Chapter Seven #2
I nod without hesitation, the weight of her words settling deep in my chest. “Promise,” I say, tilting her chin until our eyes lock.
“I’d do anything for Ronan—you know that.
He’s my brother. My blood.” I pause, letting my thumb brush her jaw, voice dropping lower.
“But because you’re the one asking?” I shake my head softly.
“That makes it a vow. I’ll look after him, Berk. No matter what.”
Her breath catches just a little—barely enough to notice, but I feel it. Like a ripple in still water. I kiss her then, slow and tender, but there’s a need, something deeper clawing to the surface. My hands slide to her hips, fingers tightening just enough to pull her flush against me.
Her softness settles against me as if we were shaped to fit together, like she’s the part of me I’ve always been missing.
My pulse pounds as her lips part under mine, her sigh feathering against my mouth, sending heat straight through my chest. I deepen the kiss, one hand rising to cradle the back of her neck while the other keeps her close, unable to let go.
But then—she eases back just a little, breathless, her eyes blazing with something fierce and tender all at once. And whatever it is, I swear I’d level the stars, drown the sky, do anything it takes to keep her looking at me like that.
Her fingers trail down my arm, slow and teasing, until she laces our hands together. And with that same quiet strength she always carries, she tugs me gently until we’re walking down the hall.
No words.
None needed.
Not when she’s leading me to her bedroom—like she’s already decided we belong there, together.
The soft click of the door locking behind us sends a thrill through my chest. It’s not just the privacy—it’s the trust. The quiet invitation.
Berkley doesn’t say a word. She just takes my hand and leads me with quiet certainty toward the bed, her fingers threading with mine like it’s the most natural thing in the world. And maybe it is. With her, everything feels that way. Right. Grounded. I’d follow her anywhere.
She turns, eyes soft but burning, and I catch her around the waist, pulling her close and capturing her mouth with mine.
Her lips part beneath mine like she’s been waiting for it, and I press into her, deepening the kiss until we’re both breathless.
My hand finds her cheek, the other sliding low over the curve of her hip.
She tastes like warm honey and everything I’ve ever wanted.
We move together, bodies aligning, until we collapse onto the bed in a tangle of limbs and laughter.
I settle between her thighs, careful but craving.
Her thighs frame my hips, and my fingers trail up her sides, feeling the delicate shivers racing over her skin.
Her breath hitches, her hands sliding into my hair as I kiss her again, slow and reverent, like she’s something sacred.
Because she is.
Her back arches, pressing us closer, and I swear—for a split second—I feel the earth tilt beneath us.
Every brush of her skin to mine sends a charge through my spine.
I whisper her name against her lips like a vow.
A quiet promise from a man who knows he’s just found the one thing he can’t live without.
Every kiss, every sigh, every whispered touch—etched into memory, savored like something sacred.
I learn her rhythm like a favorite song—slow and sweet at first, then picking up heat and hunger with every pass of her hands over my chest.
She sighs into me, soft and steady, the way waves kiss the shore. It’s not just desire in her eyes—it’s trust. Belonging. It’s the certainty that whatever this is, we’re not walking away from it. Not now. Not ever.
Her hands drift through my hair, and I lean into the contact like I’ve been starving for it. She pulls me down for another kiss, deeper this time. More urgent. The kind that makes your chest ache in the best way.
“Are you sure?” I ask, my voice low as I nuzzle into the curve of her neck, brushing a soft kiss there. “We don’t have to rush this. I’d wait forever if that’s what you need.”
She pulls back just enough to meet my eyes, her expression is steady and bold. “I’m sure. I want this. I want you... all of you.”
My breath catches. The look she gives me—it wrecks me.
It’s not just lust. It’s devotion. A quiet, unshakable strength that sets fire to every protective instinct I have.
I cup her cheek, brushing my thumb over her flushed skin.
“I’d do anything for you, Berk. You ask it, and it’s done. No questions.”
Her lips curve into a soft smile, one that slips under my skin and settles there like it’s always belonged.
We move together in closeness that only comes from years of knowing, of waiting.
My hand slips behind her knee, drawing her leg around my hip.
The shift in our bodies sends another wave of heat through me, but I keep my focus on her—every flutter of her lashes, every breath that hitches when I kiss the spot beneath her jaw.
When she trembles beneath my touch, I pause—just to make sure she’s okay. “You doing okay, baby?” I murmur, brushing her hair back gently.
She smiles, breathless but glowing. “Perfect.”
“You gonna be this sweet when my brother’s slide between these luscious thighs?” The words come out a little cocky, a little rough, but hell, I mean every damn syllable.
She immediately looks away, cheeks flushed bright enough to light the room—and I can’t help but laugh. Soft and warm, like I’ve just caught my favorite secret.
“No more hiding, Berk,” I murmur, voice gentling as I reach for her chin and tilt her face back to mine.
“We’ve already done the hardest part. We want you—and you want us.
There’s nothing wrong with that.” I kiss her again, slow and sure, washing away the last bits of hesitation I feel hanging between us.
Because whatever comes next? We’re in it together.
Our hands make quick work of undressing, clothes falling to the floor like afterthoughts.
Now that it’s just the two of us, the urgency is fading, replaced by something deeper.
I take my time exploring every inch of her, memorizing the way her body responds to my touch, the soft catches in her breath, the way her fingers trace over me like she’s learning a language she already somehow knows.
With her, there’s no rush. Just discovery.
Connection. And the quiet, burning certainty that this moment, this closeness, is exactly where we’re supposed to be.
Her breasts are round and full, molding perfectly into my palm like they were made for me. I take my time, tasting her skin, letting my mouth close over one taut peak, then the other—savoring the way her breath stutters, her fingers tightening in my hair.
I trail lower, kissing across the smooth plane of her belly, worshipping every inch like a man starved finally given a feast.
My fingers slip through her folds, gliding effortlessly through the slick heat that’s waiting for me. A deep growl rumbles in my chest—I can’t help it—because her body responds to me like a fiddle, playing a fine tune.
I circle her slowly, teasing her until she’s writhing beneath my touch, then slide one finger inside, savoring the way she tightens around me. When she relaxes, I add a second, scissoring gently, stretching her with slow, steady care.
Her moan nearly undoes me.
“You feel so fucking good, Berkley.” The words tumble out of me, rough and reverent.
I lean back on my knees, needing to see her—watch her.
My fingers, still slick from touching her, wrap around my cock, spreading her wetness over every inch of me.
Her eyes are locked on mine, full of love that makes my chest ache.
Slowly, I hover over her again, one arm planted beside her head, the other guiding my tip to her entrance.
I drag it along her heat, coating myself, grounding us both in what’s about to happen.
“You ready for me, baby?” I ask, voice low, uneven, because I need to hear her say it—need to know she wants this just as much as I do.
The sound of her voice—soft, breathy, full of trust—hits me like a punch to the chest. “Mmhm... yes.”
God.
The way she says it wraps around my heart and pulls tight, like she doesn’t even realize she just handed me the world. I grip her hips, steadying both of us, because everything inside me is vibrating with the weight of what this means.
Lust hangs thick in the air, like something we can taste. It crawls over my skin, coils in my spine, makes it damn near impossible to go slow—but I will. I have to. We’ve dreamed of this moment for years, and now that it’s finally here. Every breath, heartbeat. Every shift of her body beneath mine.
Her eyes find mine—wide, trusting, and full of something that makes my chest ache. My breath stalls. I steady myself, one hand braced, the other guiding us forward.
“Eyes on me, Berk,” I murmur, my voice rough. “I want to see you... every second of me sinking inside you.” My words trail off as I press forward slowly, carefully, like she’s something sacred.
Her fingers clutch the sheets, her breath hitching, but she doesn’t look away. And I don’t either. I want to see every flicker of emotion, every spark between us.
“That’s it,” I whisper, drawing back a breath before easing in deeper. A soft gasp leaves her lips, and I freeze, scanning her face for any hesitation. “Just a little more, baby... hang on to me.”
When I press forward that final inch, she whimpers—tightening around me instinctively—and we groan together, the sound tangled in shared breath. I freeze, every muscle straining with the effort to hold back, giving her time to adjust, to breathe, to settle into the feel of us like this.
Then she moves. Just a slight shift beneath me. An invitation.
The second I respond, sliding into a rhythm, I’m undone. The friction between us is a rush—warm, perfect, blinding. Like lightning in my veins and heaven in my bones.
A low groan rips from my chest as I lean down, resting my forehead against hers, grounding myself in her eyes.
“Rowen, please.” My name falls from her lips like a prayer—breathless, trembling, desperate. She doesn’t even have to finish the thought; I hear everything she’s asking in that single word. And just like that, whatever restraint I had left shatters.
I thrust forward again, losing myself in the way we fit—like something written in our bones.
A deep moan rips from both of us, raw and unfiltered.
I press my lips to her neck, feeling the hum of her pulse as I murmur, “You okay, baby?” My voice is low, but my eyes search hers, needing to know—needing her to feel safe, cherished.
“Perfect,” she breathes, voice soft but sure. Then her eyes spark with mischief as she adds, “Now make love to me like we’ve both been dreaming of.” That little wink? It’s confirmation. Sweet as sugar on the outside—but underneath, she’s pure fire, and she knows exactly what she’s doing to me.
My grin tilts with heat and possession as I shift my grip—one hand tangled in her hair, the other sliding along her thigh, coaxing her leg around my waist until we’re locked together, body to body, heart to heart.
“Tell me if it’s too much,” I murmur, voice already thick, fraying.
It’s the only warning I give before I drive forward—slow at first, but deep—earning a gasp that I swallow in a hard kiss.
She clutches me tighter, and I feel her tremble from the inside out as an orgasm slams into her.
“Good girl,” I growl against her mouth, moving with rough control, dragging her over the edge.
Her body clenches around me with each rhythm, each desperate moan, until I’m losing every shred of calm I had left.
“Give me another,” I whisper through clenched teeth.
“I want to feel you come apart for me one more time.”
Her fingers dig into my shoulders, her legs lock tighter around me, and when I angle my hips just right, she falls—beautiful, breathless, and mine.
“That’s it,” I whisper against her lips, swallowing the sound of her release as I lose myself right alongside her.
Every muscle locks tight, every nerve alive, until all I can feel is her—clutching, trembling.
I don’t stop moving until the last of the tension drains from both our bodies, leaving us wrecked and breathless, tangled in each other like we’ve got nowhere else to be but here.
“Damn, Berk,” I murmur, sweeping a few damp strands of hair from her flushed face, then pressing a slow kiss to her temple. “You undo me. Completely.”
Her laughter spills out soft and breathless, and it hits me like a sucker punch to the chest. That sound—hell, that sound—undoes me more than anything else ever could. It’s light. Unfiltered. Pure. And I realize I’d burn down the world just to hear it again.
My lips twitch into a smile before I even realize it’s happening. A real one. The kind I haven’t worn since before the weight of the world landed squarely on my shoulders. Since before life twisted us into weapons. Before Momma left this earth and Dad turned colder than steel.
But with her in my arms, everything softens. My grip. My edges. Even the storm that never stops brewing in my chest quiets when she’s close like this.
Then she goes and touches my face—gentle fingers gliding across my jaw like she’s trying to memorize every angle—and leans in to kiss the tip of my nose like I’m something worth cherishing.
Damn her. She doesn’t even know the power she has.
“You’re not so bad yourself, handsome,” she teases, voice all syrup and sunshine, and I swear my heart damn near bows to her.
I stare down at her, my chest tightening as those words echo in my head. Everything I am—all the chaos and control, the violence and vulnerability—balances on this one truth I’ve carried forever. “I love you, Berkley,” I say roughly, with no hesitation. No hiding. “It’s only ever been you.”