Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 48827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
The Talia I let get away.
I can’t let that happen again.
I can't make that mistake again.
I have to make amends. Have to let her know I regret leaving her more than anything else I’ve regretted in my entire existence.
Have to convince her to tell me what she needs from me to earn her forgiveness. All she has to do is speak it and I’ll make it happen.
I fling the sheet off my body, not bothering to put on a shirt as I storm out of my room, stopping in front of the door right next to mine. I hesitate for only a moment, my fist raised above the wood, before knocking.
Talia opens the door, wearing a pair of indigo silk pajamas with shorts that show off her luscious thighs, and a tank top, her breasts peaked beneath the thin fabric. Her lilac eyes trail the length of my body, widening at my bare chest and the simple pair of pajama pants I wear hanging off my hips.
“I see the uniform has changed,” she says, her tone dripping in that snark she hasn't let go of since I first saw her. “It's the middle of the day, Zachariah,” she continues before I can respond. “What do you want?”
I struggle to remember how to speak, groaning at just the sight of her. She's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen, and everything in my soul reaches out for her.
“It's not about what I want,” I finally grind out the words. “It's about what we need. May I come in?” My muscles are basically locked as I hold myself in place, my fingers itching to touch her bare skin so beautifully on display.
Fire ignites in her eyes as she arches a brow at me, stepping back just slightly to allow me in. “You always did have the finest manners,” she says in a teasing tone as I step over the threshold.
Her quarters are drenched in her scent, only further plucking my instincts that demand I reclaim every inch of my mate. The female the fates chose for me, but the one who stole my heart all on her own.
“I need to make something clear,” I say, turning to shut the door behind me.
“Don't you always?” Her tone is as sharp as her daggers, but there’s a playfulness over her features, and the combination only makes me want her that much more.
I flash her a warning look, my eyes falling to her luscious lips. “Such a sharp tongue you have for me now,” I say, stalking toward her, loving the way her scent turns heady at the move despite her turning and backing away.
“Please,” she says, shaking her head as I back her against the closed door. “My mouth has always been smart, ever to my noble parents’ chagrin. If memory serves me, my mouth is one of the reasons why you pursued me in the first place.”
I brace an arm against the door, bringing our bodies closer but not touching. I use my free hand to reach toward her face, gauging her reaction as I lightly trace my thumb over her bottom lip.
She allows the move, her eyes never leaving mine.
“This may have intrigued me when I first met you,” I say, tracing the lines of her mouth. “But this is what made me fall for you.” I drop my hand from her lips, lightly grazing the center of her bare chest, just above the silk that dips in a V between her beautiful breasts. She arches under the touch, and the blood thrums in my veins so hard it almost hurts.
“Is that what you needed to make clear?” she asks, her voice low and soft and open.
“No,” I say, relishing the closeness, the way she's letting me so near her, her words no longer sharp. “I felt you in that kiss.”
She visibly swallows, then shrugs. “Just because my body responds to you doesn't mean you own any part of me.”
“But you own all of me,” I say, my head dipping, unable to resist seeking out another taste. I let my mouth hover a breath above hers, knowing I will never take anything she won't freely give.
My heart pounds against my chest, everything inside of me tightening as her eyes hold mine, a combination of fire and need and battle raging there.
Another heartbeat and her lips crash against mine, her hands reaching up and wrapping around my neck to draw me closer to her level.
There's a hint of punishment in the kiss, and I groan at the taste of her, my arms falling and snaking around her lower back to draw her flush against me.
I draw back, sucking in a sharp breath as I catch her gaze again. “If kissing you is the only way I can help you remember what we used to be, then that's what I'll do.” I capture her lips again, sucking her plump bottom lip into my mouth and relishing the way she whimpers at the move.