Page 112 of Knight’s Absolution

“Are you okay?”

“No,” he said. “No, I’m not okay, Luna. You were gone for days. I had no idea what was happening, if he was hurting you…”

“No one hurt me, no one touched me.”

He let out a ragged breath. “Azel?”

“He wasn’t there, not until the day we escaped. Ronan didn’t want to believe the things Azel had done at first, the lies he’d been told, but he kept me hidden. He saved me in the end.” Pain sliced through her. “Ronan wasn’t there, was he?”

He shook his head.

Somehow, she’d known her brother wouldn’t be coming home with Gunner.

“Is he…dead?”

“I don’t know, love.”

He had to be okay. He had to be. She couldn’t bear to finally find him only to lose him now. He’d shielded himself and her from Azel, he could do it again. He could keep himself safe. As long as he hadn’t believed the fallen angel’s lies all over again.

“Why are you all the way over there?” Gunner said.

She moved, then ran to him, and he caught her up instantly, strong arms banding around her as he lifted her off the ground. His mouth came down on hers a moment later, hungry and hard. He’d kissed her in a way that told her how much he wanted her before, but not like this. He’d never kissed her like this.

The hand at her back moved up, thrusting into her hair, and he tilted her head where he wanted it, his mouth opening over hers, tongue thrusting deep, claiming, so incredibly possessive.

He kissed her until she was squirming, then lifted his head, tugging hers back at the same time. “I need you, Luna. I fucking need you.”

Her skin grew hot, clammy, and she gripped his shoulders. His level of hunger for her was overwhelming. He’d been holding back from her all this time, hadn’t he? Not wanting to scare her. He’d been fighting to control all the wild hunger rolling off him now.

He’d hidden it, trying to protect her. Always protecting her. Always putting her needs first.

If she still needed to breathe, that realization would have knocked the wind right out of her lungs. The male staring down at her so intensely was the best male she had ever met—kind and generous and selfless and affectionate. What he felt for her was in every single thing he’d done to make her life easier, safer. In the way he held her and spoke to her, looked at her.

His big body quaked. “I’m sorry, love.” His arms still banded around her squeezed tighter. “You’re not ready. I just…I was so fucking scared.” He pressed his face against her throat and breathed in deep, shaking harder. “The need to get closer to you is an ache down to my bones. Just let me hold you, okay? We don’t need to do anything else. Just…I need to hold you.”

Those heavily muscled arms squeezed again, crushing her to his massive chest, the trembling of his body not waning, his ragged breathing not slowing. He thought she was afraid, that she didn’t want to take that final step with him when it was all she wanted at that moment.

“Gunner,” she said, pressing a soft kiss to his temple, the only place she could reach. “The way you want me…” she whispered against his skin. “You make me feel so incredibly loved. I’ve watched you for so long, a yearning I didn’t understand building every time I saw you. My soul recognized you before I did, it knew who you were.” He lifted his head, and she cupped his whiskered jaw and stared into his gorgeous eyes. “I wasn’t living until you found me. My heart may have stopped beating, but I’ve never been more alive. Not ready? I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”

He snarled as deep repetitive vibrations rolled from his chest, as the muscles in his strong arms flexed against her.

She smiled, letting him see everything she was feeling. Emotions that she was able to experience now because of him, because he found her and changed her whole world.

“I want to be your mate, Gunner. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

The sound that left him wasn’t of this world. Animalistic and raw. His demon was right there with him. His massive hand cupped the back of her head gently, reverently. “Are you sure?” he asked, voice full of grit, of need. “Once it’s done, it can’t be undone. It’s forever, Luna.”

“I want forever with you,” she said, somehow managing to stop the tears trying to break free.

He sucked a breath in through his nose. “Luna.”

That was all he said, just her name, but the weight in that one word, his tone deep, solemn, and so rough, expressed more than anything else could.

He moved then, carrying her to the couch where he sat, keeping her across his lap. Then, gripping the towel wrapped around her body, he tugged gently. Luna bit her lip as it fell away as Gunner pulled it out from under her and threw it on the floor.

She was completely naked in his arms, in every sense of the word, and she’d never felt safer in her life.

“Do you have any fucking idea how gorgeous you are?”