Chapter 44
One by one everyone said their goodbyes.
Caelan was the last to leave and just before he walked out the door, he turned to hug Theo.
I don’t know what exactly he said to him, but there were tears in both of their eyes and a knowing glance passed between them.
When the door clicked shut, silence fell over the Veilstead and Theo turned around wordlessly.
He crossed his arms behind his back and leaned against the door.
I was standing a few stretches away next to one of the sofas. We only stared at each other, as if we were seeing each other for the first time.
And maybe we did, because for the first time it was just me and him.
There was no prophecy between us, no Fates throwing us together, no secrets to uphold and nothing to hide about our relationship. We were truly free to choose what and who we wanted to be to each other.
The magnitude of this moment hung heavy between us, and I could see on Theo’s face that his brain was racing with questions as well.
“I think we should talk,” I said quietly.
But before I could even blink, Theo’s smile lit up his face. I was expecting us to have a serious talk about our future, for him to tell me that he didn’t want his first decision free from the prophecy to be him binding himself to another being.
But none of that happened, because he was simply smiling at me and with a wicked look in his eyes he crossed the distance between us with three wide steps.
“You want to talk, Maelis?” He asked and pulled me hard against his body.
His hand went around my neck, his other hand cupped my ass as he pulled me closer to him. Bending forward, his hot breath grazed against my neck as he very softly touched his lips to my throat.
I swallowed audibly- “Y-yes. I think we need to… to… talk”
Breathing and talking became incredibly difficult because Theo started grinding his hard crotch against my pussy.
“I’ll make you a deal, wordsmith.” He chuckled. “You talk and I try to listen while I kiss and lick every inch of your skin, starting right here…”
He teased the sensitive spot right under my ear, where my pulse was going erratic now.
A moan escaped my lips, and I couldn’t help but melt into him, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my hands in his luxurious curls.
He groaned in response and brought his lips to mine.
All of my senses were on fire. His leathery scent filled my nose, I tasted coffee and chocolate on his lips and tongue, the scruff of his beard tickling my lips deliciously.
His ragged breath was like an aphrodisiac, edging me on to give him more of me.
With his hand on my ass he gave me a silent command to wrap my legs around his waist and like a woman possessed, I obliged.
He hummed in approval and with his hand still on my ass, his other arm wrapped around my hip to hold me in place. He didn’t break the kiss when he started walking up the stairs, but did not stop on the first floor.
He kept on climbing the stairs into the attic where the spa was situated.
Memories of our night in the hot tub and the story he read to me that night came flooding back to me. I thought he was going to take me to the tub again, but he walked straight past it into another room I had not seen before.
He gently sat me down on a plush armchair and told me to keep my eyes closed.
I did as I was told, my body humming with excitement and lust. I heard fabric rustling and a fire being lit. Maybe I should take a little peek?
Before I could even begin debating with myself, I felt him taking my hands into his.
“All right, Molly Mae, it’s not much, but in my defense, I had no time to prepare. Keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them. I will lead you.”
He pulled me up to stand and led me a few stretches into the room.
I could feel the ground changing from the cold tiled floor to a plush rug or blanket of some sort and we stopped.
He kissed me again and I felt him lowering me to the ground.
I sank deep into a pile of soft fabrics, and he positioned himself next to me.
“You can open your eyes now,” he whispered.
My eyes fluttered open slowly and fell onto his face first. His skin was glowing from the shine of the fire, his eyes swirling with lilac emotion and a gentle smile playing on his lips. “You are so beautiful,” I whispered.
He laughed. “Thank you, love. While I appreciate your compliment, I didn’t make a big show just for you to look at my face.”
He moved his head slightly to the side and I looked past him.
My breath caught in my throat. He had taken me to the conservatory on the top floor of the house and through the glass ceiling all I could see was the sky and stars.
The night sky was alive, swirling with a light I could hardly believe was real.
Bands of green and violet swept across the darkness, moving like rivers caught in some celestial breeze, shifting and undulating with a rhythm all their own.
It was like watching the world breathe in colors that shouldn’t exist, silently echoing in a way that I could feel in my bones. The lights flickered, faint then brilliant, painting the snow and trees below in ghostly shades.
“It’s so beautiful,” I breathed, but instead of responding, I felt Theo shift next to me. Taking off his shirt, he smiled down at me lazily.
“I’m glad you like it. I thought you’ll be laying on your back for the foreseeable time, so I wanted to make sure you have a nice view.”
He positioned himself between my legs and the weight of his knees on the dress between my legs effectively trapped me on the makeshift mattress.
He lowered himself over me and propped his arms up next to my head.
In an agonizingly slow movement, he brought his lips down on mine, only barely touching my lips with his. The feather light contact sent all of my nerves into a frenzy, my lips tingling and goosebumps racing from my neck down my arms and torso.
I reached up with my hands to pull him closer, but he quickly pinned my arms to the ground with his strong hands.
“Tsk tsk tsk, why so impatient?” he chuckled, but continued his feather light kisses along my jawline and down my throat.
A needy groan escaped me.
“Judging by the bulge I see in your pants, I would say you are just as impatient as I am.” I winked at him.
He stopped and looked into my eyes, his lips forming a mischievous grin.
“Darling, I have controlled myself for 500 years, patience is my middle name.” And with that, he started trailing kisses, soft as the touch of a butterfly, down my cleavage.
He lifted his right hand to pull the fabric of my dress off my shoulder and down my arm, to expose my breasts.
“You’re so fucking perfect,” he growled and licked over my nipples.
He trailed his tongue over my breasts only to then lightly blow over my sensitive skin, the rush of cold eliciting the most delicious sensations.
“I don’t know where you learned this, but thank the Fates you did,” I gushed, and I could feel him smiling against my skin.
“I believe it was ‘Miss Rosemary and the Gardener,’ chapter 32, page 231 to 256,” was his only response.
My head jerked up.
“26 pages??? You are going to keep doing this for 26 pages?” I almost shouted.
He licked my other nipple in response and started nibbling at it. My whole body was humming, pleasure and lust mixing together in a swirling emotion that resembled the whirling lights in the sky.
He drew back from me entirely and leaned back on his heels, slowly pulling down my dress. My underwear was next. Theo’s gaze was raking over me as if he was trying to memorize every curve and every line of my body.
He gently grabbed my legs and started massaging my foot, his warm and firm hands kneading the muscles in my feet and calves until I felt like I was going to melt into a puddle.
He started trailing kisses up my leg, his tongue swirling lightly in the most delicious places and stoking a fire inside of me that seemed to burn brighter with each kiss he placed on my skin.
I closed my eyes and reveled in the feeling of being worshiped and loved wholly by him.
As if he could read my mind, I felt his hands move higher now, stroking over my hips, my stomach and up to my breast. Cupping them, squeezing, teasing my nipples with his thumb.
At the same moment, his hands were in my hair, gently pulling, eliciting the most delicious goosebumps racing over my scalp and down the back of my neck.
I gasped as I felt his hands continuing to massage my feet and calves while his hot breath came closer and closer to the aching center between my thighs.
I opened my eyes in confusion. It felt like he was touching me everywhere at once.
He lifted his eyes to mine, sparkling with joy and wickedness. Invisible hands were striking, massaging, squeezing me everywhere while his own hands encircled my waist.
“What is happening?” I breathed and his smile grew even more wicked.
“A little magic, darling.” He laughed and lowered his mouth to place a chaste kiss on my center. Which sensation should I focus on? His magic was everywhere, drawing pleasure and ecstasy from every part of my body.
“This is too much, Theo, I can’t…” I panted, but he did not listen.
His tongue darted out, parting my folds and nearly making me scream with pleasure.
Theo growled approvingly, gripping my hips tighter and pulling me closer to his mouth.
His lips and tongue were exploring, testing to see which motion would elicit the loudest moans from me.
He pushed a finger deep inside of my pussy.
I pushed my hips off the floor and into his face as he raised his eyes to me.
My own desperation matched his in every way.
But he was not done yet. He started fucking me with his finger, lifting his mouth from my center only to rasp, “Tell me what you like, Mae. I want to learn every filthy thought in your pretty head.”