Her fingers went to the fasteners on her jacket and popped them off one by one. She shrugged it off, revealing the thin tunic beneath. That she removed too, leaving only the bind around her breasts behind. My gaze was hungry as I raked it over every inch of her bare skin.

She stood, and I swept it over the curve of her hips, down her toned legs to her feet. She removed her boots next, leaving her toes bare and wiggling in the sun.

“Your hair too,” I rasped as that golden glow highlighted her again.

A small tug sent it unraveling. She hooked her thumbs in the waist of her pants and shimmied them down her legs, leaving her barely covered. The sun kissed her skin, and jealousy reared inside me like an ugly green beast.

Then she shook her head, letting the rest of the strands fly free. The wind tangled its fingers in the dark locks and mussed them.

I reached for her, cherishing how smooth her tan skin was under my calloused hands. Tugging her closer, I brought her waist to my lips and trailed them across her stomach. My tongue flicked out to taste the salt the breeze left behind. She braced her hands on my shoulders to steady herself as I gripped the backs of her thighs, giving them a hard squeeze.

“Fuck that feels good,” she moaned. I massaged again, the tension ebbing from her. With my teeth, I hooked the soft fabric covering her core and dragged it down. When it reached my hands, I rolled them the rest of the way and helped her step out of them.

When I looked up, our gazes clashed like two stars. Yet instead of the animosity we’d once held, only one endless, vibrant emotion passed between us: love.

I pressed a kiss just above her clit, savoring the heat of her body, the smell of her arousal, the way she responded to my touch.

I’d always known Assyria was the type of female I could crave if I let myself; yet now that I had, no amount of her would ever leave me satisfied. Fuck, I’d do anything for her, and I’d never seen myself as that type of male.

The depth of my love for her should have frightened me; after all, it was supposed to be a weakness, a liability. But now? It was the blade I’d carry into battle. It was what made me want to finish this fucking war once and for all so I could spend every day like this, with her.

“I love you, Assyria,” I murmured, brushing my lips over her upper legs before pushing them apart.

“And I love you, Rokath,” she replied, kneading my shoulders. I let out a groan of my own. Shadows spooled from my hands, wrapping her skin in a smoky sheet. Another shiver wracked her frame as I snaked them beneath the bind around her breasts and removed it. When it dropped to the ground, my mate was completely bare for me.

I never wanted her any other way.

Except for when other people were around.

Because she belonged only to me: before, now, and forever.

I eased backward, using my magic to bring Assyria with me until she was positioned over my face. A small whimper escaped her as I bathed her arms and torso in ebony, holding her exactly where I wanted her.

We might have been eating before, but now I was going to feast.

I lowered her until my beard brushed the insides of her thighs, and all I could taste, all I could smell, was her. Flattening my tongue, I ran it along the length of her, drawing another delicious sound from her throat.

“Rokath,” she groaned, her head tipping back. The sun gilded her frame. One reverent moment passed as I drank in the sight.

But I could wait no longer to taste her. My tongue speared inside her, and I groaned as her arousal flooded my mouth. Focusing on my power and the divinity of her simultaneously was a monumental task, but as her sounds grew louder and more desperate, my actions became a well-honed attack.

She was going to drown me in her release before I was finished with her.

Alternating between fucking her with my tongue and swirling it around her clit, I gave her everything she wanted and more. Her hips bucked, and I growled against her pussy. “Ride my face, Assyria. Make yourself come,” I commanded into her mind.

Sucking her pretty lips into my mouth, I tore more mewls from her throat. Then, my tongue sank into her core again. She rocked on top of me, grinding into my face.

“That’s it, little imposter. Keep going.”

She worked faster, and I gripped harder, sinking deeper into her cunt. My cock strained against my pants, begging for a reprieve from the ache of its confines.

The moment she came on my face, I was going to bury myself so fucking deep inside her.

Her walls fluttered, and I knew she was close. “You want an orgasm? Fucking take it from me. Give me your fire. Show me how you shatter.”

I dug my fingers into her hips, giving her a nip of pain to heighten her pleasure. She leaned backward, supported by ebony strands, and deepened the angle. My hand went to her stomach and pressed, chasing the perfect position to unravel her.

“Fuck, the way your beard feels between my thighs,” she moaned, hips rocking faster.

I licked, sucked, fucked her with my tongue like her release would save my life. “Come for me like you were made for it. Scream my name like you forgot every other word. Let all the worlds know who you belong to.”

A sharp breath slipped past her lips. Her lashes fluttered against her cheeks. And then, she exploded. Like a cracking whip, her spine arched and flattened. Her core clenched over my tongue, and then her release flooded my mouth. I groaned, drinking it down like a male dying of thirst.

I did not relent, even as she screamed, pleaded for me to stop. I wanted every last fucking drop. Only when I had my fill did I release my magic and shift her off my face. I wasted no time pulling her into my lap. She straddled me, completely bare while I was still fully clothed.

I captured her mouth in a passionate kiss, letting her taste herself on my tongue.

“I need this off,” she spoke into my mind, gripping my tunic.

“Then take it off,” I told her. She wasted no time undoing the buttons and shoving it over my shoulders. The heat of the sun was immediate on my skin, but it was nothing compared to the embers radiating off my mate.

I broke our kiss only long enough to kick off my boots and remove my pants. Assyria licked her lips when she saw just how fucking hard I was for her. The tip of my dick dripped onto the blanket as I settled back down. Then, she was in my lap again and I was lining myself with her entrance. She looked down, watching with me as our bodies became one.

One like our souls. One like our lives. One like our bond.

We let out a groan together. “You’re so fucking tight. Made for me,” I managed to grind out.

“You’re so thick,” she whimpered as I pushed further.

I captured her waist to ensure she was where I wanted her. “You get me so fucking hard when you challenge me.” I thrust upward, sinking all the way in before withdrawing.

Assyria’s mouth dropped open in the most delicious O. I stuck my fingers in her mouth and pushed on her bottom teeth to keep it open. “I hate it and I love it. I want you to obey and I want you to fight. You drive me absolutely insane.”

She tried to close her mouth, but I pressed harder. Then, I thrust upward again, our skin slapping. “Just like that.”

Fire ignited in her eyes, and then she dug her nails into my chest and raked. I thickened even more inside her.

“You want me to fight? Then give me a fair chance,” she pushed into my mind.

A dark rumble, like an ominous thumber, escaped my chest. “Done.”

I released her mouth at the same time as I smashed her down on my dick. A small scream ripped from her throat as I hit the deepest part of her. Then, she shoved at my shoulders.

My arms tightened, holding her in place. Wetness dripped down my balls and slicked my groin. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip as I tugged her breasts flush with my chest and raked my nose down the side of her neck. “Are you going to fight me or not?”