The kiss changed.
It deepened—not because his mouth moved differently, but because Kael did. Because something inside him finally gave up the fight.
His hand slid from my jaw to the small of my back, firm, possessive, like he was afraid I would vanish if he loosened his grip even a fraction. I felt the tremor in him before I understood it—how tightly wound he had been, how long he had been holding himself apart from me.
When he pulled back, it was only enough to rest his forehead against mine, breath uneven, eyes dark and burning even though they still shone golden.
“You have no idea,” he murmured, voice rough,
“How hard I’ve tried to stay away from you.”
My heart stuttered.
“I buried myself in work,” he continued, each word edged with honesty.
“Meeting after meeting. Patrols. Po
