34. Matron of Secrets
Matron of Secrets
J ust as Finn promised, we spent the last fourteen days tangled in each other’s arms, discovering all the ways we could please one another.
As the days blurred into nights, the reality of our world faded into the background, overtaken by the way we had become so profoundly imbedded into each other.
Within the walls of our cabin, we were infinite, unstoppable, and utterly consumed by one another.
The lavender-scented air in our quarters felt sacred, a haven that only welcomed us.
I didn’t care what waited on the other side of the door. Not until the bell tolled, followed by the cry of “ Land ho! ”—which broke me from my reverie.
The faint light of dawn seeps through the edges of the cabin window, casting a soft glow over the small space.
I’ve been awake for some time, nestled against Finn’s bare chest. His heartbeat is steady beneath my palm, a rhythm that soothes and ignites in equal measure.
The warmth of his skin against mine feels right.
Careful not to wake him, I let my gaze roam his face. In sleep, he is unguarded, his brow smooth, his lips parted just slightly, his dark hair a tousled mess against the pillow. The soft glow of morning catches in the strands, and I can’t help myself.
I reach out, brushing my fingers along his jawline, memorising him, savouring him.
How had I lived without this? Without him?
It feels as if the universe has finally corrected itself, placing me where I’m meant to be—wrapped in his arms, with him always.
A slow, sleepy grin tugs at Finn’s lips, and without even opening his eyes, he murmurs, “How long are you plannin’ on watchin’ me sleep, lass?”
His voice is low, warm, laced with that playful charm that never fails to make my heart flutter.
I smile, my fingers still tracing his jaw. “Perhaps until the sun sets again,” I tease. “You’re far too handsome for me to look away from.”
His grin widens, and one eye cracks open, golden flecks glinting in the early light. “Good,” he whispers, his voice still thick with sleep. “It’s all the distraction I need.”
I furrow my brow, confused. “What dis—”
Before I can finish, Finn flips the blankets away in one smooth motion, the cool air hitting my bare skin just as he flips us, pinning me beneath him with effortless ease.
A startled gasp leaves me, but protest dies on my lips as his weight settles above me, strong arms bracketing my head, his mischievous golden gaze locking onto mine.
“Now tell me,” he murmurs, as his lips descend to the hollow of my throat, warm and unhurried, as though he has nothing but time.
“What were you thinkin’ while you were starin’ at me?”
His breath brushes against my skin, each exhale a whisper of heat, his lips dragging lower—teasing, tormenting—until every nerve in my body is strung tight, attuned to him and nothing else.
I part my legs, welcoming him in, a silent invitation he doesn’t hesitate to accept.
His body sinks between mine, the thick, throbbing heat of him lingering above where I need him.
It’s torture, the way he idles, the way I can feel every inch of him pulsing, teasing, taunting, keeping me on the edge of madness .
My body tightens, hips tilting, searching for more, but his grip is firm, his control absolute.
A slow, aching fire builds deep in my core, desperate, insatiable, but he doesn’t move, doesn’t give me the friction I crave.
He holds me there, making me feel every agonizing second of it, drowning me in the unbearable, dripping need he’s so effortlessly set ablaze.
He wants me to beg for it.
My breath hitches as his mouth drags along my collarbone, down to the tops of my breasts, lingering just to hear me gasp.
“The truth?” I manage, my voice trembling slightly. “It feels as though I loved you before I ever took my first breath.”
Finn stills, his lips hovering just above my skin, his breath warm against me.
“Aye?” he whispers, his voice thick with something deeper than desire.
I moan in response, already arching into him, already aching for more.
“As if a long forgotten part of me has carried you for so long that I can’t truly recall a time when you were not mine, and I was not yours.”
“Mmm,” the low, approving groan rumbles from him, vibrating against my skin as his mouth closes over the delicate flesh around my nipple.
“Repeat yerself,” he commands, his tone rich with playfulness and intensity, his words a silken threat against my already fevered skin.
When I don’t respond quickly enough, he nips at my flesh, dragging a startled shriek from me that quickly melts into laughter.
The sound seems to ignite something in him, his grin widening as his lips trail back up to the sensitive hollow of my neck.
“I’ll have it from you,” he murmurs, his tone teasing yet insistent.
“Even if I have to tease—”, he presses a kiss to my skin, “it out—”, his tongue circles around the peak of my nipple “of you.”
Then, with deliberate care, he takes my sensitive bud into his mouth and sucks tenderly, each pull sending waves of pleasure rippling through me.
“ Finn.. .” His name escapes my lips in a shallow moan as he continues his sensual assault. I melt against the hard planes of his body, my hands sliding up his muscled chest to loop around his neck.
“I need you,” I breathe out.
His eyes soften as they meet mine, filled with both tenderness and conflict.
“Say it...” he demands, eyes searching mine with an intensity that strips me bare .
I don’t hesitate this time.
“I am yours.”
The words tremble from my lips, a vow sealed in the quiet of morning, spoken only for him.
And suddenly, there is nothing else—no past, no fears, no world beyond this bed. Only Finn, only us, lost in a dance as old as time but utterly unique to the two of us. Passion surges through me with every beat of his heart against mine.
I am his.
I am his.
I. Am. His.
“Perfect,” he murmurs, the words spilling out like a prayer, voice thick with awe and something far greater than lust. His fingers trail down my already nude body, leaving a path of fire in their wake. As his fingers trace the curvature of my waist, he stops to stare into my eyes.
“I love the feel of you,” he rasps, his voice low and rough with need. “But the colour that enters yer cheeks the moment I do this…” he says, as he runs the pad of his finger right over my clit. “This colour cannae be replicated.”
I can only whimper in response, my hips undulating shamelessly, seeking more of his touch. He obliges, sinking one thick finger, then two, into my tight sheath. I clench around him, my inner muscles fluttering wildly as he strokes me from within.
Stars burst behind my eyelids as he works me higher, his fingers pumping, his thumb circling around my most sensitive pleasure point. The pressure builds, coiling tighter and tighter, until I am balanced on a razor’s edge.
“That’s it,” he encourages, his voice tightened with his own barely restrained desire. “Let go for me. Let me feel you come undone.”
I shatter with a keening cry, my release crashing over me in waves of ecstasy. He works me through it, his fingers never ceasing their skillful ministrations until the last tremors of my climax fade away.
As the haze recedes, a spark of desire reignites.
I shift in Finn’s embrace, straddling his muscular thighs as I capture his lips in a searing kiss.
My fingers tangle in his dark, wavy locks, tugging gently as I deepen the kiss.
He groans into my mouth, his large hands gripping my hips possessively .
“Your turn,” I purr, just before tugging his bottom lip between my teeth before releasing it with a wicked smile. My nails rake lightly down his chest as I roll my hips, teasing, tempting. A feral noise rumbles in his throat, and my pulse spikes when his grip tightens possessively around my waist.
“Tri,” he says, his burr thickening with desire. “You undo me. I cannae think straight for wantin’ you.”
His cock pulses between us, heated and demanding. I roll against him, savouring the way his breath stutters, his muscles tightening under my touch. I want to drive him wild, to watch him lose control the way he watched me.
“I love you, Triona. From the moment I first saw you, and long past the time I take my final breath.”
Tears prick at my eyes, his words striking deep, an anchor tethering me to this moment. I suck in a breath, steadying myself as I brush my lips over his. “And I you. Not just in this moment, not just in this life—but in all the ones that come after.”
His arms tighten around me, but I refuse to let him take control.
I push him back, guiding him onto his elbows, my body pressing him down.
His muscles flex beneath me, a struggle between instinct and surrender, but I don’t give him the choice.
My nails scrape down his chest, leaving a burning trail in their wake.
A deep groan rumbles from his throat. His head tips back against the bed, lips part, and breaths come out ragged. His jaw is tight, the veins in his neck straining as if he’s barely holding himself together—and gods above, the sight of him like this, undone and desperate, makes me ache with power.
I thread my fingers through his hair, gripping tight as I pull his face close—close enough to feel his breath hitch, to taste the anticipation lingering between us. My mouth hovers just above his, the barest brush of a tease.
“Hands off,” I murmur.
Then I drag my tongue along the sharp line of his jaw, slow and claiming, savouring the tremble that rips through his body beneath mine.
“You don’t move them… you don’t touch me,” I whisper against his skin, “unless I say so.”
He surges forward, mouth angling to claim mine in a kiss, but I pull back just in time, a wicked smile tugging at my lips.
“Ah, ah…” I murmur, voice like velvet and fire. “Hands and lips… off limits. ”