The soft glow of the fireplace cast dancing shadows across the room, illuminating the tangled sheets and the flush on Rose's skin.
Cassius lay beside her, one arm thrown possessively over her waist, pulling her flush against his hard, warm body. His breathing was still a little ragged, mirroring her own, a testament to the raw passion that had just consumed them.
His lips, now slightly swollen from their ferocious kisses, brushed against her temple. "Are you still worried, my lady?" he murmured, his voice a low, raspy purr that vibrated through her.
Rose sighed, a soft, contented sound, burrowing deeper into his embrace. The anxieties that had plagued her earlier seemed distant, almost unreal, banished by the intensity of their connection. His touch, his claim, had been more potent than any fear.
"No," she whispered, her voice a little breathless, tracing patterns on his muscular arm. "Not when you're like this. Not when I'm with you."
