Page 330 of Elemental Becoming

I press a kiss between his shoulder blades, then another just lower, soft against the strength of his back.

“I don’t want distance,” I whisper into his skin. “Not with you. Not ever.”

And I feel the words settle deep. His body eases against mine, as though he’s been waiting to hear them. We’re standing here bare and exposed, wrapped around one another, but this moment reaches beyond desire.

Softly, he responds, “Never.”

I hold him tighter. I can feel the restraint in him, the tension coiled beneath the surface, desire held on a razor’s edge.

At last, he moves, as though hearing those words was all he’d been waiting for.

His hands reach down, curling around mine where they rest against his stomach. His thumbs brush over my knuckles. Keeping hold of my hands, he turns within my embrace until he’s facing me.

Bare and flushed, his gaze locks on mine. There’s heat there, but also a vulnerability that catches me off guard. He looks at me as though he still can’t quite believe I’m here. His hands settle at my waist, and he draws me closer until there’s no space left between us.

The heat of him is overwhelming. I can feel his arousal pressing against my hip, the strength in his arms, the way his gaze drinks me in.

He lowers his forehead to mine. “You tore down every wall I ever built.”

My hands slide up his chest. “It’s about fucking time.”

A quiet laugh escapes him, but it fades almost as quickly as it appears, overtaken by a different kind of intensity. When he kisses me, it’s not gentle.

It’s everything.

His hands travel down my back until they reach the curve of my hips. A heartbeat later, he grips my thighs and lifts me with effortless strength.

A sound slips from me, half gasp, half moan, as my legs wrap around his waist and arms slide around his neck. We’re pressedtogether, every breath shared, every inch of him braced against me.

His mouth finds mine again, hungrier now, any lingering restraint burned away. He carries me to the bed and lowers me like I’m precious. The sheets are cool against my back, but his warmth lingers, branded into my skin.

Thane settles beside me, propped on one elbow. His gaze traces my face before drifting lower. His hand slides from my waist, traveling upward before pausing. For a moment, he simply hovers.

Then he lifts a finger to his mouth.

I watch, every nerve in my body alert. His tongue glides over his fingertip, taking his time, knowing exactly what he’s doing to me. All the while, his gaze remains fixed on mine.

He leans in and presses that same finger between my breasts. I arch with a gasp. The sensation is sharper than it should be, electric. His touch is featherlight, barely there, but it sends a rush of awareness through me.

It’s always like this with him. This relentless pull. This spark that catches and spreads before I can stop it. Whatever lives between us is beyond logic, fierce and undeniable. Thane doesn’t have to say a word. A look. A breath. The slightest touch. And I’m his, all over again.

He holds my gaze without blinking. Hunger lingers in his eyes, patient and unwavering, because he knows exactly how to break me open.

His finger drags lower, gliding down the center of my chest, tracing the line of my sternum with agonizing restraint.

And gods, I want everything he’s offering.

I shiver beneath him, breath shallow, skin lit with anticipation. His touch speaks without words. Of trust. Of promise. Of all the things neither of us has ever needed to say aloud.

His finger moves lower, but his eyes remain locked on mine. When his hand finally finds me, the world narrows to that single point of contact.

I gasp, my hips lifting instinctively. A tremor moves through me, stealing the breath from my lungs. But I don’t look away. I hold his gaze, open and unguarded.

Thane catches his lower lip between his teeth, a sound rumbling in his chest as he watches me react. He draws back, just to the edge of his finger, before pressing forward again with measured precision. My hips follow the movement instinctively, chasing his touch, desperate for more.

Gods, I need more.

He takes his time, relishing the way I writhe beneath his hand. Every breath. Every sound. He wants it all.