Chapter Twenty-Three #2
He came to an abrupt halt. “It’s going to take a while for that to sink in.” Sooner was better than later. He didn’t want to prematurely die because he did something stupid. It was a massive adjustment after living one way for millennia.
“Do you regret it?” The sun filtering through the leaves of the trees turned her hair into a coppery halo. An angel she wasn’t, but a stubborn woman with heart and integrity and courage beyond anyone he’d met.
He raised her hand and kissed it. “Never.” The truth settled into his bones. Six days or sixty years, however long they had, he’d cherish each moment.
He led her up the steps of the gazebo and breathed a sigh of relief when there was no body. Cilla wasn’t looking inside the structure, her attention on another part of the garden. He looked to see what had caught her eye.
A section of the yard that had been overgrown had been cut back to reveal several concrete garden statues.
It wasn’t the typical stately lions seen in many formal gardens.
No, there was a life-size deer, an enormous bunny standing on its hind legs, and a studious owl perched on a pedestal reading a book.
“I’d forgotten they were there.” Hand pressed to her mouth, Cilla bolted from the gazebo and hurried across the lawn. “It’s Peter.” She petted the bunny. “And Ollie.” She pointed to the owl. “Not very original, but I was a child when I named them.”
Charmed, he drank in her delight. “What about the deer?” There was no doubt in his mind that the creature had a name.
“Daisy.” She scrunched her nose. “I didn’t realize the difference between male and female deer when I named him.”
Laughter bubbled up inside him. Lifting her off her feet, he spun her around and around, feeling light and carefree for the first time in his entire life. She grabbed his shoulders and gave him a mock pout before joining him, her laughter mixing with his.
Breathless, he took her to the ground, lying on the soft grass with her sprawled on top of him. This section of the garden was fresh and untainted. Roses, previously smothered by overgrowth, were miraculously in bloom.
Cilla outshone them all.
Palming the back of her head, he tugged her toward him.
Some might think it wrong to want to make love where such violence had taken place.
But this would always be their secret place.
He wouldn’t allow anyone or anything to steal it from them.
Today was a fresh start. Like the newly uncovered section of garden, their lives were beginning anew.
“Alex.” Her husky need echoed his. Giving into the inevitable, he kissed her.
…
Cilla had whiled away many a hot summer afternoon in this very spot. She’d shared her dreams with her stone animal friends and had often read aloud to them from her books. Safe from the stern disapproval of her father, she’d indulged in the simple joys of childhood.
There was nothing childish about her current desires.
It was right that she and Alex begin their new life here where their old ones had ended, in this special place that had always been a sanctuary.
Her lips leisurely played over his, rediscovering the shape of his mouth, his taste. Life was fleeting and could change in a heartbeat. All they had was here and now. It was all anyone had. She would never again forget that. Every minute she lived was borrowed time.
I should be dead.
But she was still here and determined to make the most of her second chance, however long it lasted. She raised her head and stared into his eyes, searching for any sign of regret or doubt. She found only love.
Alex trailed his fingers along her jawline, down her neck, and along her collarbone. She sucked in a breath, her nipples hardening at his touch. He made a sound of masculine pleasure, his thumb grazing over the outline of the hard nub through her clothes.
Words weren’t necessary, not between them, not now. Sitting upright, she slid open each button of her shirt one at a time before shrugging it off. His gaze was riveted on the simple action. A muscle twitched beneath his eye.
Her bra was too confining, too tight. When she reached behind to undo the hooks, it thrust her breasts forward.
With a groan, Alex levered himself up and closed his mouth over one cotton-covered tip and sucked.
She cried out and gripped handfuls of his hair.
Need pumped through her, a primal rhythm demanding to be slaked.
Using his teeth, he caught the band and tugged on the garment.
The straps slipped down her arms and her bra was whisked away.
His breathing deepened, his nostrils flared.
She grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and dragged it over his head.
When the vast expanse of his chest was exposed, she gave a hum of pleasure.
His olive-toned skin was almost golden in the sunlight.
Best of all there were no scars, no sign he’d ever been hurt.
Alex was built like an ancient warrior with bulging biceps, defined pectorals, and abs of steel.
She was an ordinary woman living an ordinary life—or she had been until recently.
Their paths should never have crossed, yet somehow they not only found each other, but fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.
Planting her hands on the ground for support, she leaned inward and rubbed her chest against his, stimulating her nipples. His hands clamped around her hips, and he ground his erection against her mound. The friction through their jeans was delicious but nowhere near satisfying.
She scooted down onto his legs and attacked his belt, managing to get it open with fumbling fingers. With a lick of her lips, she popped open the button and peeled down the zipper. His erection was outlined against the soft cotton of his boxer briefs. She curled her fingers around it and squeezed.
Hands fisted against the ground, he tilted his head back and groaned, exposing the thick column of his neck. Love welled inside her until she almost burst with it. Not wanting any barriers between them, she pushed his briefs out of the way.
“Cilla.” The depth of his longing made her shiver. “That feels so good. You feel so good. Real and right.”
She pumped her hand up and down, rubbing her thumb over the tip.
Real and right captured their relationship perfectly.
“I love you.” He needed to hear the words as much as she needed to say them.
For all his former powers, he’d been as alone as her.
Only he’d been that way much, much longer.
Or she assumed he had. “How old are you?”
With a groan, he laughed. “You want to talk? Now?”
With a chuckle she shook her head. “Later.” He was the only man who’d ever aroused both humor and desire in her at the same time.
Lowering her head, she curled her tongue around the flared head, tasting the saltiness of his skin.
Determined to give him an experience he’d remember for the rest of their lives, she opened her mouth and took him in.
Keeping one hand fisted around the base, she sucked him deep, taking as much of him as she could.
Hands fisting in her hair, he groaned. “Don’t stop.”
Straddling his leg, she rubbed her mound against his muscled thigh to try to ease the growing ache inside her. Her breasts swayed as her mouth moved up and down over him.
Giving a sudden growl, he pulled her up and rolled at the same time. With more haste than finesse, he yanked off her shoes and peeled her jeans and underwear away. Naked beneath the dappled sunlight filtering through the surrounding trees, she opened her arms to him.
Bracing his forearms on the ground, he pressed against her opening. “I can’t wait.”
Her body was going to implode if she didn’t get him inside her. “I don’t want you to.”
With a flex of his hips, he buried himself to the hilt. The beauty of their joining brought tears to her eyes. She thought she’d cried herself out in the shower, not wanting him to see her upset. She hadn’t really lost anything.
Yes, the house was damaged. Yes, her ex and possibly her brother were likely behind it.
Yes, Ivy House was losing revenue and the inn’s reputation was being harmed.
But insurance, lawyers, and time would handle all that.
As difficult as the situation was, she refused to let it defeat her.
She was alive when she was supposed to be dead.
And she had Alex. He’d given up everything to be with her.
Their bodies flowed together in a dance of advance and retreat. Gripping his firm buttocks, she met him thrust for thrust. Birds fluttered and sang and insects buzzed around them. Their lips met again and again, as if neither of them could get enough of the other.
He shoved one hand under her and angled her hips. It drove him deeper while stimulating her clit. “Yes. Yes. Yes,” she chanted. Thighs quivering, pulse jumping, she reached for release. So close. Desire coiled inside her, getting tighter until it burst in an explosion of pleasure.
His entire body stiffened and he collapsed on top of her, his breath hot against her neck. His enormous weight pressed her into the soft grass. She licked his shoulder, tasting the salty sweat.
“I’m too heavy.” He rolled but took her with him so she was sprawled on top. They were both sticky and would need another shower.
“We didn’t use protection.” Something that hadn’t occurred to her in the heat of the moment.
He went still beneath her. “I didn’t think about it.”
“It’s on both of us.” She rubbed her nose against his.
“It’s not the right time.” Or at least she hoped it wasn’t.
They hadn’t talked about children. “While I’d like to be a mom at some point, I think we need to be a couple first.” They’d had so much coming at them so fast since they met.
They were on a steep learning curve when it came to integrating their lives.
“I’m not sure I can father children.” He raked his fingers through his damp hair. “I’m a reaper, or I was one. Now, I have no idea.”
“It’s not something we need to worry about.” She sat up, snagged her blouse, and pulled it on, not bothering with her bra. “We’re going to get sunburned if we’re not careful.”
Chuckling, he rolled to his feet and stretched.
“Something else I’ve never had to be concerned about.
” He hitched up his pants and reached for his shirt.
“I’m going to be saying that a lot in the days ahead.
” He held out his hand and pulled her upright when she grasped it.
“You okay if we never have a child? Honestly, it’s not something I ever considered. And there’s something else.”
She tensed, unsure she could handle much more. “What?”
“Our lives are linked. When you die, so do I. If we have a child, it would be left alone if something happened to you.”
A shiver went through her. That didn’t seem fair, but neither of them was exactly going to complain to his father about it. They weren’t that stupid.
“I’m fine if we never have a child.” After her divorce, she’d accepted it might never happen.
“If it’s meant to be it will be. If not, I’m happy as long as we’re together.
” And if something did happen to them, Rosa would step in and raise any child they had, as Cilla would do for her friend if the need arose.
She’d never be able to share the truth about what had happened with her best friend. Not only would Rosa fear for her mental health, it might put her in danger. She’d stick with the truth, but leave out the part about Death and Alex’s past. Whatever problems arose, they’d figure them out.
When they were both fully dressed, she took his hand and started toward the path, but he reeled her back, his brows lowered, eyes shadowed. “I’m going to have to reach out to Sam eventually. This is a small town. There’s no way he won’t find out I’m still here.”
A shiver skated down her spine. “Do you think your father will allow it or will he block you like before?”
Alex dragged his fingers through his hair. “If we can connect, I’m going to assume it’s not against any rules.”
Not something she’d considered. None of this came with a training manual. They were navigating unfamiliar ground. “What do you think he’ll do or say when he finds out?”
Alex didn’t quite smile. It was more a smirk. “Sam? He’ll give me a hard time about ending up human.”
“Really?”
“It’s a brother thing.” He hesitated. “If you’d prefer I didn’t contact him…”
“He’s your family.” Right now, the only member he had contact with. No way would she stand between them. “Besides, you’ll be dealing with Richard for the rest of our lives.”
“Not if I can help it.” Wrapping a protective arm around her, he led her to the path.
“Once we settle the property issue, we’re not likely to see him much, if at all.
” That should make her sad, but there was only relief.
“If it comes out that Christopher is behind the fire, there’s no telling what Richard will do.
” She nibbled on her bottom lip. “I’m considering making him another offer to sell him the property, except for the house and five acres.
He might be open to it after all this.” She held her breath, waiting for him to object.
Alex shrugged. “It’s your inheritance. Whatever you want to do with it is fine with me.”
“The money would help. I could finish the renovations to Ivy House and invest the rest.” And maybe take a trip or two; see some of the places she’d always wanted to see.
“I can help with both. I’m handy at renovations, and while I might have lost my wealth, I damn well know how to make money grow.”
She gave a joyous laugh. “That’s perfect.
And even if Richard buys the property, I can pretty much guarantee he wouldn’t come around more than he already does.
It’s more likely we’ll see less of him, since he’ll have what he wants.
” Some of the weight lifted off her shoulders.
She no longer had to carry the burden alone.
But that didn’t mean there wasn’t work to be done.
“We’d better hurry and get cleaned up. I have more phone calls to make and you need to get to the hardware store before it closes. ”
With a laugh, he scooped her into his arms and carried her across the backyard to the house. “Yes, ma’am.” He pretended to drop her, making her squeal and throw her arms around his neck.
“Beast.” She kissed his jaw to assure him she wasn’t serious.
“I love you, Cilla Wainwright.”
“I love you, Alexiares Blackwell. No regrets.”
“No regrets.” He carried her inside the house and up the stairs. “But I may be late getting to the hardware store.”