Chapter 157
~ ROWAN
I blinked twice, wondering if I’d misheard by some chance, but Nyssa was staring up at me, with those soft doe eyes of hers, her lips pulled up into a small nervous smile and I could have sworn that my heart fucking stopped.
“Are you I trailed off slowly. “Fuck, Nyssa, I didn’t do this so that you would agree p>
She rolled her eyes. “I know that, and I didn’t agree because you did this, although I can’t lie, it helped me see things in perspective p>
“Nyssa p>
“Wait, let me explain,” she cut me off with a hand out. “I’ve been so fucking focused on everything else, on my parents, on my pack, on making sure that everything else was perfect because I’ve been so terrified of… well, of this. After everything with Henry, I was hesitant, and yeah, I didn’t trust you because I wasn’t sure that I could trust you, or us, I was just waiting for things to go to shit p>
She swallowed thickly, her heart hammering loudly as she fiddled with her hands.
It was obvious just how nervous she was, and I wanted nothing more than to pull her to me and assure her that everything was fine, but I forced myself to remain immobile as I waited for her to catch her breath on her own.
“Everything I love has a way of getting away from me and I was scared because I thought it would be the same way with you, then I found out about my parents and it felt like a confirmation of that, like this wasn’t meant to be, and I ran with that, but Rowan… I’m so tired of running p>
She stepped closer to me.
“You are good to me, and you are kind, and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life worrying about anything else when you’re right p>
I prided myself on being a patient man. Being alive for over a century would do that to you, but I’d also come to realize that when Nyssa was involved, nothing else mattered.
I planned to let her finish, but how could I? When she was standing there all flustered and stuttering over her words, her cheeks pink and her eyes filled with so much trust and resignation.
My fingers tangled in her locks, pulling her towards me as I kissed her harshly. There was nothing soft or coaxing about the kiss, it will filled with desperation and relief, every single time I’d held back because I was unsure.
She squeaked in surprise and my tongue slipped into her mouth, my free hand trialing under her shirt so I could touch her bare skin. She was warm and soft and pliant in my arms. She relaxed into the kiss, allowing me to claim every inch of her.
I pulled her into my lap in one quick move, groaning when she rocked her hips over my quickly hardening cock. A rush of heat went down my spine and I cursed, pulling back from her with a gasp.
“You’re fucking perfect,” I whispered to her, lips ghosting her ear and throat.
She threw her head back in a breathless moan. “I wasn’t done speaking p>
“Continue then,” I murmured, pressing an open mouthed kiss to her neck.
She gasped when my teeth sank down into her skin, not hard enough to leave my mark, but enough that she felt it. My tongue darted out, soothing the spot as I guided her hips over mine in a slow motion.
“I’m waiting,” Nyssa,” I spoke against her skin. “You said you didn’t finish, so fucking finish p>
“I—oh! This isn’t fair p>
“I didn’t say shit about playing fair p>
Trailing my hand on her waist higher, I pulled her shirt off her head in one swift move, leaving her tits completely bare to me. I groaned at the sight, my mouth watering at her dusty nipples, perky and begging for me to touch them.
“You’re fucking killing me here,” I murmured, leaning forward to trace my tongue over her skin.
“Rowan! We’re outside, someone could see p>
“No one comes here,” I assured her. “No one else will get to see you like this p>
Her fingers dug into my shoulders as my teeth grazed her nipple and a small cry left her. She tasted like fucking paradise, and I wanted more.
With a groan of frustration, I pulled back.
A sound of displeasure escaped her throat. “What the hell, Rowan p>
I forced out a deep breath through my nose, trying to keep my eyes fixed on her face and not her inviting tits or the smell of her arousal that called to me, pleading for me to rip her pants off her right now and sink my cock into—fuck, no p>
“You were talking,” I ground out.
She stared at me incredulously. “Are you insane right now? You stopped so we could talk p>
“Yes, because if I pick you up from here, which I will in a few minutes, I’m taking you into that room and I’m not letting you out until we’re both hoarse p>
Her hips rocked slightly, her cheeks flushing at my words. “I p>
“I also can’t promise that I won’t fucking mark you because I can assure you that it had been hell holding myself back from doing that every single time I’ve been inside of you. I need to make sure this is what you want because there’s no going back p>
She stared at me for a long minute, her eyes wide with surprise and something else, something far softer hidden underneath it all.
It felt like hours before her lips finally curved into a small smile.
“You want to know how I truly feel about this?” she asked and I nodded.
“Well then, Rowan,” she leaned back in my arms, brushing her hair off her shoulder with one hand. She tilted her head back, baring her throat to me. “Mark me p>
Whatever shred of control I had left snapped with that singular order.