Chapter 32
We stayed in the tub until our fingers were wrinkly and our stomachs were growling.
We dried off and I got dressed in one of Theo’s over-sized shirts again.
I walked downstairs to the pantry to check what I could make for dinner and found some pasta and sauce.
I called up to Theo if he was all right for having something quick and simple, but he didn’t instantly reply.
I put on some water for the pasta anyway and started heating up the sauce in a pan.
The kitchen was still a mess from making the pancakes, so I started washing up.
I heard Theo coming downstairs and caught his reflection in the dough bowl beside me. His eyes were locked on me, stormy and unreadable. Concern, doubt, something else I couldn’t name. Disappointment? Confusion? I couldn’t tell.
The moment I turned, his expression shifted into a a warm smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. I could see the flicker of something unspoken lurking beneath, the hesitation he refused to voice.
“Are you all right?” I asked, coming over to him to wrap my arms around him.
“Yes, I am fine Molly Mae.” He said and kissed the top of my head. “I guess it’s just sinking in that our world is about to change after tonight.”
I nodded and searched his face for the expression that I had seen earlier, but he seemed his usual self again.
“Why do you call me Molly Mae?” I asked instead and pulled him over to the kitchen to check on the sauce.
“Do you want the long or the short version?” he asked sheepishly.
I smiled. “I am starving, so I am going to take the short version.”
Theo stirred the sauce while I drained the pasta and prepared our plates. “Molly means ‘star of the sea’ and ‘beloved’ with possible roots in Hebrew and Latin,” he explained. “You are my starfish, my star of the sea.”
My breath caught in my throat. “You keep telling me that I am good with words, but you, Auretheos, are the real wordsmith.”
* * *
Dinner was quick, because halfway through my plate I decided to sit on Theo’s lap, which quickly turned into taking off our clothes and him carrying me up to the bedroom.
There was nothing romantic or tender about it this time, only raw need in face of what was going to happen tomorrow.
He kissed me so passionately that I couldn’t even catch my breath, and when we tumbled onto the bed, I pushed him down hard on his back.
He growled approvingly and crossed his arms behind his head.
I sat down between his legs and leaned over, sliding my tongue over the length of him.
The sound that vibrated from his chest reverberated all through my body.
I stilled when I reached the sensitive spot just underneath the tip and dragged my tongue over it in lazy circles.
He hissed, and as I looked up, he was watching me intently.
I smiled cheekily and took him in my mouth, swirling my tongue around his tip.
His hips lifted when I took him all in, moving my mouth up and down.
I felt his hand on the side of my face and looked up at him, his cock still deep inside my mouth.
“You have no idea how fucking sexy you look down there.” I released him, and he reached down to grab my hand to pull me up to his chest, so I straddled him.
I eased onto him, feeling his length inside me even better than before.
He cupped my breasts with his hand, murmuring something in another language I did not understand and in one fluid motion sat up to kiss my mouth, my chin, my neck, my chest, and my tits until I couldn’t sit still anymore because the tingling in my core was getting too much to bear.
I started moving my hips in circles and he fell back to the bed, saying my name over and over again, like he wanted to make sure that I was here with him.
I knew I was selfish, but the way I was straddling him pressed my center flush against his lower stomach and the friction his skin and hair created was too delicious.
I kept moving back and forth, rubbing against him, taking what I wanted and needed.
He groaned, and when he rasped my name again, my eyes flew open.
The look on his face, the purple light in his eyes, pushed me over the edge.
Theo followed a few seconds later and I collapsed on his chest. He kissed the top of my head and my shoulders, and his fingers were lazily stroking over my back.
“I don’t want to go to sleep,” I murmured, my eyes already closed. “I want to stay awake and enjoy every moment with you.”
I could hear him taking in a big breath. “Me too, wordsmith. But you should sleep, tomorrow will be a long day. Sleep, my star of the sea.” And as if he had just uttered a command, I drifted off to sleep.
I awoke in the night to a knocking sound on the door. No other noise followed, so maybe I had just imagined it? A second knock sounded from downstairs, louder and more urgent this time. Theo sat up next to me and whispered, “Stay in bed, Mae, sleep.”
He kissed my cheek before getting out of bed and put on some undergarments.
The front door opened and closed with a soft thud. There was a short silence and then I heard two male voices, one of them belonging to Theo. It wasn’t my intention to spy, I only wanted to know what was going on, but when I stepped into the hallway, I saw that Malek was wearing his fighting gear.
I stayed in the shadows and tried to pick up pieces of conversation.
“I am fine, Malek. You don’t need to worry, I am a grown God.”
Malek looked around the house as if he wanted to make sure nobody was forcing Theo to say anything.
“I understand that this is a difficult situation and I appreciate that you can take care of yourself. But we need to be careful, you need to be careful,” Malek said.
Theo raked a hand through his hair. “Malek, I am sure there is nothing to worry about. Whatever the rumors are, they are probably just the Heralds trying to stir up trouble. She has never been without supervision and hasn’t shown any sign that she is interested in more than fulfilling the prophecy. ”
My heart sank. I had expected this to happen, it had been my plan all along. But to know that Veridus had kept up his end of the deal and everything was now in motion still made me feel sick. Especially after everything Theo and I had shared these past few days.
“I hope you are right, Theo. For your heart’s sake and for all of our sakes.” Malek said grimly.
“We will join you tomorrow morning at the Citadel.” Theo offered Malek his hand, and his friend had a strange look on his face, but took his hand.
“Just one last thing, Theo. If she has been here with you all of this time, then why do the Heralds know what has been going on here between you two? The only way they could know is if she planned this all along.”
And he wasn’t completely wrong.
* * *
Malek left pretty soon after and I hurried back into bed, pretending to be asleep when Theo came back upstairs. He climbed back to bed and laid on his side, watching me sleep. I could feel his eyes on me and a sigh escaped him, one born of concern and uncertainty.
My heart bled for him, but I knew I couldn’t share my secret with him, not now. So I did the only thing I could do and the one thing I had sworn to put all my efforts into: I nestled close to Theo and poured all my love for him into the hug.
Because if it hadn’t been clear to me from very early on, it sure as hell was after these two days.
What I felt for him was the deepest kind of love, the one that changed one’s view on the world and helped you find yourself.
And when the dust had settled and we’d won the fight for our freedom, I hoped he would still remember this night and my hug and the love that flowed between us.