TEN
WILLOW
As soon as Caz closes the door of one of the monarch chambers behind him, my back hits the wall and his lips crush mine.
I smile behind the kiss as he fingers at the zipper on the back of my dress.
“I swore I wouldn’t do this until we got back to the manor,” he rasps as I tug at his buttons.
“Fuck it,” I breathe. His mouth presses to my throat, and he sucks and kisses while I blindly wriggle out of my dress.
We breathe raggedly when our lips part, working quickly to remove our clothes and laughing like lovesick idiots in the process.
The room is lit with soothing candlelight and made of velvet and gold silk. The canopied bed calls to me, and Caz glances at it over his shoulder before focusing on me again.
“Never used these rooms before.”
“Never?” I ask, kissing the corner of his lips.
“No. You’re my first.” He looks at me from head to toe. “And my only.”
When I’m down to my panties and bra, he seals the gap between us and picks me up in his arms. I hitch a breath as he palms my ass, then I clasp his face in my hands and kiss him again.
My back lands on the quilt made of fleece and silk, and he maneuvers between my legs, his warm fingers sliding up my forearms until they tangle with mine.
Snatching his mouth away, he stares down at me with hooded eyes. Loose tendrils of hair hang over his forehead, his mouth pink and swollen.
“How are you every single thing I’ve ever wanted?” he whispers. “How did I get so lucky?”
“We’re meant to be,” I whisper back. I smile, and he releases a breathy laugh before diving back in.
We manage to get completely naked, and I look down as he fists his dick. His lips ghost my jawline as he angles himself at my core.
And when he pushes into me, I moan like I’ve never felt him inside me before. His strokes are slow and powerful at first as he holds my eyes. Those blue jewels of his sparkle in the flickering candlelight, drinking me in.
I move my hips in unison with his, my body warming up by the second. The longer he looks into my eyes, the deeper he feels.
Not only do I feel him there, but I feel him everywhere , like our souls have merged—like we’ve connected in a new way that I can’t explain.
You feel that too?
His voice rings in my head.
I nod with a moan. I do.
His pupils dilate just before he steals a kiss from me. When he thrusts deeper, I arch my back, and his mouth slips away to find the bend of my neck.
Groans vibrate through his chest as he kisses me with so much fervor, like he can’t get enough.
Tell me how you want it, Willow.
Deeper , I think.
He thrusts deeper.
Slow and deep. Just like that.
Fuck. I love hearing your voice in my head.
I moan louder as he hikes both my legs up so my feet rest over his shoulders. Then he sinks in so deep I feel him in my lower belly.
“Fuck, Willow,” he groans. “Your pussy is so wet, baby.”
He cups one of my breasts, rolling his hips and growling.
Are you sure this isn’t a dream?
He shakes his head.
Not a dream, baby. This is real.
He clutches my hip.
My dick buried inside you and your tight pussy wrapped around it? That’s real.
He drops my legs, and I lean up to wrap my arms around his neck and bring his chest to mine. He strokes faster, grunting, dragging his lips over my collarbone. His mouth carries upward, and I lock my legs around his waist, nearing climax.
Oh. I feel you, my love.
I sigh, clenching around him. I’m close.
Good. I need to feel you come around my dick. Need to feel how wet you get for me.
Oh my goodness. His voice rumbling in my head pushes me closer to the delicious edge. My eyes roll back just as a guttural moan rips out of him.
“Oh, fuck. I’m coming, Willow.” He slams into me, and the way he moves his hips up and down, rubbing his pelvis against my clit over and over again, causes me to detonate.
I cry out his name, but he claims my mouth with his own, swallowing my moans. When he stills inside me, I can’t help clenching and twitching from the aftermath.
“Oi,” he breathes after our bodies settle. “That was a strong come.”
I break out in a laugh and give his chest a playful smack.
He smiles down at me with so much love in his eyes, so much adoration. He’s such a gorgeous man—so radiant and wholesome when he’s happy.
“I love you, Willow.” When his smile slips, mine does too.
His heart picks up in speed, and a coil of anxiety tugs at my belly. These feelings aren’t mine. This anxiousness is coming from him.
Wait. What just happened?
“What’s wrong?” I ask, brows dipping.
He withdraws himself and climbs off the bed, walking toward the pile of clothes on the floor. Sitting up, I watch as he digs through the pockets of his pants.
When he finds what he’s looking for, he returns to the bed and sits next to me with a black velvet box in hand. He opens it, revealing an oversized marquise cut ruby on a silver band.
My heart races as I swoop my gaze up to his face. “Caz,” I whisper.
His eyes lift to mine, and he takes my hand in his, a warm smile gracing his lips. “Believe it or not, I’ve been carrying this ring around for a few weeks now. It never felt like the right time, but now that I have you alone on one of the most peaceful nights in Vakeeli, I feel like I need to ask this.”
My eyes burn with tears but I blink quickly, fanning them away as he lifts the box.
“Willow, there is nothing I want more than for you to become my wife. You’re my mate and you’ve become my best friend. I trust you more than anyone else in this world because you know me inside and out, just as I know you.” He holds my eyes, but I can hardly see his because I’m tearing up again. “There is nothing in this world or the next that I wouldn’t do for you. If you give me the opportunity to become your husband, I’ll do everything in my power to not only keep you safe, but to make you the happiest woman in the world.” He drops to one knee in front of me with a sparkle in his own eye. “It will be more than an honor to call you my wife. So…will you marry me , Willow?”
“Caz.” My voice trembles as hope flourishes through both of us. “Yes! I’ll marry you!” I throw my arms around him and hug him tight. He delivers a warm chuckle over my shoulder. “There’s nothing I want more than to be yours forever .”
“Love of Vakeeli,” he says, laughing. “Can you feel my heart beating? I don’t think anything has ever made me as nervous as this moment.” He grins as he sits next to me on the bed. Then he removes the ring from the box to slide it onto my finger.
I raise my hand in the air, giving the ring a dramatic ogle before laughing and climbing on his lap to kiss him. He cups my ass in his hands, and while we kiss, I feel his emotions coursing through me, his nerves fading and his happiness filling every hollow area within him.
My Willow. I love you so much.
“I love you too,” I whisper on his lips.
The next kiss is hungry, greedy. His fingers skate up my spine and stop at the locs on the nape of my neck. Before I know it, he’s hard again.
And then he’s inside me.
For the first time, we make love as an engaged Cold Tethered couple.