Chapter 255 Last dance

Chapter 255 Last dance
Chapter: the last dance

milo pov

The curse rolled out of my tongue like a second language.

I felt like dying… a second time. I didn't know if to close my eyes or to take a little peek at the perfect sin that was standing in front of me.

I choose the latter.

Damon stood shamelessly, water continued to drip from his wet hair onto the new rug, but I didn't even remember to be angry about that.

Because, Goddess above, my mate was beautiful in every possible way.

I had seen Damon naked countless times before, but somehow, standing there in the soft lamplight with water glistening on his skin, he looked different. More. Like every defined muscle had been carved by an artist who understood exactly what perfection meant.

His broad shoulders tapered down to a narrow waist, abs that looked hard enough to break stone flex as he came closer. Strong thighs, powerful arms that I knew from experience could hold me up effortlessly while he…

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry.

My eyes went lower like it had a mind of its own. And what I saw there no matter how often I have seen it left me breathless.

My cheeks were on fire, as I squirmed on my feet like a little old girl. My omega genes kicked in, firing out like fireworks.

"Milo?" Damon's voice held amusement now. "My eyes are up here."

My face burned as I dragged my gaze upward, only to find him smirking at me with those devastating dimples on full display.

"I was... Daphne..." I stammered, my brain apparently having stopped working entirely. "She needed... I went to check on..."

Damon took a step closer, and I watched a droplet of water trail down his chest, following the defined line of his sternum before disappearing into the trail of dark hair that led…

"I should detain you, for molesting your king just with your eyes alone," Damon said, his voice dropping an octave.

"You are naked," I defended weakly. "And wet. And..." I gestured vaguely at all of him. "That."

He laughed, the sound warm and rich. "I just got out of the bath. I wasn't expecting my mate to sneak into our room looking guilty and flustered."

"I wasn't sneaking," I protested, though my position backed against the drawer with my hand still on the handle told a different story.

Damon moved closer still, until he was standing right in front of me. This close, I could see water droplets clinging to his collarbone, and could smell the clean scent of soap mixed with his natural musk. My omega instincts were going haywire, demanding I touch, taste, and claim.

It was so much more intense than before.

Before the mate bond. I had desired and wanted him. But there had always been a hint of fear too… fear of his strength, of being overwhelmed, of being hurt even accidentally.

Now? Now I had power of my own. Power that matched his, maybe even exceeded it. The playing field had leveled in a way I had never imagined possible.

And that made the wanting fiercer than normal.

"Tell me what you were really doing," Damon murmured, his hand coming up to trace my jaw. "Because you ran out of that council meeting like your tail was on fire, spent an hour with Daphne doing Goddess knows what, and now you are in our room looking like you are about to spontaneously combust."

"I was..." I bit my lip, debating whether to tell him. But we had promised no more secrets. "I was asking Daphne for herbs."

“Which type of herbs?”

I bite my lips, the hotness returning to my face. “Contracaptives…”

Damon went very still. "What?"

"I'm not ready for another baby yet," I said in a rush, the words tumbling out. "Ezra is barely two months old, and everything has been so crazy, and I wanted... I wanted to be able to be with you without worrying about…"

I didn't get to finish, because Damon's mouth crashed down on mine.

The kiss was hungry, desperate, full of months of pent-up need. His hands gripped my hips, pulling me flush against him, and I gasped at the sensation of his bare skin against my clothed body.

"You have no idea," Damon growled against my lips, "how long I have been waiting to hear you say something like that."

"You could have said something," I pointed out breathlessly.

"You were recovering. Healing. I didn't want to pressure you." His hands slid under my shirt, palms hot against my skin. "But Goddess, Milo, I have been going insane. Sleeping next to you every night, holding you, breathing in your scent, and not being able to touch you the way I want to..."

"Touch me now," I whispered, emboldened by the raw need in his voice.

Damon pulled back just enough to look at me, his eyes searching mine. "Are you sure? I mean, really sure? Because once I start, I'm not going to want to stop."

"I took the medicine," I assured him, though technically I hadn't yet… but I would, right now if needed.

"And I am so sure, Damon. I need this. I need you."

Something in his expression shifted, turning from questioning to predatory. "Then let me help you out of these clothes. They are very much in my way."

His hands moved to work on my robes, with practiced ease. The last tie came loose, and my robes fell away, leaving me bare before him. For a moment, I felt self-conscious… my body had changed too. New scars traced across my chest and arms, silver marks from the explosion.

"Perfect," he murmured, his fingers tracing the silver scars across my chest… permanent reminders of the explosion. "Every part of you is perfect."

"They are scars," I said self-consciously.

"They are proof that you survived," Damon corrected, leaning down to press kisses along each line. "They are beautiful because they are part of you."

My breath hitched as his mouth moved lower, following the trail of scars down to my abdomen. His hands worked at my underwear, sliding them down along with skills, until I was as naked as he was.

"Much better," Damon approved, straightening to look at me properly. "Now we are even."

Except we weren't even at all. Because while I was standing there feeling exposed and vulnerable, Damon looked like a god carved from marble… confident, powerful, devastating.

His hands moved to cup my face, tilting it up toward him. "You have been through hell and back. You have . But you know what hasn't changed?"

"What?" I asked, barely breathing.

"How much I want you," he whispered, his lips barely brushing mine. "How much I need you. How much my body reacts to you. much I crave every part of you… body, mind, and soul."

Heat flared through our bond, sudden and intense. It had been so long since we had been intimate… months of pregnancy and recovery and trauma creating distance between us. But now, with his hands on my face and his words in my ears, I felt desire surge through me like a tidal wave.

"I am stronger now," I said, my voice dropping to match his. "The old me couldn't handle your full strength. But now..."

"Now?" Damon prompted, his eyes darkening with want.

"Now I can take everything you have to give," I finished, reaching up to pull him down into another round of deep kisses.

This kiss was different from the first. Deeper. More deliberate. Damon's tongue swept into my mouth, like he owns it and I met him with equal fervor. My hands roamed over his body, mapping muscles I had memorized a hundred times before but somehow felt new under my touch.

When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Damon's eyes held molten gold… his wolf rising to the surface.

"I want to worship every inch of you," he said, his voice rough with need. "I want to make you forget everything but pleasure. I want to hear you scream my name until your voice gives out."

Heat pooled between my legs at his words.

"Then do it," I challenged, feeling bold and powerful and completely desired. "Show me what you have been holding back all these months."

Damon's answering smile was pure sin. "Get on the bed."

I obeyed, climbing onto our large bed and settling against the pillows.

Damon followed, prowling up the bed like a predator stalking prey. But I wasn't afraid. Not anymore. Not when I knew he would never truly never hurt me.

He settled between my legs, his hands running up my thighs. "I'm going to start slow," he warned. "I'm going to take my time. And you are going to lie there and let me make you feel good. Understood?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

"Good omega," he purred, and the praise sent pleasure racing down my spine.

His mouth descended, and I lost the ability to think coherently.