Chapter 5 5

Their bodies moved together in a desperate, tangled dance, shedding the last pieces of clothing between heated kisses and frantic touches. Damien's hands explored her bare skin like he was learning her by touch alone-slow sweeps over her ribs, firm caresses along her thighs, fingers trailing dangerously close to the place where she ached for him most.

Ruby gasped against his mouth when his hand finally slid between her legs, finding her already wet and wanting.

"Fuck, Ruby," he breathed against her ear, voice low and reverent, "you're driving me insane."

His fingers moved with devastating precision, teasing her, pushing her higher with each stroke until she was clutching at his shoulders, her body arching off the bed. He didn't rush. Damien Vitale didn't do anything without complete, calculated control-even when he was unraveling her.

"Damien," she whimpered, nails digging into his skin, needing more.

He lifted his head to look at her, his dark hair mussed, his pupils blown wide with hunger.

"You want more, bella?" he murmured.

She nodded helplessly, her body trembling under his touch.

With a wicked smile, he shifted his weight, positioning himself above her, his body a wall of heat and power pressing her into the mattress. He lined himself up against her entrance, teasing her with the blunt head of his cock but not pushing in yet.

He brushed his lips over hers, featherlight. "Last chance, Ruby. Once I have you, I'm not letting you go."

"Then don't," she whispered. "Don't ever let me go."

Damien groaned deep in his chest and thrust into her in one smooth, powerful motion.

Ruby cried out, pleasure and pain colliding in a dizzying rush. He was big-thick and hard-and he filled her so completely she could barely breathe.

Damien stilled, giving her time to adjust, his forehead pressed to hers, their ragged breaths mingling.

"You're mine now," he whispered fiercely. "Only mine."

The possessiveness in his voice sent a shudder through her.

Before she could respond, he began to move, slow and deep at first, every thrust designed to make her feel everything-the stretch, the heat, the connection binding them tighter with every desperate gasp and moan.

Ruby clung to him, wrapping her legs around his waist, pulling him even deeper.

"Damien..."

He growled her name like a prayer and a curse, his rhythm picking up, each thrust harder, faster, sending waves of pleasure crashing over her.

Ruby met him thrust for thrust, lost in the overwhelming tide of sensation. Their bodies moved together as if they had been made for this-this raw, primal claiming.

Her orgasm hit her like a lightning strike, sharp and blinding. She cried out, her entire body convulsing around him, dragging him over the edge with her.

Damien's hips jerked once, twice, before he spilled inside her with a hoarse groan, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he rode out his release.

They stayed tangled together, their bodies slick with sweat, hearts pounding in a frantic rhythm that slowly began to steady.

Damien finally pulled back enough to look at her, brushing a strand of damp hair from her forehead. His touch was almost tender.

"I meant it, Ruby," he said, his voice rough. "You're mine."

She should have been terrified. She should have pushed him away, reminded him that this was wrong, dangerous.

But instead, she cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing the stubble along his jaw.

"I'm yours," she whispered. "But you have to promise me something."

"Anything."

"Don't lie to me. Ever."

Damien's gaze darkened, something complicated flickering in his eyes.

"I won't lie to you," he said at last. "Even when the truth hurts."

Ruby believed him.

She didn't know if that made her brave... or a fool.

But she knew one thing for sure: there was no turning back now.

Not from Damien Vitale.

Not from the war they were about to wage.

And certainly not from the fire he had ignited inside her.

Damien kissed her again, slower this time, savoring her taste, her surrender.

Outside the thick windows of his private quarters, the city pulsed with life and danger, the world they both belonged to waiting like a viper poised to strike.

But in here, in this moment, there was only them.

Ruby tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, already craving another kiss, another touch, another reckless dive into madness.

Because Damien wasn't just the Devil.

He was her Devil.

And she was already damned.

The night stretched on around them, filled with whispered promises, tangled limbs, and the slow, inevitable stitching of their souls together, whether they were ready for it or not.