Even if at first she'd thought that she was fine, the moment Kat and Cage reached the hall, it felt like her feet were running out from under her with a mind of their own. It made her giggle.

"At least you're a happy drunk," Cage whispered to her, pulling her a bit closer to steady her. The heat of his body sent an entirely different type of haze to her brain which made the alcohol feel like nothing at all.

"So are you."

"Fortunately. I was unpleasant enough sober."

"You're most definitely not unpleasant sober."

"Well, not anymore. You definitely have a way of bringing out the best in me."

"And the beast in you."

The smirk on his face sent butterflies to her stomach. When he wrapped and arm around her waist and continued to lead her down the hall, she intentionally stumbled to have him pull her even closer. Fortunately, Leila, who was leading the way towards the rooms, didn't turn around to witness what she might have considered a cute scene.

But when she stopped in front of her door and turned to them, there seemed to be a weird twinkle in her eyes, as if she were holding back from being her usual overexcited self. Regardless of the reason she'd decided to leave them be, Kat was grateful. Gushing would surely sour Cage's mood and she definitely didn't want that.

"Well, goodnight," Leila wished them. "I really need the sleep."

"Yes, of course, me too," Kat said with a nod and she and Cage moved past her door just as she closed it.

"Why do I have a feeling that you're lying?" Cage asked when they stopped in front of his door.

"Lying? About what?"

"About needing sleep."

He'd caught her red-handed, but she wasn't about to admit it. Her plan was a bit more complicated than that. The fact that they were now alone in the narrow hallway helped, but she wanted to get a bit further. So she frowned.

Cage immediately picked up on her mood and leaned closer, looking worried. "What's the matter?"

"I think I might need help," she said, taking his hand and pulling him towards her room.

"Help with what?" he asked with a laugh. "You walk straighter than me."

"You also had a lot more to drink than me."

"Are you counting my pints, sweetheart? Not a healthy foundation for a marriage." But there was definitely amusement in his voice. "Not to mention that you're such a lightweight."

"Not many opportunities to get inebriated in my town. I was a respectable member of society." She turned to face him, leaning with her back against her door.

He fortunately fell into her game, leaning his hands on either side of her, pining her between his body and the door.

"You still are," he whispered, leaning down and resting his forehead against her temple.

His lips brushed the side of her face ever so gently. It sent a very pleasant shiver down her spine. That was the thing, she no longer wanted to be. A mere hour ago, she'd been terrified, convinced that she was about to die and there would be no escape.

The experience reminded her of Keleigh's words, of her advice when it came to taking their relationship further. They were just wasting time. Jazz and Jinx had the right idea about how things should work.

She turned her head and met his lips. He seized the opportunity to kiss her. It was deep and hungry, as if he'd been waiting to do it for a very long time. Maybe it was the alcohol or the lingering sense of dread and thrill at being alive, but it felt more intense than ever, as if he too had realized they'd almost lost each other. She ran her fingers through his hair, now a little longer than before, but still looking so good on him. Then her hands slid down his shoulders, his back, then to the front, touching his hard stomach. Her fingers found the top button of his shirt and fought to unbutton it.

"Kat," he breathed, pulling away.

"Shut up and kiss me," she whispered back.

She expected him to pull away, wish her goodnight and leave her frustrated. For once, he didn't. He listened and kissed her again, his hands on her hips, then tightening around her waist. His body pressed heavier against hers, the pressure more than it had ever been, as if he too wanted to feel every inch of her. Her inebriated mind swam with delight and her body trembled under his touch. The weariness seemed to disappear from her bones.

Mine. He is mine.

The voice slithered through the alcohol and she had no strength to fight it. For once, she agreed. She needed him so much, the thought of him stopping and walking away felt like a death sentence. 

He won't leave. I won't let him. He will finally be mine.

The words didn't even faze her as she let them take over and fill her with the need to make sure that he was indeed hers. Her fingers continued to fumble with his buttons, sneaking between the soft fabric to touch his hot skin. It only had him pressing harder against her, as if he wanted to stop her movement. All he managed to do was make her more aware of the strength of his body, the hardness of it. In the blink of an eye, he hooked her knees and lifted her off the floor, holding her against the door.

"What are you doing?" he asked, leaning his forehead against hers.

The question was strange since he was now the one taking it further. It didn't stop her hands from running down his chest, towards his stomach.

"I want to touch you."

He let out a groan, but didn't put her down. "You said you needed help." His voice sounded defeated, as if he knew the end was near.

No. He can't go. He can't just turn away from this and leave.

"Yes, please. I'm spent. Could you help me to bed?"

He hesitated, most likely sensing the trap, but maybe it was the alcohol which convinced him that it was better to heed her words. So he opened the door and, still holding her up, stepped inside. There was almost no light in her tiny cabin. Cage placed her on the bed and turned away.

It felt like someone had torn her chest open and pulled her heart out.

"No," she whispered.

He lit a candle on the tiny table and turned back to her, looking confused. The flickering flames made his skin shine golden. It hit her again just how gorgeous he was, how strong and attractive.

Yes. Yes, this is better. To see him. All of him.

"What is it?" he asked, sounding a little worried. "Are you sick from the rum?"

"No." Unexpectedly so. But she was burning on the inside. She reached over and took his hand, pulling him towards her. "I need your help."

He was definitely dazed. His movements were less fluid than usual, and as he kneeled in front of her, his gaze was also a little hazy. He tilted his head, waiting for her to elaborate.

"Are you drunk?" she asked.

"No. But I won't deny I am tipsy. That was a lot of drink for such a short time and no food." He eyed her warily as if only then did he realize it could be a problem. "Are you drunk?"

She shook her head even if she couldn't tell since she'd never drank this much before and her self-control was definitely out the window. But it didn't matter. All she wanted was him so she wouldn't have admitted to being drunk even if she were.

"Good," he whispered and leaned over to kiss her again.

It was even more amazing, the way he leaned over her, one knee on the cot between her legs, one had leaning against the wall so that he could steady himself. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself fall back on the thin mattress, pulling him along, enjoying the feel of him, the way he kissed her with so much abandonment.

He is mine. His magic and his strength. His body and his heart. His soul is mine.

Her hands wondered to his buttons again, finishing the job, pushing the shirt over his shoulders. Oh, how she enjoyed the feel of his skin, the heat of his body, the hardness of his muscles and how they contracted under her touch.

"Kat," he whispered again, moving his kisses from her mouth to her jaw, down her neck.

She ignored his plea and began undoing the buttons of her own shirt.

"Kat." This time, his voice was firm and he pulled away from her, raising to his elbows.

"What?" she snapped.

He grasped her hands to stop her from undoing more of her shirt. "I hate myself for saying this, but we can't."

Frustration seemed to fan the flames already inside her. "Yes, we can." And they were going to, she'd make sure of it.

"No."

"Why not?" The contempt in her voice was obvious, but she didn't bother holding it back. What was the point anyway? Subtlety had never gotten her anywhere with him.

"Because if you keep goin, I won't be able to... This shouldn't... I don't... You're not one of my port girls!" he finally snapped back. Even so, he was still on top of her, holding his weight on his forearms, looming over her with the promise for more.

She scoffed. "Of course. Because the port girls actually got to have you. I can't."

He groaned. "It's not a matter of can't, it's a matter of when."

"When? When's the right time, then, Cage? When I'm dead? Honestly, right now I'd rather be one of your port girls."

He grasped her cheeks with one hand and squeezed the rest of her words in. "Don't ever say that."

"It's clear as day, though," she muffled into his hold. "You don't want me."

"Don't ever say that either. You have no idea how hard it is for me to control myself."

"Stop controlling yourself!"

"The only reason you're saying that is because you're inebriated. You wouldn't be caught dead with me like this if you were sober."

"By the gods, do you hear yourself speaking? Stop telling me how I feel and what I want." And she pulled herself up and kissed him again.

She expected him to pull away, to engage her in more pointless conversation. Instead, he kissed her back, leaning in closer, his hands sliding down her shoulders, picking up where she left off on the buttons. Then, he rose to his knees and pulled her up, removing her shirt completely. They ended up kneeling, facing each other, both of them shirtless. His eyes never strayed from hers, and even through the haze, she saw a determination there that set her on fire.

"This is what you want?" His voice was low and sensual, so much so that even if she hadn't already been yearning desperately for him, it would have made her do so.

She nodded, forcing her eyes to stay on his and not stray over his body. "Now tell me what you want."

"I can't have what I want. I shouldn't."

"Say it regardless. I need to hear it."

He inched closer, their bodies a breath apart. "I want you. In every possible way imaginable. And you should know that, damn it! Know that I yearn for you, that my body feels as if it's engulfed by flames every time I'm around you."

The words sent a shiver down her spine. The voice inside her head began a whispering of everything she wanted him to do to her, but she forced herself to stay in the present. "Give me all you have."

It seemed to count as some sort of approval for him, because his hands moved over her body, touching her where she'd never been touched before. She took in a sharp breath as he maneuvered her with his back to him and began working on her undergarments. The feel of his bare skin against her back had her panting, especially when his hands moved to her belt.

In another life, maybe she would have been shy, ask him to take it slow, to have mercy on her. But that life, that Kat, had been smothered by the alcohol, and all was left was a desire so pure it seemed to invade every inch of her body.

She wanted to turn, give him better access, let him see her, begin working on taking his trousers off as well, but he didn't let her. He wrapped one arm around her collarbone, making sure to keep her pressed against him as he kissed her behind the ear and down the side of her neck, his lips and tongue driving her insane. A whimper escaped her lips. She'd never felt this way in her life, as if she were about to melt. His hand sunk under the line of her pants and she bit back a scream.

"This is where it's going, Kat," he whispered in her ear, holding her even closer to him. "You can still stop it. Just say the word."

She couldn't. Any potential word was stuck in her throat as he nipped on the tender skill of her neck, then her shoulder. Her breath came out in shuddering pants and her chest heaved with heavy breathing.

Yes, that's it. Give me your strength. Give me your magic.

His hold around her collarbone tightened to hold her in place as his other hand undid her trousers and touched the gentle skin right on the line of her panties.

"Say it," he growled. "Tell me to let go, to back off."

"You're insane if you think that I don't want this as much as you," she managed to pant out.

Her answer had him pressing her forward and into the mattress. She struggled to get her hands under her and turn her body around, but gave up on the plan once he pealed the rest of her clothes off her body. Then he pulled away and she was free to turn over and look at him, completely naked in front of a man for the first time in her life. Even through the haze of unbearable passion, she felt a little nervous, being exposed before him like that.

Cage stayed on his knees, his gaze traveling all over her body, an animalistic glint in his eyes. The way he looked at her, the tension in his muscles, it brought a tinge of fear through the ecstasy because it appeared as if the beast was fighting to come out. What if it did? What if the remainder of Cecile's curse was stronger than they'd thought and this would be the end of their story?

But the dark blue in his irises didn't swirl into gold, not even as he leaned over her and kissed her again. It was short and rough, speaking of impatience and the need for more. In mere seconds, his mouth left her and began trailing kisses down her neck, on her collarbone, settling on her chest.

This time, she couldn't control her scream and her entire body buckled. He grasped her hips to settle her as he continued teasing her, his hands slipping to her thighs, then her inner thighs, spreading her legs open. Then he ran his tongue from her chest to her navel, and lower down.

Kat sunk her fingers into his hair, her entire body writhing underneath his. This time she didn't even bother to keep her moans to herself as her breath kept coming out in desperate pants. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt in her life. Even if she'd wanted him for what felt like forever, her lack of experience didn't allow for rich imagery. It had always been straight to the point.

This was better, so much better than her wildest dreams and the pleasure building inside her threatened to throw her over the edge. But there was something else, a heat of foreign energy building inside her chest, demanding more than just this.

It was so much and yet not enough.

More. More. All of him. Everything.

He came back up to face her, pining her body underneath his. The passion in his eyes only managed to increase her own. Her entire body shook but he contained her, making sure they stayed connected. She straightened her legs and rubbed them against his, aware that he was naked as well now. The feel of their skin brushing together made her heart beat even faster if possible. She couldn't believe this was happening.

Her fingers trailed down his back, over his scars, going as low as she could reach. He put more pressure on her and she could feel the entire outline of his body.

She dug her hands deeper into his skin and her legs wrapped around his hips, leaving herself wide open, inviting him in. For a second, there was resistance, but then he let her pull him even closer.

"I can't fight it anymore. I don't want to fight it. What's the point?" he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. "I'm yours."

You're mine.

"Take me," she breathed.

He didn't hesitate to comply. And when their bodies finally became one, it felt as if the hot energy inside her exploded, filling every inch of her, taking her to heights she never wanted to come down from.

Finally! He is yours. You are free.

I am free.

 That went... in some way. At least now Kat and her voices can shut up about it. I also bet this won't bring any trouble, none at all. All lovey-dovey.

Don't forget to vote and leave me your thoughts. And there might be something special coming...