CHAPTER 76

WE BELONG TO EACH OTHER...

The estate was quiet that night. The last of the servants had withdrawn, leaving the halls dimly lit by golden sconces. Outside, the gardens were steeped in moonlight, silver washing over the hedges and fountains.

Abigail lingered by the window of her chamber, her silk robe falling loosely around her shoulders. She had dismissed Maya hours ago, insisting she wanted solitude, but in truth, her heart had been waiting for Luke, it's been long they had their moment alone.

When the soft knock came, she knew it was him even before she turned.

“Come in,” she whispered.

Luke stepped inside, his presence filling the room as though the very air shifted to accommodate him. He had shed his jacket, wearing only a crisp shirt, unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled back to his forearms. His gaze found her immediately, dark and steady, lingering on the soft fall of her hair, the curve of her body beneath the robe.

“Abigail,” he said quietly, shutting the door behind him.

Her lips parted. “I didn’t think you’d come this late.”

“I couldn’t stay away.”

He crossed the room in slow strides, his eyes never leaving hers. Abigail’s breath caught. The tension between them was not new, but tonight it felt different charged, unspoken, inevitable.

When he stopped before her, his hand rose, brushing a strand of hair back from her face. His thumb lingered along her jaw, the gesture achingly tender.

“You looked unique tonight,” he said softly. “That’s what struck me the first time I saw you. You weren’t like the rest. You didn’t try to be someone else. You simply… were. And that was enough.”

Her throat tightened. “Unique?” she repeated, almost disbelieving.

He nodded, eyes burning into hers. “Everyone else I’d ever met was polished, calculated, rehearsed. But you… you were raw. Untamed. Honest in a way that unsettled me.”

Her chest rose and fell quickly. “And that’s why you chose me?”

“That’s why I’ll always choose you,” he said firmly.

The words melted into her skin like fire. She swayed toward him, her hand pressing lightly against his chest.

Luke tilted her chin and kissed her slow at first, testing, savoring. Abigail’s lips parted, answering him, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. The kiss deepened, no longer gentle but consuming, as though all the hunger they had restrained now broke free.

He pulled her closer, his palm splaying against the small of her back. Her robe slipped slightly, exposing one shoulder to the cool air.

Luke’s mouth trailed from her lips to the curve of her jaw, down to her throat. Abigail gasped softly, tilting her head back, her hands gripping his arms for balance.

“You’re mine,” he murmured against her skin.

“Yes,” she breathed, her voice trembling with desire.

Luke’s hands moved to the tie of her robe, loosening it with deliberate slowness. The fabric slid open, revealing the thin nightgown beneath. His eyes darkened, raking over her as though he had been starving for this view.

“You have no idea,” he whispered, “what you do to me.”

Abigail’s cheeks flushed, but she met his gaze with courage. “Show me.”

The challenge in her words lit something primal in him. He scooped her into his arms, carrying her toward the bed with effortless strength. She clung to him, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs.

When he laid her down, he hovered over her, his lips brushing hers once more before trailing lower over her collarbone, her chest, each kiss igniting heat in her veins.

Abigail arched beneath him, her breath coming in sharp gasps. Her hands slid into his hair, urging him closer, her body trembling with the intensity of his touch.

For a moment, she surprised him by flipping onto her knees, straddling him with sudden boldness. Luke stilled, his eyes widening at the sight of her hair tumbling around her face, nightgown slipping down her shoulders, her gaze burning with desire.

“You always take control,” she whispered, her palms pressing against his chest. “But tonight… let me.”

Luke’s lips curved into the faintest smirk, though his eyes softened with reverence. “Then take me,” he said huskily.

The permission unraveled her last hesitation. She kissed him with wild abandon, her mouth claiming his, her hands exploring the planes of his body beneath the thin fabric of his shirt. She tugged at the buttons impatiently until they scattered loose, revealing the warmth of his skin.

Her lips followed, pressing hot, lingering kisses down his chest. Luke groaned, his hands gripping her thighs, but he let her lead.

The room filled with the sound of their breaths, the rustle of sheets, the quiet, urgent rhythm of skin against skin.

Luke eventually rolled her beneath him again, unable to resist, their bodies aligning in perfect need. The air between them pulsed with heat, with longing so fierce it nearly broke them both.

When he finally entered her, Abigail cried out softly, clutching at him as though he were her only tether. Luke buried his face against her neck, his movements deep and unrelenting, each thrust carrying the weight of his devotion.

Their rhythm built slowly, deliberately, every motion a promise, until it became desperate, frantic, unstoppable. Abigail gasped his name again and again, her nails raking his back, her body arching toward his.

And when the waves broke over them both, it was not just release but surrender two souls colliding in fire and light

They collapsed together, tangled in sheets, their skin damp with sweat, their hearts pounding in unison. For a long while, neither spoke. Only their breathing filled the quiet room, soft and ragged.

At last, Luke shifted, brushing a kiss against her temple. “Do you understand now?” he whispered.

Abigail turned in his arms, her eyes heavy-lidded but glowing. “Understand what?”

“That I chose you because you’re unlike anyone else. Because you make me feel alive in ways I never thought possible. You are my anchor and my undoing all at once i never for once thought I would be like this”

Tears pricked her eyes. “And you’re mine.”

He smiled faintly, pressing his forehead to hers. “Good. Then we belong to each other. Always.”

.....

The hours slipped by, and when dawn began to creep through the curtains, Abigail stirred against him, drowsy and content. Luke’s arm tightened around her, unwilling to let go.

“Stay,” he murmured. “Just like this.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she promised.

And with the sunlight spilling over them, their bodies still entwined, they drifted back into sleep two hearts bound in a love that neither tests nor schemes could break.