Chapter 41

As the minutes ticked by, a question that had been simmering in the back of my mind began to bubble to the surface, demanding to be heard.

I shifted in Jin’s embrace, turning to face him. His reading paused, and he glanced down at me, his gaze filled with quiet curiosity. The book lay forgotten in his lap as he closed it gently, his attention now fully on me. I swallowed hard, the words catching in my throat.

“Why me, Jin?” I finally managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why did you follow me before you even knew I was your scent match?”

He stiffened beside me, his eyes dropping from my face to the book in his hands. For a moment, he didn’t speak, the silence stretching between us, thick and heavy. Then, with a sigh that seemed to come from the very depths of his soul, he began to speak.

“I admired you, Darcy,” he said softly, his gaze still fixed on the book. “From afar, I watched you navigate a world that seemed intent on breaking you. Your strength, your courage… It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. You were hope in a life that had been nothing but misery.”

His words hung in the air, painting a picture of a young man who had found solace in the mere sight of me. I listened, rapt, as he recounted tales of his past, of a life that had led him to volunteer at the OU. He spoke of the whispers he’d heard about me, of the protective instinct that had been ignited within him long before our paths had ever crossed.

“When I heard the McCarthy estate was hiring, I knew it was fate,” he continued, his voice steady and sure. “I needed a job, but more than that, I needed to be near you. I needed to ensure that you were safe, that you were protected. And when I caught your scent for the first time… I knew.”

His words washed over me, filling me with a warmth that seemed to seep into my very bones. I watched him closely, monitoring his scent and tone for any hint of deception. But there was none. His honesty was as clear and pure as the finest crystal, and it shattered any remaining walls I had erected around my heart.

I realized, in that moment, surrounded by the nest he had lovingly crafted for me, with the taste of my favorite cookies on my tongue and the sound of his voice still echoing in my ears, that I had fallen in love with Jin Kang. It was a love that had crept up on me silently, wrapping itself around my heart with a gentleness that belied its strength.

Overwhelmed, I leaned in, my heart pounding in my chest. Our lips met in a kiss that was both a question and an answer, a delicate dance of tongues and teeth that spoke of longing and promises yet to be made. It was a kiss that was both a revelation and a homecoming, a moment so pure and perfect that it took my breath away.

Jin’s hands found their way to my waist, his fingers warm and firm against my skin. With a tenderness that brought tears to my eyes, he set the book aside, the stories within it paling in comparison to the narrative that was unfolding between us. He pulled me into his lap, guiding me into a straddling position, and I went willingly, my body melting into his.

The kiss deepened, our breaths mingling in an intimate dance that sent shivers down my spine. I clung to him, my fingers curled into fists behind his neck, the sensation of his heartbeat echoing the frantic rhythm against my fingertips. But it wasn’t enough for Jin. He wanted—needed—me closer, and with a low growl that resonated in the very core of his being that I felt vibrated all throughout mine, he pulled me tighter against himself until we were pressed so closely together that I could feel the steady thrum of his pulse, the solidness of his chest against mine.

Dizzy with need, I could feel the heat building within me, a warmth that spread through my veins like wildfire. My slick pooled in my panties, making me clench my thighs tightly around his waist. Jin inhaled deeply in response, his nostrils flaring as he drank in the scent of coconut and vanilla. A groan of pure want escaped his lips, a sound that was both a surrender and a declaration of his own need as his own scent flared in our nest.

He pulled back, his eyes searching mine, seeking—needing—my consent. And I gave it freely, my gaze steady and sure, my voice a whisper against the silence. “More, Jin. I want all of you.”

His hands were a whirlwind of movement, fingers deftly undoing the buttons of my shirt, peeling the fabric away from my skin with an urgency that left me breathless. Each inch of flesh he exposed was met with a reverent kiss, his lips a brand against my cool skin. I was a canvas, and he was the artist, painting me with his desire.

I sat on his lap, my body trembling with anticipation as he stripped me bare. My shirt fell away, followed by my bra, and I was naked from the waist up, my breasts heavy with need. Jin’s eyes darkened with lust as he took in the sight of me, his gaze like a physical touch that ignited a fire within my core.

He pulled me into another heated kiss. I clung to him, my fingers digging into the solid muscle of his shoulders, the feel of his biceps beneath my palms a reminder of his strength—a strength he was using to worship my body.

Jin broke the kiss, his lips trailing a path of fire down my neck, across my collarbone, until they reached the sensitive peak of my breast. He took my nipple into his mouth, sucking and teasing it into a hardened peak. A moan escaped my lips, the sound swallowed by the quiet hum of the penthouse around us.

My body arched into his touch, seeking more of the exquisite pleasure. Jin’s hair was too short to tangle my fingers in, so I clutched at his shoulders, my nails scoring his skin through the fabric of his shirt. I wanted to mark him, to claim him as mine in every way possible.

He switched his attention to my other breast, his hand coming up to cup the one he had just abandoned. His fingers were deft, rolling and pinching my nipple in time with the movements of his mouth on its twin. I was a symphony of sensation, each note he played on my body building to a crescendo that threatened to overwhelm me.

I could feel the slick heat between my thighs causing a whine to unintentionally escape. My hips rocked against him of their own accord, seeking friction, seeking release from the tension that was coiling tighter and tighter within me.

Jin’s hand abandoned my breast, sliding down my stomach in a slow, tantalizing caress that left goosebumps in its wake. His fingers dipped beneath the waistband of my pants, teasing the edge of my slick-soaked panties. I whined again, needy and desperate for him to touch me where I needed him most.

With a swift, sure movement, Jin maneuvered me as he stripped me of my pants and underwear, leaving me completely bared to him. He gazed down at me, his eyes filled with a hunger that mirrored my own. I felt wanton and wild, spread open on his lap with my slick glistening on my thighs.

He didn’t make me wait long. His fingers found my center, sliding through my folds with an ease that spoke of how ready I was for him. He circled my clit, the barest touch that sent sparks of pleasure shooting through my body. I cried out, my fingers clenching tighter on his shoulders as I rode the wave of sensation. I was so sensitive. Why did his touch make me so sensitive?

Jin’s lips found mine once more, swallowing my cries as he continued to tease my clit, his fingers working in a maddening rhythm that had me teetering on the edge of release. I was close, so close, and with a final flick of his finger, I tumbled over the edge, my body shattering into a thousand pieces as my orgasm washed over me way too soon it was practically embarrassing.

The pleasure that had just crested through me left me aching, needy, desperate for more—desperate for Jin. I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, could hardly see straight through the haze of want that clouded my vision. I needed him inside of me, filling the emptiness that seemed to gnaw at my very core. It was a hunger that couldn’t be sated by anything less than the fullness only he could provide… and his knot.

Without a second thought, my hands fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. But patience was a virtue I no longer possessed. I needed him now, and I couldn’t waste another moment on trivialities like undressing. I pushed his shirt up, exposing the taut muscles of his abdomen, and leaned forward, pressing a trail of heated kisses against his skin.

My hands were shaking with anticipation as I reached for his belt, undoing the clasp with a swift tug. I yanked his pants open, the sound of the zipper breaking echoing in the quiet of our nest, and his cock sprang free, thick and heavy and oh-so-hard.

I didn’t pause to admire him, didn’t bother to take my time. My body was acting on instinct, driven by my omega. I positioned myself above him, the slick heat of my arousal coating his length as I prepared to take him inside of me.

With a single, decisive movement, I impaled myself on him, the sheer size of him stretching me to the limits of what I could handle. A gasp tore from my throat, a sound that was part pleasure, part pain, and wholly overwhelmed by the sensation of being so completely filled. Jin was big, bigger than I remembered, and the realization that he was inside of me, that I had taken all of him, sent a thrill of ecstasy coursing through my veins.

Jin’s reaction was equally visceral. His fingers dug into the flesh of my hips, his head thrown back in a silent cry as he fought to maintain control. I could feel the tense set of his muscles beneath me, the shuddering breaths that escaped his parted lips.

“Fuck, Darcy,” he muttered under his breath, the words a litany of need and restraint. “I can’t… I need… Fuck.”

I began to move, my body undulating on top of him as I sought to adjust to his size, to find a rhythm that would bring us both the release we so desperately craved. Each thrust of my hips drove him deeper inside of me, the friction igniting a fire that threatened to consume us both. I could feel my inner walls gripping him tightly, my slick guiding the way.

Jin’s hands moved from my hips to grip my waist, his fingers leaving bruises in their wake as he fought to hold back his climax. I could see the strain on his face, the clench of his jaw, and I reveled in the knowledge that I was the cause of his undoing. He was mine, completely and irrevocably mine, and I was determined to wring every ounce of pleasure from his body.

I leaned forward, my breasts pressing against the solid wall of his chest as I captured his lips in a searing kiss. Our tongues danced together, a mirror of the movement of our bodies below. I could taste the essence of him, a flavor that was uniquely Jin, and it only served to spur me on, to drive me higher and higher with each passing moment.

As our kiss deepened, Jin’s control began to slip. His hips bucked up to meet mine, the force of his movements causing the makeshift nest around us to shake. I could feel the telltale swelling of his knot beginning to form at the base of his cock, a sign that his body was preparing to bind us together.

The knowledge that he was close to knotting sent a fresh wave of slick flooding from my core, coating his length and easing the way for the knot that was growing rapidly against me. I knew that once he was fully knotted inside of me, there would be no going back, no stopping the inevitable orgasm threatening to ruin me completely.

I could feel the knot expanding within me, making me ground down harder with a whine. Jin’s fingers were digging into my skin, his body arching up to meet mine as he finally allowed himself to let go, pulling me down over and over like I was his own personal fleshlight.

And then, with a final thrust that seemed to shake the very foundations of the world around us, Jin’s knot locked us together, the thickened flesh holding him deep inside of me. The sensation of being so thoroughly filled, of being claimed by Jin in such a fundamental way, was enough to send me spiraling over the edge, my orgasm crashing over me like a tidal wave.

I cried out, my voice echoing off the walls of the penthouse as I rode the wave of my orgasm, Jin’s name a prayer on my lips. I could feel him shuddering beneath me, his own release pulsing inside of me as he emptied himself into my waiting body. It was a moment of pure, unadulterated bliss, a moment that I knew I would remember for the rest of my life.

As the aftershocks began to subside, I collapsed against Jin’s chest, my body slick with sweat and my breath coming in ragged gasps. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close as his knot kept us bound together. A soft purr rumbled from deep within my chest. His heartbeat was a steady drum beneath my ear, a rhythm that lulled me into a state of peaceful contentment.

Jin’s fingers traced idle patterns on my back, each stroke sending little shivers of delight up my spine as I nuzzled against him, my lips brushing against the warm skin of his neck.