Where Ashes and Oaths Collide

Chapter 72: Slower

Luz was not rushing. He wanted to see this– wanted to savour the moment as if it were the only thing that mattered in a world that was falling apart outside those walls. “You are going to be the death of me,” he murmured, his voice thick with a mixture of adoration and raw desire. Once all the binding of Amelia’s dress was loose, she brushed the dress off her left shoulder. The dress hung loose down her chest and showed the outlines of her breast clearly. His breath hitched, a sharp, audible sound in the quiet room. His amber eyes dropped to where the fabric hung loose, tracing the soft curves revealed by the loosened bindings. The amber in his gaze deepened, darkening with a heat that made the air between them feel heavy and electric.

Luz did not move immediately. He stayed poised above Amelia, his arms braced on either side of her head, simply taking her in. his jaw tightened, his throat working as he swallowed hard. “Amelia,” he said again, her name barely more than a broken whisper. His hand moved– slow almost hesitant– until his fingertips brushed the skin of her shoulder where the dress had slipped. His touch was warm, trembling slightly, as if he were afraid, she might vanish if he pressed too hard. He traced the line of her collarbone down toward the swell of her breast, his amber eyes never leaving hers. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured. “Thank you,” she said softly. “Do you want to see more?”

Luz’s mouth went dry. He swallowed, his gaze burning into Amelia’s, searching for any hint of hesitation and finding none. The amber in his eyes was almost gold now, bright and unyielding. “More,” he said, the word coming out as a rough command he did not even try to soften. “I want everything.” His hands moved from her shoulder, sliding down the curve of her waist with a slow, possessive pressure. He did not rush her– he waited, his body poised like a predator that had finally been granted permission to strike, his chest rising and falling in heavy, uneven breaths. “Show me,” he whispered, his voice low and dangerous. “Show me all of you.” She brushed the dress of her other shoulder, so the front hung low enough to show her breasts.

Luz’s breath left him in a single, sharp exhale. The amber in his eyes flared, wide and hungry, as he looked down at Amelia. The sight was almost too much– the soft, pale curve of her breast exposed beneath the dim light, the gentle rise and fall of her chest mirroring his own ragged breathing. His hands, usually so steady on a sword hilt, were trembling. He lowered himself closer, the heat from his body radiating against hers, until he could feel the warmth of her skin without even touching it. “Amelia,” he rasped, her name catching in his throat like a sob. He leaned down, his lips grazing the swell of her breast with agonizing slowness. Her mouth was warm, his stubble a rough contrast against her softness.

Luz trailed kisses upward, along the curve of Amelia’s skin, his tongue tracing a path that made their air between them hum with electricity. She moaned softly and tilts her head back to give him better access. The sound of her moan sent a jolt through him, something visceral and raw that stripped away the last of his composure. He let out a low, guttural sound of his own, his hands sliding up to cradle her breasts, his thumbs brushing over the sensitive peaks with a reverence that felt like worship. He moved with renewed intensity, his kissed deepening, more urgent now. He trailed his mouth across the valley between them, his breath hot against her skin, before settling on one side to take her into his mouth.

Luz’s fingers curled into the mattress, anchoring himself as he lost himself in Amelia. The world outside– the war, Mestre Escuro, the darkness within him– it all ceased to exist. There was only the weight of her body beneath him, the scent of her skin, and the intoxicating sound of her breathing. “Amelia, you are killing me,” he groaned against her skin, his voice thick and strained. “You are the one making me wait,” she gasped out her fingers combing through his hair. “Making me tingle all over…” he let out a rough, breathless laugh against her skin, the sound vibrating through her entire body. Her fingers in his hair– the ash solver strands that had once been gold– felt like the most natural thing in the world.

“I am not making you wait,” Luz murmured, pulling back just enough to look at Amelia. His face was flushed, his eye burning with that pure, uncorrupted amber. “I am trying to remember how to be a man again. Not a weapon. Not a monster.” His hands slid down from her breasts, tracing the curve of her ribs before settling firmly on her hips. He pulled her closer, grinding his hips against hers in a slow, deliberate motion that made the tension between them snap like a bowstring. “But if you want me to stop being careful,” he rasped, his voice dropping into something dark and predatory. “Tell me. Because I am very close to losing my mind.” She wrapped her arms around his neck as she murmured, “I want you.”

Luz did not need to be told twice. The last of his control snapped. He moved with a sudden, decisive urgency, his body pressing fully against Amelia’s as he captured her lips in a kiss that was deep, demanding and utterly consumed by her. His hands gripped her hips, pulling her flush against him, leaving no space left between them. “Then you have me,” he growled against her mouth, his voice thick and raw. “Every part of me. Every single part.” He shifted, his movements fluid and powerful, as he guided her legs around his waist. The friction of their bodies together sent a jolt through him that made his vision blur for a second. His teeth grazed her lower lip, a sharp, sweet sting before he softened the pressure, his tongue sweeping against hers in a slow, languid dance.