Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
He took her in his arms and kissed her wet cheeks. “I know I’ve already asked too much of you, little witch. I’ve taken your redemption and asked for your patience. Now, I yet again have to request more. I’m asking for your trust.”
Her answer was her kiss. She stood on tiptoe to kiss the lips of the man who had once been her hunter, and who had now become her protector.
* * * *
Feeling her in his arms, soft and tiny, woke that sense of protectiveness in him he had always experienced around her. He’d do anything to ensure her safety. He’d gladly give his life. He owed her that, and more. He owed her nothing less than his soul. But he had also started glimpsing pieces of a future with Clelia that involved waking up seeing her sweet face every morning, a house filled with light and things that made it home, and the cry of a baby, the laughter of children. All of this had invaded his dark, twisted spirit and gave him hope. He didn’t want to let go of that hope. He wanted it with a passion he had never wanted with before. Nothing mattered except her. Them. If this, no–when–, this was over and Cain wouldn’t forgive him for his disloyalty in going after and saving Clelia, he’d leave the force. They’d build a new life. It wouldn’t have to be in New York. It could be wherever she wanted.
Her kiss turned deeper, her tongue seeking his. He groaned when she sucked his lower lip into her mouth, just like he had showed her to. Male pride filled his heart. She was his to teach. His little witch slipped her hand down his body and placed her tiny hand on his crotch. His whole body jerked in response to her touch.
He pulled away to look at her, but cupped her hand to keep her fingers on his groin. “If you continue like this we’re going to skip dessert.”
“I don’t care for dessert.”
Her breathing was irregular and her lips swollen from his kiss. Without wasting another second, he picked her up and carried her to their room, reveling in the way she nestled against him. Josselin made swift work of undressing them both. She remained perfectly still, allowing him to pull down her dress and underwear and to place her on the bed, but when he came over her, she pushed with her hands on his chest. He paused to look at her.
“Roll over,” she said.
Her cheeks flushed adoringly at her forwardness with him. Even if he had no intention of letting her ride him, not just yet, he played along, just to see her shyness at the control she was taking. He lay down on his back, folding his hands behind his head, grinning up at her. He was curious to see what she had in mind.
She knelt over him, standing on her knees, and the sight of her body posed naked for him to enjoy every inch, wiped the grin straight off his face. She was beautiful, perfect. He wanted to touch every inch of her skin. When he lifted his hands to feel the firmness of her breasts, she shook her head.
“No.” She took his hands and placed them above his head. “Keep them here. Tonight is my turn.”
Josselin barely managed to fulfill her wish as she moved her body so that she was lying on top of him. The feeling of her skin against his drove him crazy. He gritted his teeth as she started kissing him softly from his neck to his torso, sliding her body over his as she moved down. His cock jerked at every move. It took all the control he could muster to keep still. Lifting his head, he watched as she licked the skin around his navel, tracing a path all the way down to his balls. A sharp jab of pleasure launched into his spine as she sucked them into her mouth. The loud groan that came from his throat sounded primitive. Her warm little tongue licked and sucked its way up his shaft until he thought he was going to explode. Her palms moved up over his belly, her fingers pinching the flat disks of his nipples just as her teeth scraped over the crest of his cock. Josselin arched off the mattress.
“Ah. God, witch!”
Just when he was going to grab her hair, to keep her head still, lest he come before he had even penetrated her, she slid her body back up over his and cushioned his painfully hard cock between her breasts. He was slick from her tongue, and she easily stroked his shaft between those pretty mounds. Josselin looked down. He groaned, clenching his jaw so tightly that he heard his teeth crunch.
“Stop,” he said, surprising himself that he managed to utter the word. “Stop or I’ll lose control, and I don’t want to hurt you.”
She obeyed, but only to torture him further by straddling him on her knees, running a finger through her folds, gathering her juices and rubbing it around her tight entrance and her clit.
Josselin nearly choked. His heart was about to explode in his chest. He couldn’t keep still, couldn’t refrain from touching her any longer. His control hung by a thin thread. He watched as she took his cock and placed it against the entrance of her pussy.
Understanding her intention, he grabbed her hips and held her still. “Not like this. Not so soon. It’ll be too intense.”
Ignoring his warning, she tried to force herself down an inch, but he tightened his grip.
“Cle, let me love you gently tonight,” he said.
Instead of being a wise little witch, she was a disobedient one, cupping his hands and guiding them to her breasts.
“We’ll go slowly,” she said.
Josselin felt the hard nipples under his palms contract further as she moved down more, her pussy trying to adjust to take his size. His gaze slipped down. It was the most erotically beautiful thing he had ever seen, his woman claiming him. It took every ounce of control he possessed not to slam up into her. Even as his hips started rotating involuntarily, he stilled them, focusing on Clelia’s face to try and ground himself, to keep him from going over the edge and taking her hard and fast like his body demanded.
Her face was twisted with pleasure, her lips parted, her eyes wide. She moved up and down slowly, with every stroke taking more of him. He watched the lips of her pussy stretch around him and felt the tremors that ran through her vagina, squeezing his cock. Josselin grabbed her hips again to aid her movement, to prevent her from taking him too fast, but she tricked him by lifting up slowly and slamming down hard, taking him to the hilt.
Clelia cried out. Her head fell back as she arched her back, pushing her perfect breasts out to him. Josselin repeated over and over in his mind that she had the control. She had all the control. He wanted to let her have him at her pace, slow and sweet, but his witch had other ideas. Reaching behind she cupped his balls, squeezing softly. Air wheezed from his lips as she picked up her pace. Her moans alone were an aphrodisiac that had the power to shatter his self-control. She squirmed and panted and she moved faster, her milky breasts moving with a beat that echoed that of his heart thumping between his ribs.
He saw it in her eyes. She was close. She had managed to keep those brown eyes prettily open for him, and he recognized the hazy look that came over them. Feeling the restraint he fought for slipping, he pressed his thumb on her clit and held her in place with one hand on her hip while slamming up into her with the force and speed his broken control demanded.
Her scream echoed in the room as she contracted around him, her pussy milking his cock, sending him over an edge so deep he wasn’t sure he’d ever come back up. Hot needles pierced the base of his spine as his seed spurted into her. He clutched her to him with an instinctive primal action until the last drop was spilled. Only then did he slacken his grip to allow her limp body to fall onto his chest.
They were both wet with perspiration. His hands rubbed over her buttocks and her back. It took several seconds before they caught their breath. As reason returned to his over-sensitized mind, concern set in. Josselin grabbed her hair in a ponytail to move it away from her face.
He kissed her temple. “Are you all right?”
Only a content little sigh escaped her lips.
He pulled his semi-hard cock free from her body, inviting a whimper from her lips.
He rolled her onto her back. “Sore?”
She blinked at him.
He moved dow
n the bed until his face was level with her pussy. She was glistening with her juices. His seed was running down her legs. An overwhelming feeling of pride and possession engulfed him. He carefully parted the folds and licked his finger to slip it inside.
Her thigh muscles quivered at the penetration.
“It’s all right. I’m just checking that I haven’t injured you.”
She flushed so prettily. “I’m not fragile, Josselin,” she said, her voice husky from being thoroughly loved.
“So you keep on saying.” He chuckled. “Not a wise move to make me lose control like that. Not until you’re used to my size.”
She gave him an adorable cocky smile. “Are you bragging about your size?”
He slapped her ass cheek playfully. “If you’re not careful, I’ll bend you over my knee.”
“Can you do it in that position?” She widened her eyes mockingly.
Immediately his cock sprang to life again. “There are other things I could do to you from that position. And then I’ll take you from behind, and in my lap, and in every position imaginable.”
She closed her eyes. “I can hardly wait.”
Josselin grinned. With a soft kiss on her curls, he moved up and took her into his arms, draping her over his chest.
“You’re tired,” he said. “Sleep.”
She lifted her head. “Maybe I should clean up first.”
“Shhh.” He pushed his finger on her lips. “I like to see my cum running down your legs.”
This time she flushed scarlet.
He kissed her hair. “It reminds me who you belong to.”
“I’m yours,” she said, resting her cheek back on his chest.
It was the most beautiful words he had heard in a long time.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sometime in the middle of the night, Clelia woke up thirsty. As always, when she moved in his arms, Josselin immediately sat up.
“Are you all right?” he said.
“I was just going to get some water.”
He leaned over her, poured water into a glass from the bottle he habitually left on the bedside table and handed it to her. As she drank, he kissed her shoulder. When she was done, he left the glass on the table, lifted her and carried her to the bathroom.
“What are you doing, Josselin?”
“I’m going to run us a bath.”
“Now?”
He looked down to her sex. “You were tired after we made love and I wanted you to rest, but you won’t sleep well being wet with my semen.”
Clelia felt the blood rush to her neck.
Josselin chuckled and kissed her. “May as well get used to it. I find it very provocative to see the evidence of our lovemaking between your legs.”
From the heat she felt in her cheeks, she was sure she was blushing even more.
He left her on the bench while he ran a bath. Watching his preparations, she said carefully, “Josselin, you haven’t used a condom.”
He looked at her as if her statement surprised him. “No, I haven’t.”
She brushed her foot over the soft bath rug, avoiding his intense gaze. “It may not be safe. My periods aren’t regular. There’s no way of telling when I’m ovulating.”
He poured bath salt under the running tap, immediately infusing the air with the smell of lavender.
“Will it bother you if you fall pregnant?”
His words were spoken nonchalantly, as if they carried no weight whatsoever and it took her aback. Somehow, with his intense and dark past, she had imagined that having children would be something Josselin would be skeptical about, especially after the way his father had made him suffer.
“No, it wouldn’t bother me. I’d love to have your baby.”
He turned to kneel in front of her. “And there’s nothing that I’d love more than having a baby with you.”
Clelia blinked back at him. This was not the Josselin she had gotten to know. This was a man who sounded at peace, not like a man who was haunted by his past. Her heart swelled with happiness.
“But you’re right,” he said, taking her hand. “We haven’t discussed it and we should have. Maybe you’d like to wait a while before we try.”
She chewed her lip, carefully considering her words. “I’d like to wait at least until after we’ve...” she cleared her throat, “...you’ve dealt with Lupien.”
In an instant, his eyes darkened. “Nothing will happen, do you hear me? I won’t lose you. We are going to get through this.”
She nodded, swallowing her fear.
“And then I want to see you in our children’s eyes,” he said.
Tears blurred her vision. The knot in her throat made it hard for her to speak, but she had to say what was bothering her.
“What if they have my genes? What if they’re firestarters like me and my mother?”
He closed his eyes and pulled her to him with a sigh. “Oh, witch, why would you even think that it would be an issue?”
“It’s not normal, Joss,” she said, her tears running over his naked chest.
“Josselin,” he corrected gently.
“It’s not normal, Josselin.”
His arms tightened around her. “And what is normal? You’re a wonderful, beautiful human being. You’re a different kind of normal. That doesn’t make you less human.”
She pulled away to look at him. “You won’t be upset if they combust things around the house?”
He grinned at that. “Will you be upset if they are little Josselins who like to taste blood? Maybe my genes will give you little vampires.”
A happy laugh bubbled from inside of her. “I’d love any little Josselin, vampire or not.”
“So?” He lifted his shoulders. “Then what’s the problem?”
Her smile was grateful. “Thank you for loving me for what I am.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “I love you for who you are, witch.”
As she put her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, she felt his cock push into her tummy. Her eyes were drawn in that direction.
“Oh no,” he said. “This penis has taken enough of you for one night.”
“It could never be enough.”
He smiled like a boy with a new prized toy. “Soon, I promise to love you all night long, as many times as you wish.”
Clelia kissed his chest. “I’ll hold you to that promise.”
* * * *
Josselin had washed her from head to toe, soft massaging movements that had her like putty in his hands. After drying her body and her hair, he carried her back to bed, made her watch as he changed their sheets so that she didn’t have to sleep on the ‘wet patch’ as he had put it, and then he folded his arms around her, hugging her tight while she slept like she hadn’t slept in months.
Waking up feeling refreshed and rested, Clelia was disappointed to find Josselin’s place in the bed empty. Checking her wristwatch, she noticed that it was already ten. There was a note on her bedside table, saying that he had gone into Vannes for business, and that she had to stay in the castle until he got back.
After dressing in jeans, a red wool sweater and boots, Clelia ventured downstairs and found the typical French breakfast of croissants waiting for her at the table in the dining room. Instead of espresso, there was a flask of hot water and a selection of teabags. The evidence of the previous night’s dinner was gone. She had to have slept so deeply that she didn’t even hear the cleaning staff coming in and going. The strong tea gave her the kick-start she needed for the day. Her body still tingled down there from the previous night’s adventure in bed, and just the thought of it made butterflies in her tummy. She missed Josselin.
When she took her breakfast things to the kitchen to rinse, she nearly bumped into a lanky teenager with red hair and plenty of freckles who exited just as she was about to go through the door. Clelia jumped, making the cup and saucer rattle.
“Sorry,” the boy said, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
He had a bro
om in his hand and a red apron tied around his waist.
“Who are you?” Clelia took a step back.
He clutched the broom even tighter. “I’m Siril, Izabell’s cousin. I’m just helping out with the cleaning.”
Clelia relaxed slightly. “You gave me a fright.”
“Sorry. You were sleeping, and we didn’t want to wake you to let you know we were here.”
She looked around. “Where’s everyone else?”
“Izabell left. She’ll be back to prepare lunch.”
Clelia had a few ideas about fixing up the garden and the interior that she wanted to run past Josselin. It was a shame to leave the castle so neglected. If Izabell could give her advice about the practicality of her initiative before she told Josselin about what she had in mind, she wouldn’t seem like a total klutz.
“Is she picking you up later?”
“No. I came by bike. I’m supposed to leave once I’m done sweeping the terrace out front.” He rested the broom against the wall and held out his hands. “Let me take that for you.”
“It’s all right. I was just going to rinse this in the kitchen.”
He made big eyes. “Oh, no. Izabell would be upset. That’s my job.”
Clelia relented and handed him the dirty crockery. “Do you work for your aunt permanently?”
“Only for the holiday,” he said over his shoulder.
Clelia watched Siril starting to wash the dishes, but as he seemed not to be inclined to conversation, she left him to his work, deciding to go for a walk.
For an hour, Clelia walked around the grounds and the castle. She even located the chapel where they got married and discovered all the flowers and candles gone. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what Josselin was paying Izabell for her services. Going from room to room, Clelia for the first time envisioned actually living in a castle like that. She made a game of coming up with imaginary décor for each room, but eventually she started to get bored.
There was nothing to clean, nothing to unpack, and nothing to read. Maybe Josselin would be home for lunch. Maybe she could surprise him with a nice meal instead of leaving it up to Izabell. Clelia ventured into the kitchen and studied the contents of the fridge and the pantry. An idea crossed her mind. She could prepare Noix de Saint Jacques with garlic and Parmesan shavings on the grill, and a Kouig-amann for dessert. She enjoyed cooking. She would love to cook for her husband and it would give her something to do.
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