Chapter 21
***TAYLOR***
Heart pounding in anticipation, Taylor lowered his mouth to Emily’s and kissed her like he’d been dreaming of doing since the first time he saw her, ignoring the little voice reminding him that she didn’t know what she was doing.
Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her closer, crushing her body to his, groaning at the way her breasts felt pressed against his chest. When her nipples hardened a few seconds later, his entire body began to tingle with need, and all he could think about was getting her clothes off as fast as possible.
Before he could act on the impulse, the little voice inside his head started talking to him again, and marshalling the last of his control, he pulled away from Emily.
“Sweetheart, we need to talk before this goes any further. There are things you should know,” he said.
There’s something happening between us, something that could change your entire future if we take this next step, and I want you to be sure this is what you want. ”
Emily studied him for a second, then began to unbutton her shirt.
“This is the only this I’m sure about right now,” she said, shrugging it off her shoulders, revealing a black lace bra.
“I want you Taylor, more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life, and not just for tonight or next week.
I’m a for-keeps kind of girl; I’m talking about a forever kind of thing. ”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” he croaked, then groaned when Emily slowly unbuttoned her jeans and slipped them off. “We could be bonded forever if this goes any further.”
“Oh, it’s going further,” she said, closing the distance between them. “Are you going to take your clothes off, or do you want me to do it?”
“Emily, slow down,” he tried once more, but she was already reaching for the buttons on his shirt. “You need to think about this.”
“This is all I’ve thought about since we met,” she said, making quick work of the shirt, then running her hands up and down his chest before sliding them down and unbuttoning his pants.
“I don’t need to think anymore, I want to be yours, Taylor.
I want us to be together for as long as you’ll have me.
I don’t know what else to say to convince you that I won’t change my mind or be sorry afterward.
I’m a grown woman, quite capable of making up my own mind.
Now it’s time for you to make a choice: do you want me or not? ”
He didn’t even have to think about the answer. “More than anything in the world,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “You’re the most irritating, stubborn, frustrating woman in the world, but I can’t imagine my life without you.”
Emily laughed, but before she could say anything, he lowered his mouth to hers, cutting her off, and the only sound that came out of her mouth was a sigh of pleasure when he deepened the kiss.
Her arms came up around his neck, and he swung her up into his arms, carried her over to the bed without breaking the kiss, then gently laid her down on the rumpled sheets.
Stepping back, he looked down at her for a second, his body already throbbing with a need to take Emily unlike anything he’d ever felt before, but he wanted to go slowly, wanted to savor every second of the experience.
Sliding into the bed next to her, he leaned up on one elbow to look down at her, then reached down and unsnapped her bra and let it fall open.
His mouth began to water when he saw her full breasts, the nipples slowly hardening as he watched and he leaned over sucking one into his mouth while his hand toyed with the other.
Emily gasped and arched her back, one hand tangling into his hair the other gripping his shoulder as he sucked on the stiff peak, then teased it with his teeth and tongue.
Emily was trembling with pleasure by the time he finally picked up his head and let his hand trail down her stomach between her legs.
She opened them willingly, gasping when he slipped his finger between her folds to stroke her swollen nib, then moaning softly when he slowly took her higher and higher, his body responding to her pleasure by growing almost uncomfortably hard.
He took her over the edge, the dragon inside him responding to her pleasure by releasing little bursts of magic that only heightened the sensations roaring through his body as he watched her.
His control slowly slipping away, the urge to bury himself deeply inside her welcoming body became overpowering, but he waited, holding his breath as Emily came floating back down to Earth.
When she finally opened pleasure-filled eyes to look up at him, his breath caught in his throat, then came out with a whoosh when he saw the raw need in her eyes.
“I need you inside me, Taylor,” she said, her eyes locking on his.
“I’m yours, I’ll always be yours, take me now, make me yours forever. ”
Her words triggered something ancient inside him, sending waves of power washing over him and making it impossible not to do exactly what she’d asked.
Slipping between Emily’s legs, his eyes never leaving hers, aware that he was about to change both their lives, he grabbed her by the hips and drove himself into her welcoming warmth.
Waves of pleasure took his breath away instantly, and he knew without a single doubt that this was the woman he was supposed to be with.
The knowledge released a wave of warmth that flowed through him and into Emily.
She gasped, opening her legs wider for him and he drove himself into her over and over until they were both soaring, Emily moaning his name as his magic fed the fragile bond between them.
All too soon, she tumbled over the edge again, her body squeezing him tightly as her muscles rippled with the force of her pleasure, and he couldn’t hold on any longer.
Burying himself deeply inside her, he let his release take him, let the waves of sensation overwhelm him until he was only aware of the woman beneath him and the way her body felt wrapped around him.
It was several minutes before he collapsed on top of Emily, his chest heaving, unable to catch his breath, but he realized that she was in no better shape. He finally managed to roll off her, then gathered her up in his arms, still overwhelmed by the pleasure rushing through him.
When he looked up at the ceiling, he was surprised to see the room filled with little twinkling lights that slowly floated down and disappeared into the bed. “I didn’t expect a light show,” Emily said, looking up at him. “That’s a nice little bonus.”
“I’m not sure what that means, but it must be good,” he said, grinning down at her. “I guess we’ve got someone’s blessing.”
***Emily***
Emily pulled the chicken out of the oven just as the door opened and Taylor ushered his mom into the house. “Oh, something smells wonderful,” the older woman said, crossing the small space and peering over her shoulder. “And it looks even better.”
She set the pan on the stove and shucked off the oven mitts she’d been wearing, then turned to face Taylor’s mom, surprised when she found herself enveloped in a big hug.
“I want grandchildren soon,” she said, then pulled back and looked at the shocked look on Emily’s face with a smile.
“I just thought I’d get that out there, you know, put it on the table.
You’ve always got a babysitter when I’m around. ”
“Mom, stop that, you’ll scare her off, and I kind of like her,” Taylor said from behind them. “But that does smell wonderful. When do we eat?”
“Everything is ready. If you could carve up the chicken while I dish up the rest, we can eat,” she said. Mrs. Gordon, why don’t you go sit down? We’ve got this.”
“Please call me Shelly,” Taylor’s mom said. “Or, Mom, if you want, either will work for me.”
She smiled at the older woman. “Let’s start with Shelly and work our way up,” she said, smiling at her. “Now let’s eat before it gets cold.”
After Taylor carved the chicken, they filled their plates and silence fell over the little cabin as they satisfied the worst of their hunger.
“This is wonderful,” Shelly said, pausing to take a drink of the tea in the glass in front of her.
“Thank you for inviting me, it’s nice to have someone cook for me for a change. ”
“You’re welcome. I love to cook, I just don’t get to do it as often as I like,” she said. “And working with ingredients as fresh as these was a real pleasure, everything tastes better, and I didn’t have to do anything.”
Shelly laughed, “You can come over and help me with the chickens tomorrow,” she said. “That will really make you appreciate the grocery store.”
They all laughed, then ate in silence for a few minutes.
“Mom, I need to know exactly what I need to do when I go see Grandfather and the Elders’ Council,” Taylor said, breaking the silence.
“It’s the only way to stop Sebastian from trying to sabotage my life.
This can’t go on; he hurt an innocent person just to try and get to me.
I can’t let him do something like that again; next time, it might be even worse. ”
His mother nodded, set down her fork, and pushed her plate away.
“I’ve been thinking about this and talking to a few people I’m still in contact with from back then,” she said.
“Taylor, Sebastian isn’t the only one who would like to see you disappear.
The clan is divided, and several factions are pushing their own candidates.
These are dangerous people; you have to know that. ”
“I know, I’ll be careful,” Taylor said, setting down his fork and pushing his plate away as well. “I’ll have the guys and Emily with me; they’ll have my back, and as soon as everyone hears why I’m there, they’ll back off.”
“I think you need to keep your visit a secret until you get there. Don’t give anyone time to prepare for you coming,” his mom said. “There’s a clan meeting in two days. If you show up, you can do what you need to and get out of there, hopefully unscathed.”
“Do you know where the meeting is?” Taylor asked. “I won’t be able to surprise them unless you know.”
“I’ve got the address, it’s about two hours from here,” his mom said, then hesitated. “They won’t let Emily in; she’ll have to wait for you outside.”
“I’m not letting him go anywhere without me,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not going to let Taylor face his grandfather alone, I’m going with him, there has to be a way.”
Shelly was silent for a second, her eyes darting between them.
“Well, there is one way, but it’s a bit…
extreme,” she said, then paused, clearly trying to decide if she should tell them or not.
“If you two were married, they’d have to let Emily in and she would be safer traveling with you in their territory; no one could challenge you for her. ”
“I’m sorry, did you just say someone might challenge Taylor for me?” she asked. “I’m not a piece of property.”
Shelly reached out and patted her hand. "You are in my father’s clan territory,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s wrong—I know that—but I don’t make the rules—he does, and if you’re in their territory, his rules apply.”
“Then we’ll get married,” she said, making Taylor choke on the drink he’d just taken. “I’m not staying behind; it’s not going to happen.”
“Emily, you can’t be serious,” Taylor said, setting his glass down with a thunk. “Marriage is a big commitment.”
She studied him for a second. “Did you mean everything you said to me earlier today?” she asked. “Because if you did, then we’ve already pledged to stay together forever. Why not take the next step?”
Taylor stared at her for a second, then started laughing. “Why not?” he asked, then jumped to his feet and pulled her into his arms. “Emily Torres, will you marry me?”
“Of course, I’ll marry you,” she said. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, even if you come with a bunch of drama.”