Font Size:  

She shook her head.

He was still buried inside her as the old issues came up. Yet, somehow, he didn’t want to keep thinking the same thoughts. Had he been wrong about her? What if she hadn’t enthralled him? What if something else had been at work that night? Only what?

Slowly, he drew out of her.

She flung an arm over her head, watching him. “It’s okay, Ian. I’m not here to change your opinion of what happened so long ago. And I know we’re in a weird place. We’ve been thrown together in this really bizarre way. The benefits so far have been amazing, but I’m not naïve; the sharing of blood and sex will not fix what’s wrong between us.

“In the meantime, I want to be in your bed, if you can handle it, to be as close to you as I can. My fae instincts tell me whatever this is between us will affect the fate of the Nine Realms. More than anything, I want to help end this war.”

He nodded, turning to grab his t-shirt off the stack of clothes. He wadded it up and tucked it between her legs. He’d left a lot of himself behind.

“Thanks,” she murmured.

“I’m not backing away, Regan. I need you to know that. I have my concerns just as you do. But Camberlaune comes first. So, yes, you’ll be sharing my bed. Stone believes we’re meant to accomplish something together. And if he’s right, I don’t want to make a serious mistake by failing to engage with your blood rose ability.”

“I’m with you, Ian. All the way. I love our world and I’ve hated what Margetta has done to it. Whatever we have to do, I’m in.” She leaned up on her elbows and smiled. “But right now, I’d love another shower.”

He chuckled. “You got it.” He rose to his feet, then picked her up, intent on carrying her to the bathroom downstairs.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing at the same time. “The sex was wonderful, Ian.”

“Yes, it was.” He knew he sounded very male, but it had been awesome.

~ ~ ~

Regan loved that Ian carried her down to the first floor. This was one of the reasons she’d fallen so hard for him all those years ago. He was attentive in unexpected ways.

His bedroom overlooked the deep woods behind the house, as did a massive open shower with several heads.

He turned them on, but instead of leaving her on her own, he stayed and took his time soaping her. Again, unexpected, which warmed her heart.

When they’d been together previously, Ian had taken a lot of pleasure in her body in the same way she’d pretty much worshiped his. Still, she knew his mindset. Yet his willingness to shower with her made her almost hopeful.

When he asked her to spread her legs with a voice that had dropped a couple of timbres, she slung an arm around his neck and kissed him. A few minutes later, she was pinned to the bathroom tile, her legs once more wrapped around his hips as he pounded into her.

Later, and tucked between the sheets, she began to drift off. But her last thought jarred her back awake: Could their shared power help her to create a spell that would penetrate and dissolve Margetta’s shielding mist?

She was about to wake Ian up to talk it over with him. But he lay on his back, an arm over his eyes and she decided to let the matter rest until they each got some sleep.

When she woke up, a dim distant light around the outdoor shutters told her it was late afternoon. She turned on her side to face into the room and had a view of Ian’s bare knees, heavily muscled legs, and black boxers. Two hands held a coffee cup. For a moment, her gaze rested on all the rings he wore, ten heavy pieces of man-jewelry, each different.

She lifted her eyes to the rest of the man. He sat in a heavy wood chair next to the bed, watching her with a crooked smile on his lips.

“Hey,” he said quietly. He must have remembered she didn’t like loud voices when she first woke up.

She immediately reached for her hair and stroked a couple of times. She was sure she had a terrible case of bed-head, but Ian didn’t seem to mind. She glanced at the cup. “You made coffee?”

“I did.” He gestured to the night stand. “Yours is right there if you want it.”

She made a cooing sound. “Just what I need.”

She pulled the sheet and blanket up around her and scooted to a sitting position. Holding the covers in place, she jammed one of the pillows behind her back.

She took the warm mug in both hands and cradled it. Eyes closed, she sipped then let out a long, deep sigh.

“I’ve always loved that about you.”

“What?” She popped her eyes open. “That I like coffee?”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like