looking down at his hands gripping the mattress, “I’ll burn you.”
“So? I’ll heal.” She shifted closer to him, her thighs pressing to his side as she stared at him.
“Sex helps the cravings, right?”
Hot shafts of desire spiked through him. Women wanted him, but it was always for what he could give them. No one touched him with only the goal of easing him. Especially with the risk of getting burned. His chest ached at her offer. Lifting his gaze to her face, he saw the thick emotion churning within the hazel depths of her eyes. She cared. Too much. He was going to hurt her one way or another, either burning her skin or breaking her heart. “No amount of relief or pleasure is worth your pain.”
She straightened, folding her arms beneath her breasts, her expression turning fierce. “You’re worth any price. I’ll be gone, but you will be here, and you have to survive, Ram. Live on. Carry the memory of us, of the short time we had together and what you meant to me, how damned much you meant to me…” She sucked in a breath. “Because I won’t. He’ll take every goddamned feeling I ever had for you.”
His chest felt like he’d been stabbed with a red-hot pole. “Damn it, Ginny. There has to be some way to stop him!”
“There’s not. Nothing stops him. But you have a chance.”
“I’m not going after Shayla.” He had told her that earlier. He hated talking about the soul mirror he didn’t want, while what he and Ginny had between them was ending before it had a chance to begin.
“Yes you are. Not now, not tonight. Because this is our time. My time.” Uncrossing her arms, she lifted her hands to his shoulders. “I get one chance at caring, at experiencing this kind of love. I’m going to live every second, feel every sensation, each scent and taste.”
“Love?” The word branded his brain and thrust it into neutral. She couldn’t love him.
Could she?
Her face shadowed. “I know you don’t love me. I’m not your soul mirror. But for me…” A pool of raw honesty filled her gaze. “It’s been you since I met you. And that’s enough.” She looked away, the lines of her face softening with sadness. “It’s all I’ll ever have.” Deep in Ram, the need to grab her to him, hold her tight and protect her with every last breath in his body clawed to be free. She was his. The most basic part of him was demanding the right to claim her.
But she wasn’t his to claim. Ram had understood since the day he’d attacked that young witch that he had no right to love. To be loved. His grandfather had warned him not to let his emotions rule him.
Ever.
Or he’d lose control of the dark side of himself. Just like he’d lost control that day he’d chased Britney.
Ginny? She was all-the-fuck-over his emotions. If he loosened the reins, if he touched her again, tasted her, breathed her in…
And then she left him by ascending?
He would crack. Break. Become a monster of epic proportions. It would destroy him.
“I can’t,” he said stubbornly.
Determination firmed up her expression and she turned back to him. She leaned close, brushing her fabric-covered breasts across his back, her breath fanning his neck. “Can’t what?
Care for me?”
Every movement sent shards of pleasure right down his spine. He clenched his jaw, fighting his body.
“Or have sex with me?” she asked in that breathy voice right into his ear.
His cock jerked, his balls squeezed. Ram whipped his head around. “Not happening,” he ground out. “I can feel the electrical buildup in me getting stronger. I’m not going to use my hands on you and cause you even one second of pain.”
She dropped her hands down his back, then slid them around his sides to his abdomen.
His muscles jumped and twitched beneath her touch.
She put her mouth to his ear. “That’s not a problem. Because you’re not in control here, I am.
You keep your hands right there on the edge of the mattress.” She trailed a kiss down
“So? I’ll heal.” She shifted closer to him, her thighs pressing to his side as she stared at him.
“Sex helps the cravings, right?”
Hot shafts of desire spiked through him. Women wanted him, but it was always for what he could give them. No one touched him with only the goal of easing him. Especially with the risk of getting burned. His chest ached at her offer. Lifting his gaze to her face, he saw the thick emotion churning within the hazel depths of her eyes. She cared. Too much. He was going to hurt her one way or another, either burning her skin or breaking her heart. “No amount of relief or pleasure is worth your pain.”
She straightened, folding her arms beneath her breasts, her expression turning fierce. “You’re worth any price. I’ll be gone, but you will be here, and you have to survive, Ram. Live on. Carry the memory of us, of the short time we had together and what you meant to me, how damned much you meant to me…” She sucked in a breath. “Because I won’t. He’ll take every goddamned feeling I ever had for you.”
His chest felt like he’d been stabbed with a red-hot pole. “Damn it, Ginny. There has to be some way to stop him!”
“There’s not. Nothing stops him. But you have a chance.”
“I’m not going after Shayla.” He had told her that earlier. He hated talking about the soul mirror he didn’t want, while what he and Ginny had between them was ending before it had a chance to begin.
“Yes you are. Not now, not tonight. Because this is our time. My time.” Uncrossing her arms, she lifted her hands to his shoulders. “I get one chance at caring, at experiencing this kind of love. I’m going to live every second, feel every sensation, each scent and taste.”
“Love?” The word branded his brain and thrust it into neutral. She couldn’t love him.
Could she?
Her face shadowed. “I know you don’t love me. I’m not your soul mirror. But for me…” A pool of raw honesty filled her gaze. “It’s been you since I met you. And that’s enough.” She looked away, the lines of her face softening with sadness. “It’s all I’ll ever have.” Deep in Ram, the need to grab her to him, hold her tight and protect her with every last breath in his body clawed to be free. She was his. The most basic part of him was demanding the right to claim her.
But she wasn’t his to claim. Ram had understood since the day he’d attacked that young witch that he had no right to love. To be loved. His grandfather had warned him not to let his emotions rule him.
Ever.
Or he’d lose control of the dark side of himself. Just like he’d lost control that day he’d chased Britney.
Ginny? She was all-the-fuck-over his emotions. If he loosened the reins, if he touched her again, tasted her, breathed her in…
And then she left him by ascending?
He would crack. Break. Become a monster of epic proportions. It would destroy him.
“I can’t,” he said stubbornly.
Determination firmed up her expression and she turned back to him. She leaned close, brushing her fabric-covered breasts across his back, her breath fanning his neck. “Can’t what?
Care for me?”
Every movement sent shards of pleasure right down his spine. He clenched his jaw, fighting his body.
“Or have sex with me?” she asked in that breathy voice right into his ear.
His cock jerked, his balls squeezed. Ram whipped his head around. “Not happening,” he ground out. “I can feel the electrical buildup in me getting stronger. I’m not going to use my hands on you and cause you even one second of pain.”
She dropped her hands down his back, then slid them around his sides to his abdomen.
His muscles jumped and twitched beneath her touch.
She put her mouth to his ear. “That’s not a problem. Because you’re not in control here, I am.
You keep your hands right there on the edge of the mattress.” She trailed a kiss down
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