Chapter 209 Inspiration
"Hmm..." Clara didn’t know where her sudden boldness came from.
Maybe it had been building inside her for days, or maybe it was simply the pull of fate—but right now, with Riley so close, she couldn’t restrain herself any longer.
Her heart was racing, and desire pulsed hot beneath her skin. She wanted him—badly. More than any man she’d ever met in her life.
She reached up and kissed him and she had no regrets whatsoever.
It was impulsive, reckless even, but she didn’t care. Her body moved before her mind could catch up. She poured everything into that kiss—her yearning, her hopes, the ache she’d been carrying. She gambled everything on this one chance.
And she didn’t feel guilty. Not one bit.
Powerful men like Riley were never bound by the same rules as ordinary folk. They were allowed to take many wives. It was tradition—almost an expectation.
Her father, a formidable cultivator in his own right, had 169 women to his name. Clara had grown up around that kind of power, that kind of freedom. So why should she feel shame for wanting Riley?
For wanting to be his?
Riley didn’t pull away. In fact, he responded with a fire that matched hers. His lips pressed back firmly, hungrily, as his arms slipped around her waist and held her close.
There was no hesitation in his movements—just raw, focused intensity. Like a man who had been waiting for her to make the first move.