My breath hitched in my throat as his fingers squeezed firmly against my bare skin, forcing my hips even closer against his rigid heat. A small, desperate sound escaped my lips before I could stop it, completely surrendering to the absolute command in his hold.
"Answer me, Ember," he whispered, his voice dropping an octave, low and demanding as he nipped gently at the sensitive pulse point right beneath my jawline.
"Yes," I gasped, my hands tangling tighter into his thick hair. "Yes, Jareth, please..."
He didn't waste another second. Without breaking physical contact, he shifted his weight and hooked his heavy hands securely under my thighs, hoisting me up completely off the floor. I wrapped my legs around his waist on instinct, burying my face into the warm crook of his neck as he carried me easily past the foyer and into the dimly lit living room.
He didn't bother taking me all the way to the bedroom.
Jareth backed me up against the wide, velvet sofa, lowering me onto the edge before immediately settling between my knees. His dark eyes remained locked onto mine, burning with an intense focus that made my entire body flush with heat.
"I have spent three long years imagining every single inch of you," he growled, his large hands reaching down to grip the waistband of my trousers. "And I am done waiting."
In one swift, effortless movement, he pulled my pants and underwear down past my knees and ankles, tossing them uncaringly across the floor. Before the cool air of the room could hit my bare skin, he stepped in closer, his heavy hands gripping the insides of my thighs to spread them wide for his view.
He swallowed hard, his sharp jaw tightening as his gaze slowly roamed over me, completely intoxicated by what he saw. "You are even more beautiful than I dreamed," he murmured, his thumb stroking the sensitive skin of my inner thigh, sending a violent shudder straight through my core. "Now stay right there for me."