Now...now, he’d granted me the best release of my life and stood on his knees between my legs, his hand hesitantly gripping his erection.

I stopped breathing as I looked up the delectable power of his ripped body. I ignored all the scars. I refused to see the many, many marks he’d been layered with. I just focused on the perfection of this moment.

The moment Kas claimed ownership of his body.

His skin glazed with more sweat as he pumped himself once. He trembled, rocking a little on his knees as his hand worked up and down on his cock.

His eyes darkened with lust as well as nausea.

He shook harder as he fought with whatever conditioning kept him trapped. With a heavy exhale, he let himself go with a shudder.

Falling forward, he braced himself with his hands on either side of my head. He inhaled as he swayed, his eyes snapping closed as if he fought the urge to pass out.

My heart stopped as his skin turned white.

I braced myself for him to fall unconscious on top of me. But he grimaced and fisted the sheets, every muscle clenched as he fought it.

Finally, he shook his head and opened his eyes, latching onto mine with fresh pain. “I’ve made more progress than I thought possible, but I...” He swallowed hard as if confessing physically hurt him. “I can’t make myself come. Not tonight. I need more time.” His eyes ran over my mouth. Shadows had crept back into his gaze. Shadows of the past and failure.

I didn’t want him to suffer anymore.

Sitting upright, I wrapped my hands around his nape and pulled him down with me. I shivered as his heavy, warm weight pinned me to the bed. “Come in me. Take me. We have all the time in the world.”

He shuddered.

His mouth found mine.

He kissed me softly, gratefully.

As we kissed, his body shifted, slipping between my legs again.

I waited for any sign that this was too much for his head. I searched for any reason I should slow this down or stop, but Kas continued to stay with me. Beating back his memories, staying strong over his concussion.

I’d told him I didn’t think he could be cured just from making a choice, but I began to wonder...

Is it as simple as that?

As simple as deciding to accept change? To surrender to all the things he couldn’t erase? To accept that the past was the past, but he could claim a different future if he wanted?

God, I hope it is that simple.

Reaching down, I grabbed his heavy hardness and placed it at my wet entrance. We stiffened in each other’s arms as he pushed upward. As he mounted me and took me, we stopped breathing, overcome with the sensation of joining.

We’d had sex before, but this...this was different.

This was soft and intense.

This was a new beginning.

Kas kissed me harder, the same dominant edge I was used to resuming its place within him. His hips pulled back before thrusting forward.

My legs wrapped around his ass as I clung to him, kissing him back, moaning every time he thrust forward and filled me.

He stayed with me.

He didn’t flicker with awareness.

He was fully with me, and I’d never felt so connected to someone. So linked and in tune.

I didn’t know how much time passed as we rode each other.

Time either slowed or stopped completely as we slipped from this world into another.

A world where only we existed.

One where Kas was happy and free, and the only thing we needed to worry about was how many times a day we could join like this.

We sank into a rhythm.

His hands roamed, squeezing my breasts as he increased his pace to a sensual rock.

My mind ran wild with happily ever afters and taking him home with me. Of walking beside him every step he took to heal. Of introducing him to my family, my friends, my life.

He wouldn’t have to work. I had more than enough money for both of us.

He wouldn’t have to fear about where his next meal would come from or how uncomfortable winter would be.

We would have each other.

He’ll have me.

Overflowing affection burned me inside out.

I kissed him harder, clawing at his back as his pace matched my sudden need to finish this. To cement our hearts together for the rest of our lives.

With a heady groan, Kas drove into me, again and again.

The door behind him opened, revealing Jareth as he crossed his ankles and leaned against the frame. Our eyes caught as he tapped a cigarette out of its packet and lit it quietly.

Kas didn’t hear him, too caught up in our rock.

I didn’t know how I felt about Jareth appearing.

He could see we were fine. That Kas was safe.

But he didn’t leave.

Taking a drag on his smoke, he stayed as Kas drove me higher and higher. This wasn’t like in the forest. There, our sex had been hidden by clothes. I’d had protection from Jareth’s feral eyes. This time...we were bare and on display.

He sucked hard on his smoke, sending a cloud of nicotine around his head.

Kas rocked against my clit, wrenching my eyes closed with bliss.

His lips found mine again, kissing me hard.

He scrambled my mind and lowered my inhibitions better than any alcohol. So what if we had an audience? So what if I was slightly afraid of the man watching?

Jareth meant nothing.

All that mattered was me and Kas and this.

I dragged my nails down Kas’s back as his hips drove up and deep. He hit the perfect spot inside me, making me go liquid and coiled, dreamy and hungry.

“Come on me,” Kas murmured, his breath catching with his own ragged desire. He reached between us, rubbing my clit as he thrust quick and sharp into me.

My second orgasm didn’t care Jareth would see me shatter.

It coiled and built with every thrust.

Kas successfully stole me from any distractions.

He pulled me from the bedroom and yanked me into the fantasy of forever as his hips moved quicker, feeding every inch of him inside me, triggering the waterfall of my climax.

My release shot outward, waves upon waves crashing over me as Kas chased me over the edge.

He groaned and buried his face into my neck, shuddering through his orgasm, spurting inside me until he was spent. His back jerked, and for a second, he went lax as if he’d passed out.

I froze, fearing his concussion had—

“Fuck.” He nuzzled into my neck, raising his head and giving me a lopsided, deliciously endearing smile. “I enjoyed that.” His eyes were clear and sated with no signs of imminent passing out.

I smiled back, trying to ignore my sudden racing heart and Jareth with his cigarette. “Me, too.”

He kissed me again, slow and erotic, his tongue teasing. A soft plink sounded by my ear, wrenching Kas’s head up and jerking him sideways to look over his shoulder.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Kas snapped, spotting Jareth smoking in the doorway.

“Making sure she’s still alive.” He pointed the glowing end of the cigarette in our direction. “Oh, and giving you that.”

Kas bared his teeth and grabbed the blanket. Pulling it over both of us, he withdrew from me and sat upright. Ensuring we were covered in all the required places, he spat, “Give us what exactly?”

My fingers dug into the blankets, finding the small silver thing that Jareth had thrown at us.

Placing it onto my palm, I spread my fingers, letting the light catch it.

“A key.” My eyes narrowed. “Wait...it’s the key. The key you said you lost.”

Jareth nodded. “Parable’s key.” He inhaled on his smoke, his bi-colored eyes aloof and unreadable. “You’re welcome.”

Kas plucked it from my palm, his forehead furrowed. “Where did you get this?”

“Found it tucked on one of the stairs.” Jareth cocked his head. “I’m guessing you lost it? Otherwise, why else would you still be wearing pieces of that disgusting chain?”