My heart slammed to a halt in my chest.
Give her back her family from her past life?
I turned my attention back to Vivian, who looked pleased with my reaction.
“You mean … her and I …” The words caught in my throat.
With a slight chuckle, she smirked. “Yes, that is exactly what I mean.”
The chain holding two bands securely around my neck vibrated with possibilities. I reached up and pulled them from under my shirt, wondering what she’d say.
Would it be too much for her?
She’d gotten a rock from Lancer, so would this be enough?
“Arthur,” Vivian reprimanded me. “She’s not going to care about what ring you give her.”
“I can’t push her into anything right now, Vivian.” I kept my voice low, in case Alexandria decided to show up, which she had a habit of doing. “She needs me, but I don’t know if marrying her again will fix this.”
She sighed. “You’re afraid if you marry her, it will seal her fate again.”
My lips drew into a thin line. “My track record isn’t that great.”
“This time is different, Arthur, believe me.” Vivian placed a hand on mine. “Do it here, privately. Let John marry you, but only ask her when you feel she’s ready.”
After a quick moment of silence, Vivian stood and left me alone with my jumbled thoughts. Exhaling loudly, I raked both hands through my hair and rested my elbows on my knees.
Marry Alexandria.
Make her mine forever, in life or in death.
Can I do this again?
All my life, I’d chased her time and time again. Each time, I’d failed us both.
Perhaps Vivian’s right, and this time is different because it’s our last.
The thought of her smiling face walking toward me dressed in a simple white gown made my stomach flutter and my eyes sting.
Rising to my feet, I decided the best thing to do would be to sleep on such a drastic measure. I paused at Alexandria’s door and knocked, waiting for her to answer. When there was none, I opened the door cautiously, peeking in and seeing no trace of her. My gaze narrowed on the cracked bedroom door, and I strode over, pushing the solid oak open.
She wasn’t there.
A flash of panic jolted through my body, and instantly, I went to my own rooms. If she’d made a run for it or gone back to the Great Hall, I’d need backup. I bulldozed my way into my own chamber, careening through the main sitting area and through my bedroom door. That was when I came to a thundering halt.
Alexandria sat in the middle of my bed. She was still dressed in her black dress, but her hair fell in waves around her shoulders. Her blue gaze lifted to meet mine, and a small twitch of a smile lifted the corners of her mouth.
“I … ah, checked your rooms, and you weren’t there, so I was …” Clearing my throat, I realized I sounded like a bumbling idiot. “Are you okay?”
She tossed her legs over the side of the mattress and stood barefoot.
“I’m so tired of being lost, Arthur.” Her voice sounded thick and rasping as though crying tore her vocal cords to shreds. “I’m tired of losing the people I love.”
What do I say?
I’m so sorry you’re a part of this curse with me?
I’m sorry for seeking you out and falling in love with you, again?
“Alexandria—”
She held up a hand. “No, I want you to listen to me, Arthur.”
I gulped, wondering what listening entailed. “You have my undivided attention.”
Wordlessly, Alexandria reached for her side and found the hidden zipper nestled just under her arm. She pulled silently, loosening the dress and allowing her to slip her arms free.
Taking a step back, I raised my eyebrows, and I struggled between right and wrong. The black fabric pooled at her feet, and she stepped out of it, standing before me in just a black bra and matching lace panties.
“Alexandria, I’m not quite sure what you want me to listen to when you’re …” I motioned up and down her body. “When you are standing there in just your underwear.”
“Then you’re not listening.” She walked across the wooden floor, closing the gap between us. “Because I’m screaming, Arthur.”
Fuck me.
Closing my eyes briefly, I could feel her soul both confused and assured in what she wanted.
“Tell me what you want.” My voice lowered to a graveled tone, warning her not to press me. “I need to hear you say it.”
Alexandria wrapped her hands around the nape of my neck and pressed her nearly naked body against my fully clothed one. Her fingers played in my hair, teasing me as she studied my face. My hands moved of their own accord to her waist, giving a light squeeze.
She should know better than to tempt me.
I’d lose every time to her.
“I want you to make me remember.” Her lips danced just a whisper away from mine. “I need you to force my memories back, and I think there is only one way that can happen.”
Grappling with what she’d been through today, I tried to rationalize with her. “Alexandria, you’ve been through hell today. Do you really think this is wise?”
“I know exactly what I’ve been through, Arthur.” She gave my hair a gentle tug, pulling a growl from my chest. “And I know what I need to do to fix this.”
Saying no to Alexandria was like refusing to breathe.
Impossible.
“Just remember, you started this.” My hands splayed along her bare back, stroking every inch and curve. “And I can’t promise I’ll stop.”
Her lids grew heavy, and her lips parted. “I don’t want you to ever stop.”
No truer words were ever spoken. I never wanted to stop loving her, and she’d given me permission. One of my hands shot straight into her silky hair and twisted against the back of her head, holding her still so I could kiss her.
Our lips clashed against each other in raw lust and sharp passion. She never once backed away from me or hesitated. When I squeezed her ass, her moan allowed me entry into her mouth. My tongue found hers and explored, relearning the woman who’d once been mine. All mine.
I backed her against one of the bedposts as she yanked my suit jacket from my shoulders and began to work clumsily on my dress shirt buttons.
“Oh, just fuck it,” she growled, ripping the white Armani shirt off in a surprise show of strength. That got my dick’s attention, and it strained against my black trousers.
Gripping her chin, I turned her head, gaining access to her slender throat. She mewled as she ran her hands over my bare chest and stomach, fumbling for my belt. She tasted like I remembered. I playfully spun her around, and her hands instinctively gripped the post.
“I forgot how much I love your ass.” Rubbing my palm against her pert bottom, I gave it a firm smack, nipping along her spine. Her back arched, and she squeaked at the spanking, but she didn’t complain.
With one quick flick of my wrist, her bra tumbled down her arms, and I pressed myself against her back. My hands reached around to cup and tease her taut nipples, and she tossed her head back against my chest.
“Arthur,” she whispered, breathless in her desire.
I nuzzled my nose into her hair, inhaling the smell of lavender and vanilla. “Yes, love?”
She whimpered. “Please fuck me.”
Turning her back around, I hooked a finger under her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes. “I’m not just going to fuck you.”
Her gaze widened, face flushed pink.
In a matter of seconds, I’d rid myself of my pants and briefs, allowing my erection to bob heavily between us. She swallowed hard as she stared while I loosened my tie and let my torn shirt join the pile of clothes on the floor.
I guided her backward until the backs of her knees hit the bed, and I gently pushed her down. She bounced, her breasts bobbing in tandem, and I smirked.
“You are so gorgeous, Alexandria.” Hooking my thumbs in her pant
ies, I pulled them down her legs.
“So are you.” She gasped, suddenly becoming modest and trying to cover herself.
“Ah, ah, ah, none of that.” I chased her up the bed until her head rested against the pillows, and I trapped her thighs in my hands, spreading them wide. “You told me to make you remember.”
She nodded, obviously a bit apprehensive now but not telling me to stop.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” Trailing kisses up the inside of her thigh, she squirmed. I knew the flesh here was the most sensitive, and I licked and sucked, teasing her with what was to come.
Her fingers dived into my hair, attempting to hold on. “Arthur, please,” she begged, her hips wiggling, and I teased one finger up and down her wet entrance.
A shudder rocked her body, and I took that as my cue.
Eagerly, my tongue darted out and began to torture her. I kept her legs spread wide, unabashedly exposing her to me. Alexandria cried out in pleasure while I licked, sucked, and assaulted her core. She bucked and writhed, giving me the erotic show I thought I would be left re-living only in my dreams.
She reached out to me blindly, her words not making much sense, but I understood.
Focusing my attention on her clit, I slipped first one finger, then two inside her. Her breathing became louder, and her body undulated on its own accord.
“Arthur … I’m going t-to …” As her words trailed off, a low scream escaped her lips, and I chuckled, hooking my fingers to push her farther over the edge.
My gaze glued to her face as she came, making sure to sear the image into my mind for eternity. When her groans became whimpers, I kissed up her body, hovering over her. My elbows rested on either side of her head, and the head of my cock bumped her readied entrance.
“What do you want, love?”
My voice took on a rough, graveled tone. In my lust, I played against her wet slit, pulling soft gasps from Alexandria’s lips.
“Y-you.”
That one word gave me permission to reclaim what I’d lost. My life, my soul, my love, my heart, my very reason for existing. The moment we became one, her eyes shot wide, and our foreheads pressed together.
Alexandria hesitated for a moment, studying my face while I settled deep inside her.
“What is it?” I asked, kissing the tip of her nose.
A grin spread across her face, lighting up her blue eyes like fire.
She reached up and gripped my shoulders, a laugh erupting from her chest.
“Make love to me, Arthur.” The heaviness in her tone caused my hips to swing of their own accord.
Over and over, I thrust, and she met me each time.
Her hands trailed from my shoulders, over my back, and clasped around the nape of my neck. A strange expression crossed her face, one of loss and longing.
I opened my mouth to speak, but she shook her head.
Her blue eyes misted.
My brows furrowed, confused by the sudden change.
“I’ve missed you, Arthur.” Alexandria tried to blink back tears, but it was in vain. “I missed you so much.”
At first, I didn’t understand.
I missed her too.
And then it clicked.
“Alexandria, do you …?”
I couldn’t finish my question.
I didn’t want to be wrong.
But when she nodded, and her cheeks trailed with tears, my heart became too full for words. No matter how much I wanted to pleasure her and bring us both to heady bliss, this moment trumped all others.
Quickly slipping from her, I gathered Alexandria in my arms and cupped her face. “Is it really you? Do you remember me?”
She smiled that familiar smile I knew to be just for me. “How could I forget you?”
I kissed her fervently, like a man starved for months, pressing her back down into the mattress. And when she kissed me back, everything fell back into place.
Somehow, through the hundreds of years and millions of memories traveled, she’d found me.
TWENTY-TWO
Alexandria
From the moment he pushed me to the bed, crawled between my legs, and drew an out-of-this-world orgasm from my body, my entire being hummed with familiarity. It wasn’t so much déjàvu as it was a slowly surfacing epiphany.
Every touch, every kiss, every inch of his skin against my skin shocked my memory into overdrive. And then he slipped inside me. Time stopped.
I wish I could comprehend what happened to me, but I couldn’t. It was like standing in a black room surrounded by mirrors, desperately trying to see behind the looking glass. The more times I attempted to break the glass, the more desperate I became. My reflection glowered back at me, and I knew she held secrets from us both.
As Avalon thrust, mirror after mirror surrounding me shattered, revealing behind the glass exactly what I’d been missing all along.
Memories.
Good memories, bad memories, painful memories, and joyful memories.
All the memories I’d lost with Avalon—no, with Arthur.
So when I finally opened my eyes, overwhelmed with emotion and elated by the truth, the first person I saw was the only one who’d ever mattered. The man who’d challenged me, devoted himself to me, and loved me through it all stared back at me.
A flurry of emotions crossed his face as Avalon slowly began to understand what had happened. I remembered, but most importantly, I remembered him. I remembered us.
He slipped from me, enveloping me in his strong arms.
Avalon cupped my face, his eyes wide in shock and hope. “Is it really you? Do you remember me?”
Smiling, I offered him a familiar smile. “How could I forget you?”
He did the only thing I wanted him to do—he kissed me.
We sparred and fought each other with whispered apologies. We made up for lost time, thoroughly. Avalon slid inside me again, this time with more force and intention behind it.
“Alexandria, I’ve missed you so much.” He peppered kisses over my cheeks, jaw, and neck. “It’s been torture not being able to touch you or love you. God, I love you.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung to him, meeting his hips with my own. “I love you, Arthur. So much.”
“You are my everything.” He reared back and lifted my legs over his shoulder, somehow slipping deeper. “I just wanted to keep you safe, alive.”
I pushed myself up into a semi-sitting position and placed a hand over his rapidly beating heart. “I forgive you for making me forget you. I know why you did it, and I understand.” Tears cascaded down my cheeks. “Now make love to me and don’t hold back. Make me yours again.”
The emerald bursts in his gray eyes seemed to glow in the dim light, and a familiar, devilish smirk crossed his lips.
“As you wish.”
Arthur took me then—mercilessly pounding into me, punishing us both for past wrongdoings. Pleasure built over and over again in my core, and I lost count of how many times he pushed me over the edge.
We didn’t stop.
We always sought each other out, seeking more, needing the other body and soul.
Arthur slowed his pace as he lay over me, kissing me deeply. His own rhythm began to falter, and I knew he was close. I wrapped my legs around his waist, drawing him closer to me, and a low moan ripped from his chest.
He thickened and pulsed within me, and I shivered.
I remembered what I dreamed of before he took my memories.
A life and everything in it with Arthur by my side.
Wetness hit my face, and I looked up.
Arthur wrapped his arms around me and held me close, our bodies slick with sweat and hearts beating in time with the other.
“I can’t lose you again,” he whispered against my ear. “I refuse to let you go again.”
My chest tightened at his words.
He was telling the truth.
Arthur meant every word he said.
“How can we do that?”
I asked, stroking my fingers through his jet-black hair. “I want that, too.”
Pulling back, Arthur withdrew from me, leaving me sated but empty, and plopped down onto the mattress. His hand covered his chest for a moment before I noticed he held the bands between his fingers.
When he sat up, I followed, wanting to hear his response.
Very slowly, he reached behind his neck and unclasped the sterling chain. He held out his palm and let both bands fall onto his hand. The large one he set on the nightstand, keeping the smaller.
“This isn’t exactly how I planned to do this.” Arthur’s voice came out tight, a bit nervous, and a lot strained. “But knowing that you remember me, us, and what we had, I have to do this now.”
My heart jumped into my throat, and I gasped as he held out the ancient band.
“Alexandria York, I refuse to live a life without you. No matter how long or short we may have, I’d be honored to have you by my side.” His stare grew misty and intensified on my own. “You are everything I’ve ever wanted and so much more. I spent forever waiting for you, and I cannot wait any longer. You make me a better man and make me feel human, no matter how many lifetimes I’ve lived.” He gulped. “Will you marry me, and I will fight until my final breath for us, for our future.” Tears slipped down his cheeks. “Because that’s all I dream of now. A future with you by my side and possibly children running up and down these halls. You and I growing old together, and knowing in this lifetime, I truly lived.”
My own eyes stung with tears, and I allowed them to fall.
I stared at the ring, simple and elegant.
“Yes,” I choked out on a sob. “Before you took away my memories, this is what I wanted with you.”
Arthur took my hand and gently graced my finger with the band. “Then that is what you shall have.”
A calm settled over my body as the ring rested comfortably on my left ring finger.
This was how it was supposed to be.
He and I.
Him and me.
Forever, no matter what.
“I don’t want to wait, Arthur.” I couldn’t stop the soft smile as I stared at the ring that now connected us. “I can’t wait.”
Return to Avalon: Book #4 (The Legend Series) Page 12
