The storm outside had finally quieted, but inside their room, the air still pulsed with the wildness of it. The fire crackled low in the hearth, throwing shadows across the stone walls, and the soft glow painted Dastien’s sharp features in flickering gold. He was standing close enough that Tessa could feel the warmth radiating off his body, even though he hadn’t touched her yet.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, each beat echoing the need tightening through her veins. The bond between them hummed—low, electric, insistent—as though the universe itself was holding its breath, waiting for what came next.
Dastien’s gaze burned into hers. There was hunger in it, yes, but also something deeper—something reverent, like she was both his temptation and his salvation. Slowly, deliberately, he r
