There would be time to change fate.
My fate is changing already. The Lord of the Dark wasn’t supposed to have a soul. He wasn’t supposed to love.
But he did. He loved completely. Deeply. Eternally.
“I love you,” Mina said even as the door clicked closed behind Leo.
Luke stayed on his knees. “I will give my world to you, if you just stay with me. I know you don’t want to be a siren, I know—”
“Being a siren means I can stay with you.” Her smile came again. “Being a siren means I can have the man who makes me happy. You’re what I want. Together, I know we’ll control my power. I won’t hurt anyone.”
Because even though she had powers born of darkness, his Mina was still good. She was his soul. His balance.
“When you swam away from me before,” Luke said, needing her to know this, “I wanted to give you a better life. A life not tied to someone like me—”
But she shook her head. “The only life I want is with you. How many times do I have to say it? I love you.”
He was supposed to be unlovable. Without redemption. Without hope. But Mina…
Mina saw past his monster. She didn’t fear his beast. She was the one woman who didn’t care about the sins around him. She looked deeper.
And she gave him a reason to be better. “And I love you.” He pitied any fool who ever tried to take her from him again.
The last man who’d tried was nothing more than ash. Luke knew the tale of exactly what had transpired on that ship would spread. Any enemies he had would know what fate waited for them…If they ever so much as think of hurting her.
He leaned forward and his lips pressed to hers. A careful, delicate kiss.
But she put her hand to his chest.
Instantly, he stopped. “Mina?”
“I’m covered in blood. Most of it is mine and that just isn’t sexy.”
He stared at her a moment, frowning, and then…Luke laughed. “You did it again.”
Her brows rose.
He stood and hoisted her into his arms.
“Did what?”
“Surprised me. Charmed me. I warned you about that.” He pressed another kiss to her lips as he carried her into the bathroom. “When you do that, it just makes me want you more.”
He turned on the shower. Stripped them both with his magic and soon had her—naked—under the warm stream of water. With tender care, he cleaned her body. He touched her skin so gently.
And he kept kissing her. Luke tried to show her that he could have restraint. He could hold back.
“Oh, Luke, I want you.” Her voice was silken with temptation now. “I want you rough, I want you wild, and I want you dark.”
He stilled.
Her smile—the one that was purest sin—flashed. And her delectable dimples winked. “What makes you think I’d ever settle for anything less?”
You’re doing it again, love. Enslaving me.
But he gave her what they both wanted. He pinned her wrists to the shower wall with one hand, hoisting them high above her head. He lifted her hips with the other, positioned his full and aching cock at the entrance to her body, then Luke drove deep, sinking into her with one fierce thrust and loving the moan that he dragged from her.
He didn’t go slowly. He wasn’t tender. He was desperate. He was wild. He was frantic for her. Mina wasn’t gone. She wasn’t dead. She wasn’t beyond his reach.
His Mina was just where he wanted her to be. In his arms. His cock buried deep in her body. Their hearts pounding together in a furious rhythm. She was with him.
Mine.
Just as he would always be hers.
Each hard thrust raked over her clit. He knew she loved that. Her head tipped back and she arched against him. He bent and took her breast into his mouth, laving the nipple and lightly biting her. Her sex squeezed around him, so tight.
He thrust again. Again.
She came. He felt the pleasure rip through her as she cried out his name.
He was with her, tumbling over into that maelstrom of release, surging hard toward his climax. A climax that nearly gutted him with its power.
His breath heaved out of him as he held her. The water battered down on him and slowly, his head lifted. He stared into Mina’s eyes.
I’ll have her forever.
His heartbeat stuttered.
Mina tilted her head. “Luke, is everything all right?”
“No.” He swallowed down the lump in his throat. “It’s better.” Truly, his heaven…she was right there. And he would never let her go again.
He freed her bound hands. The Eye of Hell glinted on her ring finger.
He pressed a kiss to Mina’s lips as her hands pressed to his chest, and then Luke began to thrust again.
Epilogue
Leo walked down to the beach. The island was quite beautiful as the sun set. He could certainly see why Luke had sought refuge at that place. Far away from prying eyes. Quiet, peaceful.
He hadn’t realized just how much peace had been missing from his life until that moment.