Page 103 of Song of the Heart Scale
“I'm yours!” she gasped. Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling just enough to send sparks of pleasure mingled with pain down my spine. “And you're mine, Damien. All mine.”
“All yours,” I agreed, my voice barely recognizable to my own ears—rough and desperate. The admission freed something primal within me.
In one swift motion, I lifted us both from the water, holding her against me as I stepped out of the tub. Water cascaded fromour bodies, pooling at our feet on the marble floor. Cat's legs wrapped around my waist, her arms around my neck, our bodies still joined as I carried her to the wall.
Her back met the cool stone, drawing a gasp from her lips that I swallowed with a hungry kiss. I braced one hand beside her head, the other gripping her thigh, holding her steady as I drove into her with renewed purpose.
“Don't stop,” she whispered against my mouth, her nails scoring lines down my back that I'd proudly wear come morning.
The contrast of sensations was maddening—her heat against my skin, the cool wall at her back, the lingering warmth of the bath water dripping down our bodies. Each thrust drove me deeper, eliciting soft cries from her that I wanted to capture and keep forever.
“Damien!” she gasped, her head falling back against the wall, exposing the elegant line of her throat. “I'm close.”
I felt her trembling thighs, followed by the tightening of her body around mine. I slid my hand between us, finding that sensitive bundle of nerves with practiced ease. Her reaction was immediate—a sharp intake of breath, her eyes flying open to meet mine.
“Let go,” I commanded, circling my thumb in rhythm with my thrusts. “Let me see you come undone.”
She did, spectacularly, her body arching against mine as pleasure overtook her. My name on her lips again and again, a litany that fueled my own release. I buried my face in the crook of her neck and inhaled her scent as I followed her over the edge, my hips jerking against hers as pleasure crashed through me like a tidal wave.
For several moments, we remained locked together, our ragged breathing the only sound in the steamy bathroom. I felt her heartbeat against my chest, racing to match my own. Slowly, carefully, I carried her to the padded bench against the far walland cradled her in my lap as I sat. I pressed a kiss to her damp skin.
Cat’s fingers traced idle patterns on my chest. She looked up at me, her eyes serious despite her smile. “I can't sleep well without you anymore,” she admitted, her voice small but honest. “Isn't that strange? I used to sleep alone all the time.”
Something in my chest tightened at her words. I brushed a strand of wet hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “I know,” I said softly. “It's the same for me.”
We sat in comfortable silence, our breathing synchronizing as our bodies cooled. The candles burned lower, casting long, thin shadows across the marble floor. Outside, the first hints of dawn were beginning to peek through the night sky, pale fingers of light reaching through the small window near the ceiling.
“We should get some rest,” I finally said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “The coming days will demand much from both of us.”
Cat nodded against my chest but made no move to leave the sanctuary we'd created. I understood her reluctance. Here, in this steamy room with the scent of oils and flowers hanging in the air, we could pretend the world outside didn't exist.
I reluctantly stood, lifting her effortlessly in my arms. She nestled against me and tucked her head beneath my chin, trusting me completely. That trust was a weight I willingly carried, a burden sweeter than any I'd ever known.
I carried her from the bathroom, nodding briefly to the servants who averted their eyes at our nudity as we passed. Let them whisper. Let them wonder. I was beyond caring what anyone thought of us now.
Our bedroom was bathed in the soft glow of pre-dawn light when I shouldered the door open. The sheets were still rumpled from where Cat had lain earlier. I gently placed her on the bed,watching as she stretched like a contented cat, unselfconscious in her nakedness.
“Stay with me,” she murmured, reaching for my hand.
“Always,” I promised, sliding in beside her.
She curled against me immediately, her body perfectly fitting against mine as though we'd been crafted as two halves of the same whole. I pulled the blankets over us, creating a cocoon of warmth against the early morning chill.
“Damien?” she whispered, her voice already heavy with approaching sleep.
“Hmm?” I traced lazy patterns along her spine, feeling her relax further with each pass of my fingers.
“Whatever comes next... we face it together. Okay?”
I pressed my lips to her temple, breathing in the scent of her—now mingled with bath oils and something uniquely us. “Together, I promise.”
Her breathing deepened and her body fell slack against mine as sleep reclaimed her. I held her close, watching as the first true rays of sunlight crept across our bed, illuminating her face in gold. Soon, sleep took me as well.
21
CAT
The marketplace of the Northern District always buzzed with the kind of energy that couldn’t be manufactured—clanging metal, the earthy scent of roasted nuts and fresh bread, and the occasional bray of a donkey wove through the narrow alleys. Voices rose and fell in every direction, haggling, gossiping, and laughing. Normally, I might have enjoyed it. But today, I was too tense.
