“I love you,” I pant. “I love you.”
He wraps his arms around me, pulling me as close to him as possible. “I love you,” he gasps back through his orgasm. “I fucking love you, Harri Chattox.”
I lie against him as we slow ourselves back into the moment. Can’t we just forget the world and stay like this for eternity? Where family secrets, witch hunters and prearranged marriages don’t exist?
The reality of what our world is comes crashing down on top of me.
Sam kisses my forehead. “I feel like this is too good to be true,” he whispers against my skin.
I nod slightly, unable to speak yet. My thoughts are rushing around my head at a thousand miles an hour. Maybe we can make this work.
Sam holds my ass as he pulls us both up using the tree for support. He plants another kiss on my lips before lowering me gently to touch the floor. My legs are still shaking from crashing down from the stars. Sam collects my clothes that have been tossed onto the floor. He collects his own and helps me dress.
The fact that he cares so deeply turns me on again. He is just everything and more. I pull his face down to mine to kiss him, thanking him. He tucks my hair behind my ear and kisses me back.
“I’m not letting him have you.” He cups my chin with his thumb and finger. His eyes meet mine, holding my gaze.
“What do you know?” I ask, interested in how much he actually knows.
“I know all of it,” he says with pain in his voice. “And I promise you, Harri, I will protect you with everything I am. You will not end up marrying that prick just to keep us all here covered up. We will find a way. Together we are stronger and together we can find who these witch hunters are and end them.” His eyes are serious and stone-like. He means every word.
I knew that he would. He would put himself in front of me if anything were to threaten us. But that is the problem. I can’t see him in danger.
I don’t speak. I just hold him close, listening to his heartbeat as I rest against his chest.
“Come on, we better go back. I kind of need to apologise to my nana…” He sighs.
“Why?” I gaze up at him.
He pushes his hair back from him face. “I was angry. I felt like she hid everything from me, like I was a child again. When my mum left, I didn’t understand. Nana lied to me to protect me. Obviously the older I got, I started to learn the truth. My mum mixed with the wrong people, probably the same people that your ex-fiancé mixes with. For money. For drugs. And now she is in too deep. But finding out that I wasn’t alone, that you were like me, the girl I had fallen for… well, I just felt overwhelmed and left in anger. I know why she did it. I know why your granny did it. But it’s still hard.” He looks sad. I hate seeing him sad.
I kiss him. “She’ll always forgive you.”
He smiles back at me. “She will.”
He takes my hand and starts to lead us back through the trees until the village is in sight. The warming feeling of the smoking chimneys and streetlamp in the middle of the green is a welcome sight. Those sleeping safely in their beds have no clue what magic has just occurred in the woods around them.
We go straight to Gloria’s house. The lights are still on in the front room. As we step inside Gloria comes scuttling around the corner and straight to Sam, her pinny not tied at the back and swinging around as she runs.
“Don’t you ever run off like that again.” She bangs her hand into his chest with force. For a little lady, she has some strength in her.
In the same movement she pulls him into her, holding her arms around his waist. He bends down and places his arms around her. The love they have for each other is beautiful. Gloria’s face peers out from under his arms, tears just brimming in her grey-green eyes. She reaches out her wrinkled arm and grabs my wrist, pulling me into their embrace. Sam adjusts his arm to also envelop me and Gloria squeezes hers around my waist.
We stand in silence with just the crackle of the fire and low hum of the television on in the front room.
Gloria is the first to break off the group hug. She takes my hand and Sam’s and looks at us both.
“Now, let me look at you both.” She sniffs back her tears and smiles. “Yes, I see it. I was not sure at first if my vision was correct, but Cerci saw it instantly. It’s there. The twin flame inside you both. I can hear it ignited.”
I look at Sam and his eyes meet mine. He smiles with his dimples set in his cheeks. It makes me smile in return.
“But I see something deeper than that,” Gloria continues. “More than the flame. I see love. You are both in love.” She gasps slightly. “I’ve never felt a more powerful bond between a couple.”
“Nana is a magical matchmaker.” Sam smirks at me. “She can sense relationships past, present and future.”
“And I could sense yours the moment I met you, Harri.” She pats my hand. “Come through, sit down. I’ll let Cerci know you’re both safe.”
She potters back to the kitchen to use her phone. Sam and I both sit in the front room warming ourselves by the fire.
