Maya

"She had spent a lifetime alone, navigating the vast expanse of existence without a companion to share her joys and sorrows. But now, nestled in the warmth of another's embrace, she found solace—she finally found what she had been looking for her whole life—a meaning to live and a life to celebrate. He was someone to share her stories with, someone to weather her storms, and someone who embraced even her silliest tantrums, and someone who loved her despite all her flaws and all her scars. What more could she possibly desire? This was what she had longed for, and now that she had it, she refused to let it slip away. It was a vow she made to herself—to safeguard this newfound happiness that came after a lifetime with every fiber of her being, to protect her loved ones and the love that enveloped her like a gentle caress. She didn't know about him but he was now the meaning of her very being. He was her sanctuary."

With a soft click, he closed the book, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "So, I take it there's a sequel?"

"You guessed it," I replied, stifling a yawn as I snuggled closer to him, finding comfort in his embrace and not at all bothering to think of his comfort as I laid on top of him—don't blame me, I'd asked him before and he said I was light as a feather. Indeed, in comparison to him, I was as light as a feather—he was literally twice my size. 

We had traded places countless times till now, yet Nate always preferred having me close, whether by his side or resting atop him. It was as though he couldn't bear to be apart, and truth be told, neither could I.

"We can save the second book for tomorrow," he suggested, setting the book aside and enveloping me in his arms, his lips grazing my shoulder. "Sounds good?"

"Absolutely," I agreed, nuzzling my nose against his neck—god, he smelt too fucking good! I wanted to just melt into him and be the second layer of his skin—I know that's weird but that's what I wanted! 

I was utterly, truly, completely, and madly in love with Nathaniel Richardson!

"If you keep that up, Maya... I might have to resort to a cold shower at this hour," Nate said, his laughter reverberating against my chest. "Seems a bit unfair, don't you think?"

A blush tinged my cheeks, but I couldn't help but laugh. "You have very little self-control, you know?"

"Can you blame me?" he countered with a grin. "You're entirely to blame for this."

"You can't blame me, it's your fault."

I blinked, utterly perplexed. How on earth was any of this my fault?

"Are you fucking serious? What did I do? The blame lies squarely with you!"

"Nope," he shook his head, a smug certainty in his tone. "I'm not at fault here. If you weren't so irresistibly beautiful and tempting, I'd still be the calm and collected man I used to be. You've undone me, Maya."

Oh, he wanted to play dirty, did he?

"That's quite the accusation," I chuckled, teasingly brushing my lips against his. "Should I give you even more reasons to accuse me? I think I absolutely should."

His breath hitched, his body tensing with desire, his eyes smoldering with intensity. "You talk about fairness and then you do this to me?" His grip around me tightened, his gaze flickering to my lips. "Is that fair?"

"You're hardly fair most of the time, so what's wrong with a little unfairness from me?" I countered, struggling to suppress my smile as I traced a delicate path along his jawline with my lips before planting a featherlight kiss on his neck, deliberately testing his limits with the lightest of touches. "I can be unfair too, you know."

"Fine, if that's how you want to play it," before I could react, he swiftly flipped us around, a soft gasp escaping my lips at his sudden move, my eyebrows arching in surprise as he hovered over me.

I parted my lips, ready to speak, but before any words could escape, Nate leaned in, pressing his lips against my neck with a fierce urgency. His kisses ignited a fire across my skin, his tongue and teeth tracing patterns that promised to leave his mark, a silent declaration of possession. 

Each touch, tender yet deliberate, sent shivers racing down my spine, and I found myself gasping for breath, my fingers clutching onto his sturdy biceps, craving more. He was making sure that I felt every little bit of his touch and it'd be a lie if I said that I didn't like it.

"Nate..." I gasped, my voice a breathless whisper, my body trembling beneath his touch.

His lips trailed upward, stopping tantalizingly close to mine as he spoke.

God, how I wanted him to kiss me. With barely a whisper of a touch, he had me teetering on the edge, yearning to be consumed by him. I want him to.....devour me

"You see, Maya," he murmured, his breath hot against my skin, his eyes smoldering with desire. "Your heavy breaths, your eyes brimming with desire, your heart pounding with anticipation—this is exactly how you make me feel when you draw near only to pull away. You ignite a hunger in me, a craving to claim every inch of you, to lose myself in you. You hold a power over me, and you wield it so fucking effortlessly that with the lightest of efforts, you leave me on the edge. But if you keep tempting me like this, I might lose control, and I don't want you to regret anything or feel rushed."

His words hung in the air, a silent plea laced with desire, and I fell silent, lost in the depths of his gaze. In his eyes, I saw nothing but love and longing, a desire to erase all the darkness that had clouded my past, to bask in the warmth of his affection.

That desire in his orbs made me want to forget everything, all past traumas, all the places my mates touched and made me feel disgusted about, all my scars and insecurities and give surrender to him.

Yes, I wanted to surrender to him completely.

"What if I tell you, Nate, that I want this?" I finally voiced the question that had lingered on the tip of my tongue. "Will you still hold back?"

His surprise was evident, his eyes widening ever so slightly as he looked at me, taken aback by my confession.

In the silence that followed, I reached out, tenderly caressing his cheek, "I belong to you, Nate. Despite my insecurities, despite the scars that adorn my skin and the shadows that linger in my past, you are the light amidst the chaos. You make me forget it all. I want to be yours, and yours alone."

"Are you sure, Maya?" he asked, his voice laced with uncertainty, his hand enveloping mine.

"Yes, Nate," I affirmed, sitting up to meet his gaze, pushing my hair to the side,  "But before that, mark me. Let your mark be the one I wear..."