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“Let me see you… you’re breathtaking,” Marcello rasped, his lips brushing a tender kiss against her sternum. Azzurra swallowed hard, her chest rising and falling as if she could no longer control her own breath.

He drew back, standing at the foot of the bed, his gaze sweeping over her bare form. Every line, every curve of her body made his blood heat and his desire sharpen. She was stunning worth dying for. His little mate. His tigress. If death came after this night, he would welcome it with a smile, because he had known heaven in her.

“Stop staring,” she muttered, flushing as she covered herself. His jaw flexed, a low grunt leaving him as his hands went to his belt. In one swift tug, the leather snapped free from his pants.

“You’re mine, Azzurra,” he growled, his voice dark, his eyes molten with possession. “I have every right to look at what belongs to me. And tonight, I won’t just be looking… I’ll be tasting every inch of you.”

Her protest slipped out in a nervous whisper, “You already oh my God!” Her words broke, her lips parting in shock as her eyes widened. Her throat went dry as she stared, disbelief shattering through her. How in the hell was that supposed to fit inside her? Instinct screamed at her to run.

“Marcello…” she stammered, inching back as his gaze pinned her like prey.

He prowled onto the bed, closing the distance. She tried to retreat but his palm pressed firmly against her stomach, easing her flat onto the mattress as he hovered over her.

“You are so fucking beautiful,” he murmured, capturing her mouth in a kiss that devoured. It was wild, desperate, as if it were their final kiss before the end of the world. Every touch, every brush of his lips was fire searing her to ash.

He only pulled back long enough to breathe against her skin, trailing open-mouthed kisses along her jaw, down her throat, and across her collarbone. He sucked, nipped, claimed with every mark until he reached the swell of her breasts. Azzurra panted, her lips parting with a soft gasp as he continued lower, scattering kisses over her trembling belly. She squirmed under the ticklish, maddening heat of his mouth.

When his lips brushed the scar on her thigh a relic from that first brutal battle in his kingdom she froze, watching him with wide, aching eyes. His reverence there stole her breath more than anything else.

Marcello sat back on his knees, drinking her in shamelessly, his gaze roaming every curve, every trembling line of her. She was exquisite, all flushed skin and hazy eyes, her beauty enough to unravel his iron control.

She had no idea what she did to him. The way she looked, the way she breathed she made him want to ruin, to worship, to lose himself completely.

A deep, guttural chuckle rumbled from his chest, the sound vibrating through the room. She clenched her thighs together instinctively, her pulse thundering.

“I might just eat you alive, Azzurra,” he rasped.

Her breath hitched. Had she said that out loud? Heat flooded her cheeks, and she whispered, “Stop…” But then she felt the thick, hard length of him press against her, and her eyes widened in panic.

“I… I…” she fumbled, looking to the other side of the bed as if she could escape, but he was faster. His hand clamped around her ankle, dragging her back beneath him. She squealed, clutching at the sheets, but he was already there, covering her with the weight of his body.

“I’m going to love you raw tonight,” he growled against her lips.

“You’ll kill me with that thing!” she gasped, pushing at his chest in a mix of fear and disbelief.

He smirked, shameless as ever. “Oh, come on, my cock’s waited long enough for the heat of your umph!” Her palms clamped over his mouth, silencing the crude words, her face flaming red.

“You’ve got no shame,” she hissed.

He licked her hand deliberately, forcing her to snatch it back. His grin was wolfish. “Then shameless it is.”

Sliding a pillow beneath the curve of her lower back, he shifted her into position. She frowned in confusion until his hands parted her thighs wide, his gaze locking onto her with raw hunger.

“Stop!” she squealed, trying to cover herself, her mortification turning her skin scarlet.

“Let me look at what’s mine,” he rumbled. His voice was a velvet snarl, his eyes smoldering.

Shuddering, she slowly lowered her hands, trembling under the weight of his scrutiny.

Her gasp was muffled as his fingers slipped inside her. It felt foreign, uncomfortable, but within moments a second finger joined, moving with steady insistence until the sting gave way to something else something sharp and coiling that stole her breath. Just as her body began to surrender, the sensation was ripped away, his hand gone.

But before she could protest, her eyes flew open, her back bowing from the bed as a strangled cry tore from her throat.

“Relax, Azzurra,” he ground out, every muscle in his body taut as if he were restraining a beast within. He thrust again, and she thought she’d split in two.

“My King! It hurts!” she cried, her fists pounding against his chest. Her body sagged against the mattress, overwhelmed, tears brimming. The title My King made him groan, his length twitching as if her words alone could undo him.

“This was the gentlest way I could give you, Tigress,” he rasped, kissing away her tears. “I’m sorry. Breathe… try to relax for me.”

Her nails raked his skin, but he only pressed closer, his control stretched thin but unbroken. Her pleasure had to come first. Even if it was their first time, he wanted to show her the heights he could bring her to.

Soft, wet kisses traced her neck, easing her into his rhythm. Her sobs quieted, her body loosening beneath him. He tested, moving slowly, watching her face. A small whimper slipped free, but she didn’t stop him.

His gaze burned as he pulled back, gripping her legs and folding them to his chest. He pressed a kiss to her ankle, eyes never leaving hers.

“Brace yourself, Azzurra,” he rumbled, the promise dark and absolute.

Her breath caught as she clutched the sheets, and then he claimed her completely, wildly, endlessly.

That night, Marcello loved her with a ferocity that bound their souls together, leaving neither of them untouched by the fire they created.