled the air, punctuated by the occasional low groan from Damien as he pushed himself deeper.

I felt myself teetering on the edge of release, every nerve in my body electrified by the sensation of him moving inside me. With one final, powerful thrust, Damien sent me spiraling over the edge, my body shuddering with pleasure as I cried out his name.

He followed soon after, burying his face in the crook of my neck as he released a low, satisfied groan. We stayed there for a while, tangled together, the rain washing away the evidence of what we just did. The cold droplets fell around us, but I felt nothing but the heat radiating from Damien’s body.

He pressed his lips to my temple, breathing heavily against my skin. “You’re mine, Holly.”

I should have denied it. I should have pulled away, reminding him of everything we’d been through—the chaos, the pain, the anger that always seemed to follow us like a shadow.

But I didn’t move.

Instead, I let his words wash over me like the rain that dripped from our hair and pooled around our feet.

Because deep down, I knew it was true.

In that moment, with the world blurring around us and nothing else mattering but the two of us, I felt too tired to fight it. All the battles I had waged in my mind—the warnings about him and his darkness—seemed to fade into silence. My heart raced in response to his words; a mix of fear and exhilaration surged through me.

I closed my eyes for a second and inhaled deeply, letting the scent of damp earth and his familiar cologne fill my lungs. A part of me wanted to scream at myself for falling back into this chaotic whirlwind again. Another part craved it with an intensity that both thrilled and terrified me.

“Damien…” My voice was barely above a whisper as I pulled back just enough to meet his gaze. His stormy blue eyes flickered with something raw—something that made my pulse quicken all over again.

“Don’t,” he warned softly, brushing a wet strand of hair behind my ear as if he could sense my hesitation. “Just let it be.”

The command resonated deep within me. The fight I’d clung to began to dissipate like steam in the rain. And for once, instead of feeling lost or scared, I found solace in our entangled existence.

I leaned into him further, surrendering as we stood enveloped by rain and uncertainty—a connection so powerful it washed away all reason as easily as the water slid off our skin.

Chapter20

Damien

Iwoke up to warmth. It enveloped me like a heavy blanket, disorienting at first. I never slept this deeply. Never felt this… calm.

But then it all rushed back—like a wave crashing over me, bringing memories I’d fought to suppress. The rain pouring down, the way Holly’s body fit against mine, how she didn’t push me away when I kissed her. After everything, she let me stay.

I shifted slightly, eyes peeling open to take in my surroundings. The light was soft and hazy, casting shadows across her room. And there she was—still asleep, tangled in sheets that clung to her form like a lover’s embrace. Her hair fell in wild waves around her face, and I couldn’t help but smile at how messy it looked.

But what caught my breath was the sight of her skin—marked with my hands, my lips. Evidence of what we had shared last night; reminders of the chaos we’d embraced together. Something inside me clenched tight at the realization that I had left my mark on her.

I reached out tentatively, fingers brushing against her arm, wanting to feel the warmth of her skin beneath my touch again. She stirred slightly but didn’t wake; just turned her head into the pillow with a soft sigh. My heart thudded heavily in my chest as I took in every detail of her peacefulness—the gentle rise and fall of her breathing—and it felt surreal.

For once, I felt like I could breathe too.

I pushed aside the nagging thoughts of what would come next—the inevitable fallout from our reckless fucking (it was so much more than that)—and focused instead on this moment. The world outside could wait. Right now, all that mattered was Holly and the way she made me feel like maybe there was something more than chaos waiting for me on the other side.

I settled back against the pillows, letting myself sink deeper into this unexpected peace while hoping it wouldn’t shatter when reality came crashing back in.

I lay there, heart pounding, staring at the ceiling as if it held the answers to all my questions. The weight of last night pressed down on me like a storm cloud ready to burst.

I felt Holly shift beside me, her soft breath warming the air between us. She was so close, and yet, it felt like I was balancing on a razor’s edge. I couldn’t shake the fear that if I moved wrong, even slightly, everything would unravel.

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