25. All of You – Elias
All of You
ELIAS
Something warm cushioned my head, and the sharp scent of sunshine and vanilla tickled my nose.
A comforting weight pressed against my side, warmth spreading across my chest. As I opened my eyes, the morning light caught Rosemary's hair, turning it into a golden hue.
I couldn't help but grin, sighing at the sight of her head resting against me, her breathing almost in sync with my heartbeat.
She lifted her head, hands pressing into the grass beside me, and gazed down. A strand of hair fell across her cheek, and I gently tucked it behind her ear, feeling sparks at the touch of her soft skin. She looked like an angel framed by the sun's golden light.
“Did I die?” I asked, looking up at her. “Are you my angel?”
She smiled, the merriment twinkling behind her wide gaze before she pressed her lips into a thin line, her nose scrunching at the thought. “No, why would you think that?”
“Because of the beauty I have awakened to, and the golden glow of a halo upon the crown of your head,” I replied, lowering my hand back to my side as I fought the urge to drag the pad of my thumb over her lower lip.
“You know, if this is what I’ll awaken to upon death, I don’t think it such a bad fate. ”
Groaning, Rosemary gave a dramatic roll of her eyes, but I still noticed the upward tick to her lips.
“You’re ridiculous,” she said, her head shaking as she feigned annoyance. Even as I could see the almost smile, there was something else behind her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, sliding back onto my elbows until I sat, pressing my back against the nearby stone. My head spun with the movement, but her quick reactions had her hands around my shoulders as she guided me.
“Other than the fact that you nearly just died?” she scolded, then rose to her feet, pacing before me. Her pack lay splayed open a short distance away, forgotten. She combed her hands through her hair with short, frustrated movements as her gaze narrowed to the grass at her feet.
“But I didn’t,” I quipped, giving her a wicked wink. “I knew you would save me.”
She didn’t look to me when she spoke, her words soft, quiet. “You have no idea what I had to do to save you.” Her attention flicked to her pack then away again.
“You didn’t—” I couldn’t finish the thought.
Parts of a flower I had never seen lay torn apart atop a square of cloth, half tucked into her pack and half out.
Understanding dawned and horror filled me as I studied the stubborn tilt of her chin, the way her jaw tensed, and the defeated darkness within her warm brown eyes.
With a sigh, she replied, “I was able to save half of it. I think… I hope that will be enough.”
She lowered herself to her knees in front of the nearby flower, her fingers dipping toward the cloth with a reverence that bordered on fear and devotion as she folded it away. When she stood, she held the cloth within her hands while her gaze fell closed.
My head hung with shame, and I cursed beneath my breath.
I’d caused this pain within her. Stupidly, I had thought I would heal without intervention.
I hadn’t wanted to be the reason to slow her from her quest. Instead, I’d done far worse.
Because of me, this entire journey, everything she’d risked to get here, might be for naught.
It would be another decade before this opportunity would arise again.
Her Briar’s curse would kill her, and it would be entirely my fault.
“Rose, I’m so sorry.” I wanted to reach for her, but she paced several feet away, and my head still swam with weakness. I didn’t trust myself to stand just yet.
“There is nothing to be done about it now,” she said quietly. “I only pray to the gods that what I have left will be enough for Briar.” Then she paused, her entire body freezing as she spun to face me. “Why did you call me Rosie? You’ve not called me that before. Only when…” Her brow furrowed.
I watched her, my head tilting as I realized my earlier slip.
Was she about to voice how I had only ever called her that when we were children?
When she didn’t finish her thought, I replied, “I’m not sure.
It’s shorter, and you’re always chastising me when I call you princess.
” I shrugged even as my heart thundered beneath my rib cage.
Something flickered in her eyes then, a confusion that went deeper than the question she'd asked.
I watched her brow furrow as if she were trying to grasp something just beyond her reach.
The moment stretched between us, heavy with unspoken recognition, before she shook her head as if clearing away cobwebs.
She gave a curt nod. “Do you think you’re well enough to travel?”
With a grunt, I lifted myself up onto shaky legs. “If we travel slowly for a while. I could use some fresh water. Perhaps we can find a berry bush nearby? I’m sure both will have me feeling stronger and more like my usual self before long.”
Rosemary bent, scooping her belongings back into her pack before throwing the strap over her shoulder.
She pulled out half a skin of water, tossing it to me as she straightened her pack along her hip.
I drank greedily, relishing the cold kiss of liquid down my parched throat.
If I remembered correctly, there was a stream not far from here where we would be able to refill our skins.
“Our bargain does include you bringing me safely back to my cottage, but if you wish to part ways here, I’d understand.
You’ve already nearly paid with your life,” she said, eyeing the surrounding forest back the way we had come.
She didn’t glance at me, unable to look my way while she awaited my response.
“Princess,” I replied, watching the way she flinched at the word, “are you hoping to spend more time with me? It will give you more time to have your wanton way with me. I know you’ve simply been waiting for the perfect opportunity for such charms.”
She scoffed. “Oh, I’m sure you would just love that.”
I waited until she looked at me before I answered. “Oh, princess, I would enjoy that immensely.” I held her stare, letting my gaze glitter with mischief. Then I tossed her back her water skin. “If you want to have your way with me, all you have to do is ask. I’m yours.”
Her mouth hung open, and her skin flushed. “You… you are so…” she sputtered, and I laughed. She shook her head and stormed into the woods, leaving me to follow in her wake.
She glanced back at me several times, a blush blooming across her cheeks as she marched forward.
I caught the flicker of a smile from her a few times.
My attention fixated on the slow path her tongue made as she moistened her dry lips, and my mind whirred off into a dozen naughty thoughts that I wouldn’t mind doing to those glistening lips.
“If I wanted to have my way with you,” she finally said, that blush still blooming brightly against her smooth freckled skin, “you would definitely know it. Besides,” she continued, a wicked smirk playing against her mouth, “I had you between my thighs as I worked to bring you back from death’s door, and I dare say I wasn’t much impressed. ”
Hearing those words out of that mouth had heat pooling at my core, and I had to shift my now hardened length at the coy playfulness she’d exhibited.
I dragged a hand against my brow and down my face.
“Gods, you are torturous. Perhaps next time, you will give me the opportunity to impress you rather than waste the opportunity with my unconsciousness.”
She shook her head. “There really is something wrong with you.”
As we bantered, I felt something shift between us, deeper than desire or attraction.
It was as if invisible threads were weaving themselves tighter with every shared glance, every touch.
The connection felt ancient somehow, like an echo of something that had always been there, waiting to be acknowledged.
My gaze trained onto the gentle sway of her hips as she walked ahead of me.
She hadn’t twisted her long hair into her usual braids, letting it fall freely down her back where it drifted softly in the cool breeze.
The heavy scent of damp earth from the morning dew entwined with the pine of the forest.
“I still remember that night you moaned all night in your sleep. I swear my name fell from those sweet lips a few times between whimpers and groans of pleasure,” I mentioned, unable to keep the wicked grin from my face as her spine straightened.
She didn’t even look back at me when she replied, “And yet, you left me alone with my needs, not bothering to come to my rescue.”
I stopped. Shocked. “Wait,” I said, confused at what she had implied. “Wait.”
She paused mid-stride, her movements deliberate as she turned with a gentle grace.
Her eyes, a rich shade of chestnut, rose from the floor to lock onto mine, filled with a mix of curiosity and determination.
Fire raged within my veins as I recognized the burn of desire within her eyes.
“You wanted me then? Do you want me still?”
She turned her back to me, but I’d already seen that desire, that need within her gaze.
“Look at me, princess,” I said, taking a step forward until only inches separated us.
She pivoted, her movements deliberate and gentle, until her eyes met mine. I reached out, my hands trembling slightly, and cradled her soft cheeks, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my fingertips.
I brushed her hair back with tender care, tucking it behind her ears to gaze into her big, beautiful eyes. Her long lashes brushed her cheeks as she blinked up at me, her teeth worrying her lower lip. "Tell me, my Rose. Say the words. Tell me you want me as much as I want you."
She nodded, her fingers sliding around my waist, giving me the acceptance I craved.
Our mouths collided, her fingers tangling in my hair, sending sparks across my skin.
I kissed her hungrily, our breaths hot and fast, our fingers urgent, hearts racing in sync.
My hands slid down her back to cup her, lifting her as she wrapped her legs around my waist, her eyes widening as my hardness pressed against the fabric between us.
“I am trying so hard here, princess, to be a good man and to not take advantage of you,” I said, my lips trailing hot kisses along the gentle curve of her neck.
Her fingers twisted into the length of my hair until they curled around my head, forcing me to look into her eyes. “Do I look like someone who needs you to take care of me or worry about my virtue?” she asked, her voice firm, holding no place for any argument.
I shook my head.
“Good,” she said, her breath husky as she gave my jaw a chaste kiss. “Then hear me when I tell you what I want. I want you, Elias. All of you. Now.”
Her words carried a desperation that unraveled me. I couldn’t resist her. I was hers. I always had been. And even if I couldn’t always be, I couldn’t let this moment pass between us. For now, I would be whatever she needed. I could worry about tomorrow later.