“We can because you’re mine.” He shoved my leg around his waist, his lips fighting with mine. His energy clouded and clashed with mine. Our desire and need to take and erase and destroy left us breathless and biting.

His cock rubbed me through his pants, rocked and pressed and gathered sparks to send them flying. Blood filled my mouth, the sour taste of wrong and the sweetest touch of perfect.

I began to unravel. Unrelenting, his mouth trapped all sound and breath with a wicked rumble from his chest that ceased when he groaned and I clenched. Right before the wave of pleasure could crest within me, Rorn reared back to free himself from his pants.

Breathe, wildflower.

Cold drenched me from head to toe. I broke through the haze of unwanted pleasure and growled, shoving Rorn away before he could enter my body.

He didn’t leave.

He stared at me with a cruelty to his eyes I’d never glimpsed before.

Then he stole my mouth and fisted his cock, pumping as I tried not to lose myself to my never-ending ruin. “You would deny yourself?” he broke away to whisper, his lips roaming my cheek to my neck. “You need to come, Bloom. I can smell it. Feel it in the tremble of your skin.”

The fog cleared entirely, and this time, I didn’t push or fight. I merely stood from the cushioned window seat, abrupt and uncaring.

Cock still in hand, Rorn stumbled back to his knees, knocking brushes from the easel behind him and spirting his release over the floor with a curse.

The silence roared as we both panted and stared.

“This has to fucking stop. It’s been weeks, Astrantia. We’re so much more than this mess, and it’s time we both remember that.” The words were more of a plea than a command. “Forgive me,” he ordered, shuffling to me on his knees.

My eyes widened at the sight. “Rorn…”

“Forgive me and I know I can find a way to forgive you.”

My head shook. He made it sound so easy, so temptingly doable. “I don’t know how,” I said, barely a sound as tears stole my voice.

“We’ll help each other.” He rose and clutched my cheeks, brushed at the wet staining them and vowed, “We will make it through this.” I nodded, found that I wanted to believe him even though I didn’t. I didn’t believe him at all. “We will.”

I placed my hand over his at my cheek. “Rorn.”

“We need to try, Bloom. We have to. If not for ourselves then for the sake of this stars-damned kingdom.”

He was right.

He was wrong for using the weight of responsibility against me. For reminding me that I was trapped. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t true.

I couldn’t go on like this.