BROKEN COURAGE (Broken Redemption Book 3)

Chapter 53

Lucas

She said yes. By the grace of God, she said yes—to marrying me. Me! Her answer echoes in my mind, almost impossible to grasp. Like I'm suspended in some out-of-body experience, I feel weightless. Like I'm floating on air, every ounce of pain and heartache I've ever carried fades away into nothingness. The regrets that have haunted me for years? Gone. The darkness that's been my constant companion, the storm clouds that have followed me through every step of my adult life? In an instant, they dissipate and disappear.

For the first time in more than a decade, there's light. Real light. The sunshine, the rainbows, all the happy shit people talk about, but that I never thought I'd experience. Elation. Joy. Contentment. It's all crashing over me and drowning me in euphoria.

And it's all because of her.

Always because of her.

I have to tell her. I can't wait. I need her to understand that there's no going back, no leaving anything to chance. I don't trust fate, the universe, or whatever the hell else is out there that may try to keep us apart. I won't give them the time or the chance to work against us.

"As soon as possible, Emb." The words tumble from my lips with urgency. "Too much time has already slipped away, and I won't allow another day more than I have to to finally make you mine."

"Yes." Her breath is warm against my lips. "As soon as possible."

She breaks the kiss just long enough to reposition herself, her legs straddling me as her hands work to unbutton my jeans. My body answers hers instinctively—my hands fly to the back of my shirt, pulling it off in one swift motion while she focuses on freeing me. When she does, she slips away so fast that I miss when I reach for her. But just as quickly, she's back. This time, she's on her knees, those delicate hands tugging my pants and boxer briefs down, her touch setting fire to every inch of me. I lift my hips to help, unable to tear my gaze away from her as she moves.

The moment her hand wraps around me, a deep, guttural groan rumbles from my chest. The sensation of her soft hands on that most intimate part of me stokes the flames of desire until it feels like I'm burning from the inside out. My control slips as her mouth closes over the sensitive tip, her tongue swirling with such sensual precision that I throw my head back, eyes clenched shut, utterly lost in the pleasure she's giving me. God, she feels so damn good.

I want her—no, I need her. She consumes me. Every second, every minute, every moment of every waking hour, she's all I think about. Even in sleep, she fills my every dream, my every desire and fantasy. She's a vision, a fucking miracle. And by God, she's going to be all mine.

"Psss!" I hiss through clenched teeth as she increases the suction, her delicate hand working expertly at the base of me while her other cups me just the way I crave. The combination of sensations sends shocks of pleasure through my entire body, every muscle trembling as I teeter on the brink of losing myself completely. Each touch, each movement, brings me closer, so dangerously close to falling into the abyss of pure ecstasy.

When her eyes meet mine—those deep whiskey eyes that have always been my undoing—what little control I had left snaps. My hand dives into her hair, fingers tangling in the soft strands as my hips start moving on their own, chasing the intoxicating heat of her mouth. The need to empty myself inside her is so acute. So intense. So all-consuming that it's all I see. All I feel. All I want, even more than my next breath.

And then she moans—low and deep, the vibrations sending shockwaves that heighten the pleasure simmering at the base of my spine. I can feel it. That fever peak of pleasure building inside me, overwhelming me, driving me mad with the desperation to release down her throat. It's almost painful. The need to come crashes through me like a tidal wave, but no, it's not enough. Not like this. Not for our first time after she's agreed to marry me. I need more than this—I need to be inside her, to claim her completely, body and soul.