Chapter 66 Flames Ignited
Aurora:
The room was quiet, morning light filtered through the windows in pale bands, dust catching in the air where the wards hummed softly through the walls.
Levi didn’t rush me inside. He set me down slowly, like the moment itself mattered, like he didn’t want to break whatever fragile balance we’d found.
For a moment, we just stood there.
Close. Still.
He didn’t touch me right away. His hands hovered at my waist, warm but restrained, as if he were checking himself, checking me. I felt the question in the space between us.
I answered by resting my palms against his chest.
His heart was racing.
That surprised me more than anything.
Levi closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, something raw and unguarded crossing his face before he smoothed it away.
He leaned his forehead against mine, breathing me in like he needed the anchor.
“We can slow down,” he murmured.
“I don’t want to,” I said softly. “I just… want to stay right here.”
His shoulders eased...just a little.
He nodded once, accepting it, and kissed me again, different this time.
Not searching and not asking. The kind of kiss that settles instead of sparks.
His hands slid to my back, steady and warm. Mine traced his arms, the familiar strength there grounding instead of overwhelming.
The wards hummed lower, like they’d sensed the shift and quieted out of respect.
Levi pressed his forehead to my shoulder, his breath warm against my skin, his grip careful even as it tightened.
“Tell me if anything changes,” he said, voice rough but steady.
“I will.”
We moved together without urgency, without thought, guided more by instinct than intention.
I tilted my head, giving him better access, my fingers threading into his thick, dark hair at the nape of his neck.
The air between us shifted, the tension melting into something deeper, something primal.
My fingers trembled as I worked at the buttons of his shirt, revealing the hard planes of muscle, the faint silver lines of old wounds, the dark trail of hair that disappeared beneath his waistband.
My breath caught as his lips trailed down my neck, his breath ghosting over my collarbone before his teeth grazed the sensitive skin, just enough to make me gasp.
I arched into him, my head tilting back, surrendering to the sensation as his hands slid down my waist, pulling me flush against him.
The heat of his body seeped into mine, the hard press of him against my stomach a reminder of what we'd been denied for so long.
My fingers dug into his back, nails scraping lightly over his skin as I pulled him closer, needing to feel every inch of him.
His mouth found mine again, hungry now, urgent.
I could taste the desperation on him, the same need that coiled tight in my own belly.
He groaned against my lips, the sound vibrating through me, making me shiver all over again, as he pushed me down on the bed.
The mattress dipped beneath us as he lay me down.
His eyes were burning with desire, flickering from deep blues to gold to back again.
But beneath it, I saw the same raw vulnerability from before.
“Aurora,” he whispered, my name a prayer on his lips, his voice hoarse.
I smiled, reaching up to cup his face, my thumb brushing over the rough stubble on his jaw.
"It’s us,” I said, and that was all the permission he needed.
His lips trailed down my body, slow and reverent, his tongue dipping into the hollow of my throat before continuing lower.
He peeled my shirt away, his hands skimming over my ribs, my stomach, before unclasping my bra with a flick of his fingers.
The cool air hit my skin, but it was nothing compared to the heat of his mouth as he took one nipple between his lips, his tongue swirling before he sucked gently, then harder, until I was arching beneath him, a breathy moan spilling from my lips.
His free hand found my other breast, his thumb rolling over the tight peak, teasing, tormenting, until I was writhing, my fingers tangled in his hair, urging him on.
He didn’t rush.
Every touch was deliberate, every kiss a brand.
His hands slid down, peeling away my underwear, leaving me bare beneath him.
I reached for his belt, my fingers fumbling in my haste, but he covered my hands with his, shaking his head.
“Let me,” he murmured,
and I watched, breathless, as he stripped away his own clothes, revealing the hard, sculpted lines of his body—the broad shoulders, the defined chest, the powerful thighs—every curve a perfection.
And I had missed him, all of him, for the past four years.
Then he covered my body again, his hardness between my thighs, the tip already glistening.
I reached for him because I couldn't help myself, my hand wrapping around his length, stroking slowly, thumb swiping over the sensitive head.
His breath hissed between his teeth, his hips jerking slightly into my touch.
“Fuck, Aurora,” he groaned, his forehead dropping to mine, his eyes dark and wild.
He entered me with excruciating slowness, inch by inch, giving me time to adjust, his jaw clenched tight as he fought for control.
I gasped as he filled me to the hilt, my nails digging into his shoulders, a deep moan leaving my mouth before I could think of it.... my back arching off the bed.
The bond between us came alive with heat and desire that spread through my entire body.
My eyes closed at the sensation, and he gently cupped my face and said, "Look at me, baby."
I obeyed, our eyes locked, the connection between us was electric, like a live wire sparking to life after years of dormancy.
He began to move, his hips rolling in a slow, deep rhythm, each thrust dragging against that sensitive spot inside me that made me see stars.
I met him stroke for stroke, our bodies slick with sweat, the sound of skin slapping skin filling the room, mingling with our ragged breaths and desperate moans.
We moved together guided by want and longing and trust rather than need.
The bond settled between us.
Time lost its sharp edges, slipping into something warmer