Rook cried out as her tight, icy heat surrounded me like always. Familiar. Wonderful.Mine.
Any doubt that this was too good to be true vanished as I rocked into her slow and deep.
This was real.
She was mine.
And I was never letting her go again.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“I’M SO LUCKY.” ROOK SPUN IN PLACE, causing a swirl of fallen leaves to loop around her anklets like autumn-coloured jewellery.
My heart skipped a beat at how beautiful she was.
How fucking lucky I was that we’d spent a month of lazy lovemaking and no one had bothered us.
It seemed as though Auntie Mei and Uncle Wen had decided to give us a honeymoon period, moving all the staff to the village and giving us Ashfall Cliff to use however we wished.
We’d christened almost every spot.
We’d made love in the gardens and courtyards. We’d slept under the stars and returned to the waterfall below. We’d truly existed in paradise, and everything was amazing.
The cleaver in my hand stopped chopping as I struggled to take my eyes off her. Her gown of choice today was as rich as midnight, setting off her pale glowing skin and ink-perfect hair.
I wanted her again.
Which was a problem because we’d barely managed to stop being together and I wanted to enjoy other things. Including pleasuring her in other ways...
I had an undying wish to make her ecstatically happy—to replace the nightmares and exist in a dream.
“Stop looking so delectable,” I commanded, resuming slicing the big chunk of gingerroot. “You’ll make me chop off a finger and then what will I do?”
Prancing toward me, she hugged me from behind. “Why are you cooking? We already know we don’t need anything but each other.” Slipping to my side, she pinched a neatly cut bamboo shoot and nibbled it warily. “We haven’t eaten in a very long time and I can’t say I...” Her eyes lit up as flavours hit her tongue. “Okay, I might have missed it.”
I grinned. “Me too.”
“But isn’t it a risk?” Her eyebrows pinched together. “Remember what happened the last time we tried to eat?”
“That won’t happen anymore.” Gathering the sticks of ginger, I tossed them into the hot wok. “We’ve fully ascended. We’re no longer mortal so our bodies are no longer dying. Yes, I feed off your energy, and you feed off mine, but we can indulge in food if we want.”
“But how do you know?” She sniffed longingly at the fragrant smell of garlic, chilli, and ginger.
“I tested my system the other day with one of your favourite jugs of plum blossom wine.”
“Oooo wine.” Her skin glowed brighter. “I definitely missed wine.”
“Figured you did.” I tapped her nose with the end of my spatula. “You missed your calling as an alcoholic.”
Sticking her tongue out at me, she swiped at her nose. “I’ll make you pay for that.”
“I’ll happily await my punishment.”
A flare of wicked desire flowed between us.
The air crackled with awareness, and it took all my self-control to push her away and focus on creating a feast. “Behave and let me feed you.”
“Fine.” Hopping up on the outdoor kitchen bench where I’d commandeered the well-stocked pantry and cooking fires, she kicked her legs and watched me with an adorable expression. “You’re incredibly handsome as a chef, you know.”
