Lilith's smile was slow, intimate, possessive.
"You will become my husband."
The word settled between them like a vow spoken in secret.
Arahan exhaled shakily, a small, awed smile tugging at his lips. "Husband…" He tested it, then repeated it with quiet wonder. "I want that. I want to be yours… completely."
Lilith's heart clenched at his innocence, at how completely he gave himself over to her guidance. This was his first time—hers too, in truth. All the years of longing and careful restraint, had led to this night. Neither of them had ever crossed this line with anyone else. Tonight they would learn each other together, step by trembling step.
She eased off him gently, both of them gasping at the loss of connection. A faint sheen of their shared release glistened on her inner thighs; she didn't hide it. Instead, she knelt beside him on the red satin, rose petals clinging to her skin.
"First," she said quietly, "we remove everything. No more layers. No more hiding."
