CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY ONE

Val's hands slid beneath the layers of Yara's clothes, reverent and cautious, as if he feared she might vanish if he wasn't careful.

But Yara didn't pull away.

She trembled with every touch, her body answering his without hesitation, driven by a hunger that mirrored his own.

Val's hands hovered at her waist, shaking slightly. He didn't pull her closer—not yet. He waited.

Yara reached up, curled her fingers into the collar of Val's worn shirt, and tugged him in.

That was all Val needed.

A low growl rumbled from his throat as he wrapped his arms around Yara, pulling her in with a need that left them both breathless. The kiss deepened—slow and hot, full of longing. Val tasted desperation in the way Yara clung to him, and it lit a fire he'd held back for far too long.