by Ann Aguirre
“You… love me?” His voice broke on a note so hopeful that she stopped in astonishment.
“Try to keep up. Meanwhile, you’re trying to—”
“Forget everything. Forget what I just said.”
He dove at her like she was a wedding bouquet he had to catch, and Dom held her so tight and close that she couldn’t get a breath. Confusion rioted in her head, echoed by the distant shouts from the park, the steady drumming that drove the music. He ran his hands over her back over and over again, as if he couldn’t believe she was real. What’s happening here? At least puzzlement dried her tears, and with the shocking pain of rejection receding, she started to sort things out. He was… letting me go? Because he thought that was what I wanted?
“What are you saying?” she asked, cautious.
Afraid to yearn, Pru had lived for twenty-seven years—quiet, unassuming, and endlessly helpful. For so long, she’d even been afraid to hope. But the spark flickered just like the candle flames dancing all around the room, impossible to extinguish.
“If you love me… if you love me, kitten, that changes everything.”
Suddenly euphoric, Dom spun her in a circle until she pummeled his shoulders, and he staggered to the sofa, dizzy. I’m sorry, Slay. Wherever you are. But he wasn’t. Not really.
“How?” she demanded.
Even though he had misunderstood her in the worst possible way, she didn’t fight him when he pulled her into his lap. “Because I was going by some old rule about how if you love something, you set it free, or I don’t even know. I don’t sleep a lot lately.”
“I could kill you,” she muttered.
“You’d miss me.” Smiling, he kissed her temple. “Before, you said we don’t have a great love, and that’s bullshit. From where I’m sitting, our love is pretty close to miraculous.”
“Our…?” she repeated in a wisp of a voice.
“Maybe we didn’t fall for each other at first sight, but there’s nothing inherently superior about instant attraction. Love can’t be put in a pail and measured by volume. I wish to hell I’d told you how I feel first, but you’re braver than me. Stronger too. In so many ways.” Embarrassment swept him in a rush, but he didn’t let it interfere with what he had to say.
She tried to speak then, but he pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. She tastes like blood, my ferocious little war cat. Mine. Yes, mine. He wouldn’t rescind that claim for anything in the world now.
Dom went on, “Loss never broke you like it did me. Pru, you came along, swept me up like a window somebody put a rock through, and you made me feel like I had value again. I can’t stress how important that is—you saw how I was on the mountain—and you chose me. That’s worth a million magical first looks, do you understand? And I will spend the rest of my life working to be worthy of your faith. For that alone, it was fucking inevitable that I’d love you, even if you weren’t you. Add in your sweetness, your dedication, your passion, and—”
“You’re saying that I’m… lovable?”
“Eminently. Irresistibly. I fucking adore you, if that wasn’t clear. Which is why I died a thousand times tonight, thinking I had to be a noble dickhead and cut you loose.”
“Please don’t,” she whispered.
“Seems like we’ve both worried about the shadows other loves have left.” He ran his palm over her cheek, her jaw, and didn’t let himself wonder how often Slay had touched her. Somehow it was worse than it had been, now that Dom knew she loved him, because some small part of him wished she’d always been his. Except that wasn’t only irrational but also impossible, because he didn’t wish away the years he’d spent with Dalena.
“Now that I know I’m in your heart, it’s fine.” With endless delicacy, she traced his features, so that Dom fought and ultimately yielded to the urge to kiss her fingers one by one.
Nobody should be this sweet.
The desire to reassure her swept him. I have to make her feel so safe, so cherished, that she never doubts us again. “Some loves are like a fire, and they burn from the first spark.” By her knowing eyes, she understood what he meant without additional context. “Our love, it’s a tree, and you’ve been watering it for years. Dalena is and always will be my first love. But you, Pru… fate willing, you will be my last.”
“Will you say it?”
He didn’t tease or make her ask again. Now that he understood that she wanted his heart, she would never again need to request a glimpse of it. “I love you.”
“I didn’t want to be the one to break our bargain or ask for more.” Gripping his shirt in her fists, she buried her face, and a few seconds later, the heat of her tears seeped through the worn fabric. “It’s always me, you know? Begging for crumbs from a table at a party I wasn’t invited to.”
Fucking Slay. It was insane how he could want him back so much, but at the same time, he also wanted to punch him in the face. Repeatedly. You have to be okay. Because I really owe you a beating.
She must’ve read his mind because she raised her tear-stained face. “About Slay… I want him safe. I want him home. And that’s where it stops.”
“Promise me you’ll never cry over that asshole again.”
“Deal,” she said. “Just so you know, I’d choose you as my mate every time. You were the best decision I ever made, even if you tricked me.”
Dom averted his eyes, hoping she wasn’t mad about that. At least it’s out in the open. “Got it. Of course I’ll keep my promise about finding Slay. Just… not so you two can pick up where you left off. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m possessive as fuck where you’re concerned.”
She rubbed her cheek against his, a slow glide back and forth that he recognized as Pru staking a silent claim. “It registered, but I wasn’t sure how seriously I should take it.”
“Put it this way. When I see somebody else’s hands on you, I want to bite his face off.”
“I hate how much I like hearing that.”
“But you love me?” Okay, so it was a bit needy to make her say it. Again. But he felt like a dying plant in the desert that had been turned toward a cloudless sky for weeks waiting for rain.
Her mouth grazed his throat, making his heart skip. “I don’t even know when it started, to be honest. You’ve always been so kind to me—”
Aggravated, he growled, “If that’s all it takes, maybe I need to lock you up. From what I hear, Raff’s plenty sweet to you, half his wolves, and maybe the Order of Saint Casimir too.”
“They’ve all taken vows of celibacy,” she pointed out.
“You’re not helping.”
“I’m not trying to. Plus, you’ve got me pegged all wrong. If I went astray, I’d chase after Alastor. He’s all tortured and what-not, and who doesn’t want to be a princess?”
Dom stared, unable to believe what he’d just heard. “What did you say?”
Giggling, she broke his hold on her and tumbled over the back of the couch, then peeped over the rim with such an impish smile that he fell in love with her all over again, even if she was fucking with his head. I deserve it, considering everything I put her through tonight. Somehow, he smiled, though that shit wasn’t funny at all; that was Pru’s magic.
“You know what I want to do?” she whispered.
“Abandon me for that Golgoth asshole?” Saying that with a straight face wasn’t easy, and for a minute he had her fooled with the brooding expression.
Practice does make perfect.
“No.” She legitimately sounded horrified. “I was teasing, love.”
She’s never called me that before. His every nerve crackled to life with delicious desire, but there was no reason to pounce on her straightaway. Tonight, they had some time to lavish on each other, before the endless demands kicked in again. What did I ever do to deserve you? That question had no answer, but he suspected he had been a big damn hero in some former life.
“Then tell me. From here on out, it’s my job to make all your wishes come true.”
�
��Yeah? Well, this isn’t such a big one.” She rose and rested her folded arms on the back of the couch, her chin, the sweet curve of her mouth only a few inches away.
His thoughts tumbled over one another like befuddled kittens. Damn, I want to kiss her. I want to make love to my wife. Shit, we never even had a ceremony, never exchanged vows.
Focus, dumbass, she’s speaking actual words.
“…so that’s why I want to plant a tree,” she finished.
“Where?” Please don’t let her have covered that already.
If he admitted all the blood had rushed to his cock so he hadn’t heard a word she’d said, that would be hard to live down. Pun intended.
“At the retreat. I know it can’t be for a while, but that’s where all of this started. So I thought it would be special if we did that together when spring comes. As a symbol.”
“Absolutely.” If she’d asked for a solid gold bus, he’d have answered the same. “I don’t know anything about arboreal whatever. What kind?”
“The apple tree represents beauty and love, but the alder symbolizes endurance and passion. So I’m not sure, but we have time to think about it.” A sudden burst of merriment silenced her momentarily, as she cocked her head, listening. “But… this isn’t urgent. Did you want to join the party? They seem to be having a blast.”
With a grin, Dom pulled her over the couch on top of him, and his entire body trembled from the pleasure of it when he’d thought there would only be one more hug, one more kiss, and then only the endless sorrow of losing her. But no. She loves me. Hell if I know why. But he wasn’t dumb enough to question heaven when she gazed down at him with such soft eyes.
“No thanks, kitten. I have a more private celebration in mind.”
29.
“Like what?” Pru asked.
As if I don’t know.
Her heart was already racing like she’d run twenty kilometers, and she wanted to kiss him until neither of them could breathe. But he startled her by filling up a teakettle from the tap, then Dom had to light the stove manually. It took a ridiculously long time to heat up that small amount of water. Despite their recent declarations, shyness overwhelmed her when he peeled off her tunic. She had no idea why baring their souls changed everything; she only knew that it did.
He huffed with a sound somewhere between frustration and amusement. “You were completely shameless at the retreat. Now you’re timid? And why do I always have to scrub blood off you before I take you to bed lately?”
“Because I’m ferocious?”
“Undoubtedly.”
Closing her eyes helped, and somehow they managed to perform rudimentary ablutions. “Next time, we can shift and groom each other.”
“I thought of that,” Dom said. “But the prospect of licking Golgoth effluvia from you kind of kills the mood.”
She shuddered in reflex. “When you put it that way… I miss hot showers.”
The scrape of the damp cloth over her skin distracted her—in the best possible way. There was no blood on her breasts, but he’d been circling there for a while. Dom loves me. How can this possibly be real? A small part of her simply couldn’t fathom it; happy endings were for other people. But then he dropped all pretense at hygiene and pulled her close. For a long moment, she listened to his heart, thumping out a private message meant just for her.
He’s really mine. Not a corner. All of him.
“I wish I had somewhere better to take you, but… this is home. We’ll rebuild together.”
“Just not tonight. Shall we inspect the bedroom?” It was nearly impossible for her to switch her brain off, so she unlocked the door in case her dad came home.
“Are you propositioning me?”
Pru smiled. With a fraction of her old insouciance, she sauntered away from him and took great satisfaction in Dom’s muffled groan. She added a little extra swing in her hips.
Like the living area, their room was dusty, but someone had stripped the bed, at least. She unearthed a couple of blankets that had been bagged in storage and spread them on the mattress. With no heat, she was soon shivering, so she crawled between them and glanced at Dom still hovering in the doorway.
“Come to bed,” she said.
“I’m not tired.”
“Neither am I.”
His grin threatened to crack his face open, and after shutting the door behind him, he reached her in three long strides. “If you knew how hungry I am right now, it might scare you.”
“For me?”
“No, for chocolate cake.” Obviously amused, he slipped between the blankets, and everywhere his skin brushed hers, she shivered from the contact.
Breathless, she whispered, “It’s… more now, isn’t it? I’m not imagining that.”
He sighed. “How am I supposed to cope? I already want you so much it hurts.”
In answer, she wrapped herself around Dom and pulled him in for a kiss. Words like that were gorgeous and delectable, but she’d gorged on them until she might explode. Now she needed to touch him and feel him close. With a soft sound of appreciation, she admired the muscle he’d put on and tested the strength of him with eager hands.
Dom groaned. “Slow down. We have all night. Every other time, you’ve goaded me into rushing things. But not tonight. So just settle down and let me love you.”
Her entire body melted. “Okay.”
“Keep looking at me like that and this might go quick after all.” His heated gaze lingered on her upturned face, her lips, the line of her throat.
“You say these beautiful things… and I’m so yours that it’s ridiculous.”
“I love hearing that.” His voice dropped to a sexy rasp, and she shuddered when he kissed her throat, warm lips, soft and rough at the same time.
Pru closed her eyes in a silent affirmation of trust, fighting the impulse to writhe against him, all naked need. He didn’t make it easier when he started at her shoulders and ran his hands over every inch of her body, light and delicate caresses that sensitized her skin. Impossible not to see it as her mate learning every dip, every hollow, memorizing her like a treasure map. Beneath his teasing palms her nipples peaked, but he skimmed away, down her belly.
Lower.
But he didn’t linger there either, though he must sense her growing arousal. Pru made a tiny, frustrated noise, squirming against the blanket. He parted her thighs, and she thought she might get some relief, but no, he chose to massage instead in soft, circular strokes. The hypnotic pressure made her legs fall open as his thumbs worked ever closer to her core. Pru couldn’t help but focus on the pleasure building in subtle increments, though he seemed determined to drive her utterly wild.
“Don’t stop now.”
“I’m not. I’m just admiring you. Do you know how pretty you are when you’re turned on? You start with a gorgeous flush here… and it swells until you’re all pink and glowing.” With one fingertip, he traced the path from her chest to her cheeks.
“Dom, please.” She pressed her palms to her face, both embarrassed and delighted.
“I could stand to hear you say that a hundred more times tonight. Only more breathless.”
“You want me to beg?”
“Maybe a little.”
“For what?” With his hands on her thighs again, it was all she could do to form such a short sentence.
“My fingers. My lips. My tongue. My cock. Whatever you want most, kitten.”
“All of the above. Please?”
“Be specific.”
She’d do practically anything to get him to step it up, let alone babble some words. “Use your mouth on me. Everywhere.”
With a pleased growl, he started at her shoulders, licking and nuzzling until she grabbed at his head and pulled him to her breasts. The silent demand kindled something sharp and hot in him; she saw it in his avid eyes. When he sucked her nipple into his mouth, Pru’s whole body locked, then she arched because he knew exactly how to use his teeth. Dom went back and forth, nipping
and kissing, until her skin went tender from the scrape of his scruff, such delicious contrast to his mouth.
“Let’s see how wet you are.” Exquisitely gentle, he grazed her slick folds with thumb and forefinger, sending a shock of pleasure to her clit.
“I love you,” she gasped.
There was no stemming the words, no reason to anymore, but their effect on him was profound. Though half-closed and dreamy eyes, she saw an answering flush bloom on his cheekbones, and she didn’t imagine the tremor in his hands. Suddenly, he settled between her thighs and hooked her legs over his shoulders.
“Say it again.”
“I love you, Dom. I love you.”
Each time she whispered it, sometimes a moan or an outright cry, he rewarded her with a lavish sweep of his tongue, faster, sweetly rhythmic, until love and Dom was all she knew, apart from the fierce pleasure spiraling in her sex. He eased one finger inside her, then two, hooking them so her entire body bowed off the bed. Pru went rigid, so turned on she couldn’t stand it, but somehow unable to come. No matter how she twisted or writhed, satisfaction hovered tantalizingly out of reach.
He rose over her then and took her mouth with brushes of lips and tongue. Pru tasted her own salt-sweetness and dove into his kiss, undulating against him all of her melted and yearning. Dom tormented her with little flickers of his damp fingertips, here and gone, grazing her nipples, the curve of her spine, and the softness of her pussy. Her breath came in runaway gasps, until she went lightheaded.
It took her a moment to process that he was holding her back, whispering, “Not yet, kitten. Not quite yet.”
Their bond was so deep that his will drove her desire, kept her stretched and trembling, on the brink of an earth-shattering orgasm.
She’s mine, Dom marveled. Totally and completely mine.
The world narrowed in scope to this woman—his wife—her body and their bed. In that moment, he stopped caring about taking his time, about control, and he spooned up against her from behind, so hard that he could burst the second her skin glided against his. At first, she didn’t seem to get the position, but when he put his hand on her hip and tilted, she cried out.
