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“I think it’s because you’re finally letting go and tapping into the deep reserves of your powers.” Essos has one hand folded over his chest and the other behind his head as he watches me climb out of bed.
I stride across the room, giving little care to anything as I get to the window.
“Oh!” I exclaim, my snarky reply about him wanting to take credit dying on my lips. Below, the entire backyard is blanketed in greenery. There are lily pads in the pool and palm trees where the umbrellas used to be. I think I even see a frog hopping from pad to pad.
Essos’s hand on my hip is the only thing grounding me when he comes up behind me to see what I’m seeing. “Wow.”
It seems I’ve shocked us both beyond words. I look at him over my shoulder as he hugs my body against his.
“At least I’ll get the garden chic wedding I always wanted?”
“That’s my queen, always finding the positive in a shocking situation.” We’re silent for a moment more. Then Essos says, “To sleep. I need to bed you properly tomorrow and see just how far this garden will go.”
Essos spanks my bottom gently, spurring me back to bed. I swat at him but oblige, secretly excited to see what else I am capable of.
CHAPTER18
“My love,” Essos whispers in my ear, nudging my cheek with his nose. I shake my head, reaching for a pillow that my head is not currently on. My fingers brush the velvet of a spare throw pillow. I intend to cover my face with it and burrow back into the sheets for another few minutes of dirty dreams, but the pillow tries to slip from my grip. Startled, I swat it in the direction of the tug and let go.
“Oof,” I hear Essos cry.
I open my eyes to find him hugging the pillow to his chest.
“Is this setting a bad tone for our wedded life?” he asks.
“Depends. Was that not the softest pillow you’ve been hit with?”
Essos dips his head and plants a row of kisses along my neck to my jawline. “What type of dreams were you having that involved you moaning in the middle of the night?”
My eyes flash to his. He’s trying look serious, but his eyes are alight with desire.
“The kind that involves my husband’s tongue and lips and fingers and cock.”
“All at once? What kind of woman am I marrying?” he growls, pulling the blankets back so he can ravish me with all of those things. I make the mistake of turning my head to the side so he can better access my neck only to see the time.
I shove him off me and move quickly toward the bathroom. His laughter chases me into the shower.
“What am I supposed to do with this now?” Essos hollers after me.
“You have two hands and a mighty fine imagination!”
I emerge from the shower to find Cat, Zara, Helene, and Callie waiting for me. I tug my towel tighter around my middle.
“Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like what happens next?”
“Oh stop, this is your third wedding. You know the drill when it comes to getting ready,” Helene admonishes with an eyeroll.
“Only one of those other two counts. I never made it down the aisle for the second one.” I glance at Callie apologetically. “That wedding did not end so well for the groom.”
“And I almost died!” Cat adds helpfully.
“Youdiddie,” Zara points out.
“I heard.” Callie’s hands fidget in her lap. “Helene was telling me all about everything I missed. Have I apologized profusely enough for my husband?”
“Have I apologized yet for almost marrying your husband?”
Callie snorts. “Right, because that’s what deserves the apology between us all.” She pauses a moment before squeezing my shoulder. “I haven’t considered him my husband since long before I left him. My boys are the only good thing to come out of my ‘marriage.’ I certainly didn’t consider myself married when I took new lovers.”
