Chapter 123

• Cesmae's POV
• Raizel lifts me in his arms effortlessly, his gaze holding mine with an intensity that makes my heart pound. He carries me through the corridors of the palace, and each step he takes, each breath I catch, feels heavy with anticipation. When we finally reach our bedroom, he pushes the door open with his shoulder, kicking it closed behind us without breaking our gaze.
• Before I can even catch my breath, his mouth is on mine, a kiss that’s both gentle and unrestrained, filled with a longing that seems to have waited a lifetime to surface. His lips move against mine in an urgency that leaves me breathless, my hands tangling into his hair, drawing him closer, as if somehow we could become one with just this kiss.