be.
“Think,” he whispers and softly kisses the tip of her nose.
A sigh slides out of Julia, loosening that last bit of tension. “I haven't—God, I sound so stupid.”
Scott presses his finger to her lips. “I know. It's what all the damn fuss has been about. The virginity thing.”
Julia nods, her cheeks burning. “I've been really intimate before.”
Scott's dark brows lock together.
Julia smooths them with a finger. “I'm sure there's been other women for you Scott, so get over yourself.”
His smile is tight. “Now that I have you, there certainly wouldn't have been. I'm not a monk. But for you, I will be everything you need.”
Julia holds her lip between her teeth as his words reverberate to her toes. So many emotions riot inside her: inadequacy, guilt, and excitement.
“Really?” she asks. The fact that she's married to another man, though he's gone, doesn't stop how important their coming together is.
Scott nods solemnly. He grabs her hand and unfolds it over his chest.
Their heartbeats sync.
“Feel that?” he asks.
She doesn't think she'll ever get tired of their bodies’ recognition of the other.
He must see the agreement on her face and sense it at the soul level, because that's how they're bound.
“This isn't just sex—though that's going to be mind-blowing.”
Julia snorts softly. “Sort of arrogant.”
He smiles, but then his eyes grow serious, beautiful brown darkening to jet black. “Not at all. It's about your protection. The Combatant in me can't stop thinking about that. The man loves you, the Singer wants you at his side, and the Combatant wants you to live.”
Pretty tall order. “What about the demon spore?” Julia asks.
Scott nods. “What we do next can't hurt. Maybe our union will wipe that fucker out.” His teeth clench.
“Maybe,” Julia replies wistfully.
He tugs at her hand, his dark gaze searching her eyes, forcing her to believe his words through sheer determination, though she feels the echo of it in their emotional tether. “Definitely. Believe, Julia. Reach for the stars, and maybe—just maybe—you'll touch them.”
She closes her eyes, contemplating hope.
When Julia feels the soft press of his lips on hers, she yields to his hold. Scott's a huge man, and he uses every solid hard inch of himself to wrap around her.
Julia feels protected—and cherished.
The room feels like a womb of silence. The battle she imagines happening above them fades, and memories of Jason's sacrifice lessen. Julia commits to the inevitable—her destiny.
*
Scott
Scott stares down at Julia. Golden-red hair scatters like a glittering fan across the stiff pillow of their bed. Large whiskey-colored eyes stare up at him while her heart floods a full gaze. Scott sees it all in those depths. Trust. Hope. Desire for him.
She's finally mine.
Scott wraps his arms around her and holds her tightly, mindful of how tiny and fragile she feels within his embrace.
They've had every awkward conversation possible. Caldwell's death, the unlucky bastard. Her virginity. The possibility of that fucking demonic doing God knows what above. The spore that remains from the wound she received in Region Two.
But the most important thing is making their bond permanent. Unbreakable.
And like he told her, the Combatant part of his dual nature can't relax until that's accomplished. The male inside him has wanted her from the instant their hands accidentally brushed, and he was helplessly swept into the tide of what they were meant to be for each other, suffering through the torture of Caldwell’s indecision. The irony of the soul-meld isn't lost on Scott. He was the poorest candidate of anyone in this realm to have had this bestowed on him. He's more than rough around the edges. Julia's compassionate and soft.
She chases Scott's thoughts with her words.
“I'm ready.”
He believes her. The conviction stands in their shining connection and the trust in her eyes.
Scott tucks his
“Think,” he whispers and softly kisses the tip of her nose.
A sigh slides out of Julia, loosening that last bit of tension. “I haven't—God, I sound so stupid.”
Scott presses his finger to her lips. “I know. It's what all the damn fuss has been about. The virginity thing.”
Julia nods, her cheeks burning. “I've been really intimate before.”
Scott's dark brows lock together.
Julia smooths them with a finger. “I'm sure there's been other women for you Scott, so get over yourself.”
His smile is tight. “Now that I have you, there certainly wouldn't have been. I'm not a monk. But for you, I will be everything you need.”
Julia holds her lip between her teeth as his words reverberate to her toes. So many emotions riot inside her: inadequacy, guilt, and excitement.
“Really?” she asks. The fact that she's married to another man, though he's gone, doesn't stop how important their coming together is.
Scott nods solemnly. He grabs her hand and unfolds it over his chest.
Their heartbeats sync.
“Feel that?” he asks.
She doesn't think she'll ever get tired of their bodies’ recognition of the other.
He must see the agreement on her face and sense it at the soul level, because that's how they're bound.
“This isn't just sex—though that's going to be mind-blowing.”
Julia snorts softly. “Sort of arrogant.”
He smiles, but then his eyes grow serious, beautiful brown darkening to jet black. “Not at all. It's about your protection. The Combatant in me can't stop thinking about that. The man loves you, the Singer wants you at his side, and the Combatant wants you to live.”
Pretty tall order. “What about the demon spore?” Julia asks.
Scott nods. “What we do next can't hurt. Maybe our union will wipe that fucker out.” His teeth clench.
“Maybe,” Julia replies wistfully.
He tugs at her hand, his dark gaze searching her eyes, forcing her to believe his words through sheer determination, though she feels the echo of it in their emotional tether. “Definitely. Believe, Julia. Reach for the stars, and maybe—just maybe—you'll touch them.”
She closes her eyes, contemplating hope.
When Julia feels the soft press of his lips on hers, she yields to his hold. Scott's a huge man, and he uses every solid hard inch of himself to wrap around her.
Julia feels protected—and cherished.
The room feels like a womb of silence. The battle she imagines happening above them fades, and memories of Jason's sacrifice lessen. Julia commits to the inevitable—her destiny.
*
Scott
Scott stares down at Julia. Golden-red hair scatters like a glittering fan across the stiff pillow of their bed. Large whiskey-colored eyes stare up at him while her heart floods a full gaze. Scott sees it all in those depths. Trust. Hope. Desire for him.
She's finally mine.
Scott wraps his arms around her and holds her tightly, mindful of how tiny and fragile she feels within his embrace.
They've had every awkward conversation possible. Caldwell's death, the unlucky bastard. Her virginity. The possibility of that fucking demonic doing God knows what above. The spore that remains from the wound she received in Region Two.
But the most important thing is making their bond permanent. Unbreakable.
And like he told her, the Combatant part of his dual nature can't relax until that's accomplished. The male inside him has wanted her from the instant their hands accidentally brushed, and he was helplessly swept into the tide of what they were meant to be for each other, suffering through the torture of Caldwell’s indecision. The irony of the soul-meld isn't lost on Scott. He was the poorest candidate of anyone in this realm to have had this bestowed on him. He's more than rough around the edges. Julia's compassionate and soft.
She chases Scott's thoughts with her words.
“I'm ready.”
He believes her. The conviction stands in their shining connection and the trust in her eyes.
Scott tucks his
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