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“Does itoff his boxers

I caught a peek at hi when he kissed ain Soon I was so mindless, I scarcely noticed that he’d stripped off ainstinto our kiss The weight of his body atop , seeking

Then his forefingers hooked the edges of ged off the last barrier between us Well, almost the last Fro the corner with his teeth As he began rolling it on, I was transfixed Utter lust

Sees His outer thighs brushed ainstfor him

But as soon as he stretched over me, that pressure in my head increased —The mortal is not for you!—

I jerked in Jack’s arms

“What? Too fast?” He raised up above me “You can tell me to stop if you want, Evie Anytime you want me to”

—You cannot know him this way—

“No, I don’t want to stop It’s one of the voices Death’s It’s like he’s in my head!”

—He’s not for you, creature!— Death repeated

Why are you doing this to irl you plan onso but misery!—

Jack clenched his fists, the oan to kill that son of a bitch, just for this”

Get in line How in the hell is this your business?

—Your death is mine, which means your life is mine—

You’re insane! Never had I heard Death like this Before, he’d always been s de —I am owed, Empress! Do this, and you will pay—

“Evie?”

“I want this, Jack! Kiss—NEVER, CREATURE!—

This place was perfect, a moment in ti it “It’s no use He doesn’t want us to do this And I don’t understand why”

“Look atinto his eyes They were stor Even vulnerability “He doan get a goddaaze, Death was quieted, the heavy weight of his presence ebbing —Sieva, do not do this—

See-whatta? Then he faded

Faded to nothing

“His voice is quiet This is working!”

“Then I’ into your eyes when I take you You hear ined I could

He traced his hand between us, lower, lower, dipping his fingers “So hot,” he groaned “So perfect You want this too” It wasn’t a question

He began touchingfingers, lids growing heavy, but I kepthis hardness against lyphs ghosted over me faster

“Doan be scared, bébé,” he rasped with a brief kiss todown intodeeper “I’ve wanted you for so long” And deeper “My God, woroan burst from his chest

Pain I just stifled a wince, far froone hoarse, he said, “You’re ht—because Death’s presence had disappeared co, “Doan hurt, doan hurt”

“It’s getting better”

“Ready for ritted teeth, he said, “Evie, I got to touch you, got to kiss you Or you woan like this” A bead of sweat dropped fro its way down to my collarbone

“O-okay”

Still insideHis hands coveredWhen I started arching my back for more, his body moved And it was

Rapture

“Jack! Yes!”

In a strained tone, he said, “God al “Finally found the placeI’ kisses upme closer and closer to a just-out-of-reach peak

Each tiression in hi breaths, I said, “Don’t hold back! You don’t have to withhi with need as I moaned

Pleasure built and builtbroke freewicked bliss seized me, seized hieline!” Mine

“Yes, Jack, yes”

Then after-shudders A final ht sank heavily overhim to kno much I loved that

How much I loved him

He raised himself up on his forearms, cheeks flushed, lids heavy with satisfaction “I kneould be like this” His voice was even more hoarse “I knew frohis lips to my jaw, my forehead, the tip of my nose “I am home, Evie Greene,” he repeated between kisses

I never wanted hi lover, but his afterplay? He was adoring

“The first priest I find, I’rew ainst h of you?”

Just as that rush returned and I kneere about to get another round of this, I heard panting—comprehended that it wasn’t my own I broke away “Jack?”

We both turned to find a wolf nosing through the waterfall, its head halfway in It blinked at us, then howled

Not a second later, Lark called, “Hey, guys! You in there? I told the others I’d find you We’re heading out It won’t be long now”

Jack rested his forehead against oan to pick this up later”