Hellbound Heart



As their breaths mingled, Alicia gently bit Zeke's bottom lip, capturing its delicious full curve. He groaned deep within his throat, and Alicia smiled with pleasure at that raw and primal sound he let out. It washed over her like an intimate caress. She loved the way that sound burned her already scorching body.

When her towel slipped away, his breath caught in his throat. His hungry eyes devoured her body for a moment before he swiftly discarded his shirt, revealing his mouth-watering chiseled chest and defined physique.

And when their naked bodies collided, an electrifying jolt of desire coursed through them both.

His hands found their way to her hips, his fingers flexing against her flesh. As they pressed against each other, the tips of her breasts met his chest, igniting a surge of sensation that rippled through her. A gasp escaped her lips while he groaned and crushed her against him, lifting her effortlessly off the ground. His arms encircled her, securing her in his powerful embrace as he carried her backward toward the bed.

His arm supported her back as he gently placed her on the bed. He hovered above her, his body settling into perfect alignment with hers. And then he claimed her breast with his mouth. His soft lips sucked greedily like a starving man, while his hand plumped and kneaded the other mound so possessively.

"Ah..." she moaned. God... she missed this. After years, she was finally being touched like this again. "Ezekiel..." His name echoed as she hooked her legs around his calves, causing him to groan.

"Oh... Alicia... I've missed you..." His words spilled out in a low, guttural groan, declaring his yearning for her. She could feel the intensity of his need seep through her skin, the longing and hunger that matched her own.

She pulled him closer, urging him to merge their bodies together. She arched her hips, seeking more friction and pressure. The fabric that separated them became a teasing barrier, heightening her craving for him. She wanted him inside her again. Maddeningly so.

But she wanted something else from him first and foremost. She wanted him to say it... those words she had been waiting forever to hear.

"I love you..." she told him once again. And he stilled. Their breaths mingled as he looked down at her.

"Say it," Alicia coaxed, her voice barely audible as she locked her gaze with his. Her heart pounded in her chest. She needed those words, the affirmation that he had promised he would utter once he returned to her. She yearned to hear them, to feel their weight and power seep into her soul.

Gently, Zeke's hand brushed aside strands of her silver hair, exposing her forehead. His touch was tender, his fingers seemed to be shaking ever so slightly, filled with a mixture of so many intense emotions. She swallowed hard, willing herself to be patient.

Seconds stretched into eternity as she waited. Her eyes never wavered from his beautiful, dazed grey eyes.

It wasn't that Alicia had ever doubted Zeke's feelings. No, she knew, deep in her heart, that Ezekiel loved her more than words could ever express. She had felt his love in the way he looked at her, in his tender gestures, in every choice and sacrifice he had made... in everything. His actions spoke louder than words, and she had always understood his love without needing verbal confirmation.

But she still longed to hear those words from his lips. It was a craving buried deep within her. Alicia had always wondered why he had never said it. She knew that Ezekiel was a man of reasons and intentions, so she could already tell that there must have been a reason why he couldn't... or perhaps he didn't want to say it. She had thought that maybe he believed his actions spoke louder than words, or maybe he feared the vulnerability that came with speaking such powerful sentiments. But Alicia always felt like the reason was something more than that.

In the past, she hadn't found the chance or the courage to ask him why or to encourage him to finally voice those three little words. But now, in this precious moment with him back in her arms, she refused to let the opportunity slip away. She wouldn't waste another moment pondering or hesitating.

Because she knew, deep down, that this could be her last chance to hear it. She had realized this fact once again when she woke up and found out that if Elle hadn't accidentally summoned Ezekiel, there was no guarantee of what could've happened to her. Everything was uncertain. Unexpected things could happen at any time, and she and Ezekiel were not exempt from the unpredictability of life. She trusted him, but she could not bear waiting for another ten or more years to hear it.

Not to mention the knowledge that she would soon forget everything, including him. The thought of forgetting him, of not recognizing the man who held her heart, was overwhelming. How would she treat her husband once her memories were wiped away? Would she push him away, plagued by doubts and uncertainty as she had done in the past?

Ezekiel would always be an enigmatic persona for those who knew nothing about the real man within him. And now, with all his new powers, he had become even more terrifying and dangerous. Alicia was a rational and skeptical person, particularly when faced with someone as powerful as Ezekiel. She couldn't help but imagine herself instinctively avoiding him, questioning his motives, and second-guessing everything about him once her memories were erased.

Though she also felt confident that Ezekiel would always be able to smash any barrier she created against him, Alicia wouldn't dare to think that it was going to be that easy. She didn't know why, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the path they would tread after her memories were erased would be arduous and uncertain. Something in her gut was telling her that she needed to cherish these three days now with everything she had because there was no guarantee that they would have this chance again anytime soon once her memories were erased.

So, she wanted to hear it, spoken directly from his lips. She wanted him to tell her those words while she still remembered him.