Dark Temptation

4. Heat

[ Xander Kaine ]

The answer seemed to come instinctively, like she couldn't resist my offer, and I could hear her sighing, pleading with those breathy words for me to take her, my body falling into her and obeying with a greed I'd never known.

I needed her.

I felt the weight of it pressing against my chest, urging me to give in to the desire that was clawing from within me - the word Mate replayed with the beat of her heart that I could feel beneath my fingers against her throat.

My little witch was intoxicating, her scent mixing with my own, a sweet nectar wrapped in the scent of rain-soaked earth and something deeper, something that pulled me in like a tide and I let it.

Our mouths collided, desperation and longing flooding from us as we moved together, my hands slipping under her tank top, feeling the warmth of her skin. Each graze of my fingers elicited gasps from her that drove me wild, making every nerve in my being spark with primal need. I leaned into her, careful not to crush her fragile form beneath me, but my body couldn’t help but ache to possess her completely.

“Xander…” she whispered against my lips, her breath hot and stirring, bringing clarity to my racing mind. It pulled me back just enough to remember where I was, who I was.

That she was still injured - bruises and cuts marked her skin, sparks of anger igniting every time I remembered how she received them. A flash of guilt I hadn't shown up earlier to save her.

Pulling back, I searched her starlight eyes, holding them deep within mine, my golden gaze searching for any sign of hesitation. “Are you sure about this?” I asked, a low growl rumbling from deep within me.

I needed to know she was ready. I needed to know that our connection ran deeper than mere lust - that she felt the mate bond just as strongly as I did. That she truly wanted me to claim her right now as mine, and this wasn't a moment of weakness.

The last thing I wanted was to take advantage of her vulnerability.

Her cheeks flushed, and I felt her pulse quicken as she nodded. “More than sure.” She breathed, gripping my neck to try and tug me closer, desperation in her eyes.

My heart raced at how utterly genuine she sounded.

She bit her lip, eyes wide with anticipation and desire, and I felt a surge of need and overwhelming want. It tugged at my chest, pulling me in the direction of my little witch.

I pressed my forehead against hers, grounding myself in the moment. “You have no idea what you’re getting into,” I murmured, my voice hoarse with the strain of holding myself back.

“Maybe I don’t,” she admitted softly, her fingers finding their way to my jaw, skimming across the stubble along my chin. “But I want to find out. With you.”

And f**k, if that didn’t feel like a blessing bestowed upon a fallen angel. A chance to rise above all the sins that chained me to the ground. A chance to embrace something pure, ready to bloom between us... and I couldn’t deny her, or myself, any longer.

“Okay, Addison,” I breathed, giving in completely. I needed her. I needed everything she promised and so much more. “But I swear, if you get scared, we’ll stop. Not a second longer.”

She nodded, determination flashing behind those starlit eyes. “I trust you.”

With that, I crushed my lips against hers once more, our mouths dancing and colliding, tongues stroking together with a matchless rhythm. She tasted like sweetness laced with desperation, and I devoured her, every second making me crave more. I trailed kisses down her neck, my hands tearing away the remnants of her clothing as if it were the very fabric of the universe that split us apart.

“Xander…” she gasped, arching into me, and I fought every instinct urging me to slam into her right then and there.

In response to my hesitation, her hands roamed over my shoulders, tracing the outlines of my wings, marveling at their existence pressed tightly to my back. I shivered under the sensations, pressing further into the warmth of her body.

She was like a siren, wrapping her song around my heart, pulling me deeper and deeper into the abyss of blissful need.

Gently, I flipped her onto her back, her legs spreading naturally, and for a moment, I froze, taking a moment to relish the sight before me. Addison... beautiful, vulnerable, and so breathtakingly perfect, her silver hair splayed across the plush bedding like a halo framing her angelic face. That twinkle of defiance in her eyes never dimmed, even as I hovered over her, filled with desire and reverence.

I traced a path with my mouth from her neck down to her collarbone, eliciting soft moans that made my heart surge with pride. She was utterly responsive, every touch sending shuddering ripples through her. When my lips latched onto her n****e, sucking gently, her breath hitched, and a surge of exhilaration coursed through me.

She whimpered and writhed beneath me, urging me forward.

“Xander, please…”

My heart raced at the plea, embers of desire roaring within me, and something snapped. Control was a mere suggestion, a gentle guidance that I let slip away. I captured her other breast, teasing both peaks with a steady rhythm, craving to hear her mewls and gasps fill the surrounding space.

“Let me hear you, baby,” I murmured, my voice low and thick with lust, reveling in her abandon.

“I want more,” she choked out, gripping my scalp as I savored her soft flesh. The way she said it, breathlessly claiming me, sent a bolt straight to my core, my own need rising like the tide threatening to engulf everything in its wake.

“More, huh?” I grinned against her skin before suddenly shifting to her thighs, prying them apart with glorious tenderness. Her skin glistened in the soft light filtering through the curtains, and I drank in the sight of her, my breathing ragged as though I’d been posed for too long on the edge of the ocean’s waves.

“You’re so f*****g beautiful,” I remarked, my voice stirring with hunger as I brought my mouth down lower. “I want you to let go, Addison. I want you to feel everything.”

And with that, I buried my head between her legs, enveloping her in a rush of warmth and desire that made her body erupt in a chorus of moans.

As her cries echoed in my ears, I vowed to show her just what it meant to feel truly alive, the earth-shattering around us—both intimately binding and beautifully devastating.

There was no stopping this storm that boiled between us, and I intended to drown in it.