I’m going to consume you, wife.

“Yes, esclave?” I dropped my eyes down her front; my mouth watered to slice the dress from her. I wanted to drink in her gorgeous body—to drool at the tempting f**king corset.

I wanted to stare—now that no one else was watching.

Tess inched backward, activating the beast inside by submitting to me. “I’m giving you the last part of me—but I have one request.”

My legs locked to the floor. What request? She doesn’t want pain? She doesn’t want rough? My eyes searched hers, but her secrets were hidden.

I cocked my head. “One request…”

Her gaze glowed with love. “I ask that you look after yourself. Let me do the work if you need to. I don’t want you bursting your stitches or having a heart attack. Let me be the one to take you.”

I threw my head back, a loud laugh escaping. “Vous pensez que je suis fragile putain?” You think I’m that f**king frail? Humour danced in my voice. “I’ll show you who’s frail, Tess. You should know me by now pain turns me on. I don’t care I’m beaten black and blue. I don’t care that I have holes and cuts for f**king miles. All I care about is your pu**y.”

Her cheeks pinked. Never taking her eyes from mine, she inched toward the corridor, walking backward, swaying her delicious tempting hips, her red heels clicking on the tiles.

“I’m fixated on touching you, tasting you, f**king you. Nothing else matters but that. Do you understand?”

I moved forward with her, hiding my limp, cursing the pain in my thigh.

Her breath was shallow, pinpricks of colour smudging her chest. “I understand. You’re suffering the same illness as me.” She kept backing up. Every step made my c**k harder.

“What illness is that?” I whispered, my fists opening and closing in anticipation. Her skin was flawless again. No wax burns or bite marks. I needed to rectify that. After all, this was the consummation of our marriage.

“I can’t stop thinking about your fingers inside me, or your tongue licking. And, maître…”

Tess dragged delicate fingers along the wall, following the curve to the bedroom.

My ears burned for the rest of her sentence. I entered the space, crowding her to stand in the centre. “Go on…what were you going to say?”

Tell me. Fucking tell me before I explode.

The moment she stood still, her breathing quickened, sending the innocent room swimming with heady need and want. Her chest rose. “I love your cock, husband. Your fine, long, scrumptious, thick cock. I want to suck it. I want to bite it. And when you’re soaking wet from my mouth I want…”

Fucking hell. My stomach tore itself to pieces.

I stormed toward her, grabbing a fistful of hair. “What, esclave. What. Tell me.” My c**k throbbed. It f**king whimpered for the blowjob she’d so eloquently described.

Her eyes locked onto mine. “When you’re wet, I want you to take me. Take my virginity. Fill me. Claim me. Because everything about me is yours.”

I couldn’t do it.

I smashed my lips on hers, groaning deep into her mouth. Her tongue battled mine as if she’d waited for one hint at violence to unravel. Her moan echoed in my heart as we devoured each other in a fierce fast kiss.

Breaking apart, our eyes locked. The life I lived ceased to exist. I stood on the edge as my past was sucked away, leaving my soul humming with finality. It was as if a new chapter began. A fresh page, unsullied with badness or sickness or pain. Completely new, completely pure, utterly ready for our new life together.

I couldn’t describe the freedom whistling inside me. The knowledge I could hurt this woman and she would love it, but I didn’t have to hurt her. The drive, the incessant beast and monster, finally learned how to be…soft. My temper faded, leaving me gentle—truly gentle for the first time in my life.

“Tess—” I cupped her cheek, so madly f**king in love with her. My eyes fell to her collar, then to her dress. The beast clawed a little, teasing me with the overwhelming urge to shred the clothing and throw her on the bed.

But the softer, gentler side was stronger for once. I would take Tess—the last piece of her, but I would do it in a way I’d never done before. A way I never thought I would be able to do.

A way I never thought possible.

Sweet. Loving. Tame.

There would be no need for bondage, spanking, or blood play. For that one wondrous moment, I wanted soft. I wanted to feel her breath on my skin and not her nails. I wanted to shudder beneath her lips and not her teeth. I wanted lovemaking not f**king.

I didn’t want to fight.

“You’re beautiful,” I murmured, drugging myself on her. My aches and pains faded, losing power over me the longer I stood in her arms.

Her face turned up, a smile on her lips. “You’re beautiful. Beyond beautiful.” Her hands landed on my chest, her fingertips pressing ever so lightly on my tattoo. “May I, maître?”

My eyes grew heavy but not with domination. With love. She completely bewitched me, leaving me scattered in this new playground where caresses and kisses were more welcome than bites and screams.

I nodded, sucking in a breath as her fingers crept down my chest, heading around my waist. Taking a delicate step, she fitted her body against mine in the sweetest embrace.

I couldn’t breathe. I could barely keep the emotion from bubbling through my twisted soul and spewing out of my pu**y f**king eyes.

My chin rested on her head, gathering her to me, squeezing her in an endless hug.

“We’re each other’s, Q.” Tess pressed a kiss on the healing brand over my heart. “I never want to be apart. I know we’ll fight and argue and force each other to distraction but I will never stop loving you.”

My arms banded tighter. My c**k grew impossibly harder. My chest felt too small to contain the triple-quadruple sized love growing inside.

Pulling away, I said, “We will never be apart. Even when I’m angry you’ll still be able to melt me with one word. Even if I’m being an augmentative jackass, I’ll still bow to you and only you.” Dropping my head, I whispered against her mouth, “You own me, Tess.”

The second her lips touched mine the unsullied page of our future splashed with life. A future I had the privilege to live unfolded before my eyes: images of Tess barefoot and laughing. Colours of birds and wings and happiness. Each ideal came and went in a wash of ink, dispersing with unknown memories.