Chapter 7
Seven
Samaria
“And so, you’re saying you knew Celia was sick when she arrived in Loxley with Sorin?”
Agnes nods, refilling our teacups for the dozenth time. We’ve been here for well over an hour, chatting, catching up. A rarity for the two of us to have so much time alone. At first I wasn’t sure we’d have anything to talk about, but then, of course, the conversation drifted to Sorin and here we are.
“Yes,” she says. “Celia was doomed the moment she left Valebridge, I’m afraid. But somehow the forest called to her. Loxley called to her. Or perhaps it was something grander than all of that, that allowed her to find us hidden in the woods.”
My brows pinch, thinking of a tiny Sorin being dragged through the woods with a mother whose life was withering away before his eyes.
“Can I come in?” Whipping my head, I turn to the door where Sorin lingers. Water drips from his hair, his clothes just as damp. “Are you well?” he asks as he strides across the room. He bends down, giving Agnes a kiss on her cheek.
“I’m better now,” she whispers, perhaps thinking I cannot hear her. As if sensing my thoughts, Sorin faces me with furrowed brows then back to Agnes.
“Is something wrong?” he asks, long and drawn out.
“Just tired, dear,” Agnes says before I get the chance to answer.
“Same.” I shrug. “I’m going to turn in, let’s reconvene in the morning.”
Before I can make it to the door, Sorin’s hand grips my arm. “Don’t you want to know how it went with Thaddeus?”
I pull my arm away. “I imagine things went well and that’s why you’re back so soon?”
Sorin says nothing as he watches me. Curiosity and perhaps a bit of frustration inked into all the sharp features of his face. I’ve never been one to be so distant, especially from him. He’s my best friend. The brother I never thought I’d have. But the older I grow, the more I’ve come to realize just how much of my life—my childhood—was spent around his secret.
Around whom he is. The true heir to Valebridge.
“The Jade Guild will help us.” Sorin’s shoulders relax slightly. “I haven’t a clue what made him change his mind.” He moves to the bed, sitting down to pull off his boots. “All those years I begged for his help and now…” He runs a hand through his damp hair before glancing up at me. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong.” Other than the fact that he can read me plainly. “Let’s talk tomorrow.” I shoot him a small smile, before I head down the hall to mine and Jarek’s shared room.
I don’t make it far, however, before he finds me. “Oh,” I say through a laugh, bumping into Jarek. “I was just coming to look for you.”
“Likewise.” He grabs my hand, kissing the back of it. His blonde hair is tied up, his dark shirt tight against his broad chest and shoulders. “Long chat?”
He draws back and his eyes tell me he knows something’s bothering me. But my relationship with Agnes has never been something I easily talk about. Fear of sounding like a petulant child cutting me short, so I bury down my resentment at being her other, less impressive child and smile at Jarek despite the falsity in it.
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.” He takes my hand and drags me toward our room.
“What about the pub?”
“Forget the pub.” Once we’re inside, he latches the door. “What are you thinking about, my queen?” Jarek asks, helping me peel my clothes off, then his own. He tosses his shirt aside before scooping me up and carrying me to bed. A tiny spark ignites in my stomach.
“I’m thinking that I’m not that tired anymore.” Propping myself up on my elbow, I kiss his cheek. Then his neck. He grumbles something in Scandavi before turning and kissing me deeply.
“You are a terrible liar, Samaria,” he says before kissing me again.
I’ve never been able to hide my feelings from Jarek. He has a way of knowing me better than I know myself.
“Just usual mother daughter frustrations.” My fingers trace the bumps and curves of his muscled arm. “She has a powerful way of making me feel insignificant.”
Jarek grasps my hand, locking our fingers together. “You are anything but insignificant, Sam.”
There goes that tiny spark again, growing much more rapidly now. I move to sit in Jarek’s lap, my legs straddling either side of his hips. “Tell me again all the ways you love me.”
He chuckles, running his fingers down my spine. His strong hands push the silky fabric of my camisole against my skin, causing delicious friction. “Will you believe me this time when I do?”
“No.” I sigh, leaning forward so my head rests on his shoulder. I bite down slightly before placing a kiss there. “But tell me again anyway.”
His hands trace lines down my back, his beard softly scraping against the bare skin of my shoulder. “Do you remember when we first met?” he asks. I nod, closing my eyes, letting Jarek take control. It isn’t an easy thing for me to give up; control. But Jarek is my safest place and with him I never feel any need to battle for authority. “I was running so fast I knocked your brother right on his arse.” Jarek laughs, his entire body shaking as he does. But his grip around my waist tightens. “You helped Sorin up then looked right at me and said?—”
“If the Mother blessed you with eyesight, I recommend you start using it.” I smile, drawing idle circles with my fingertip across his shoulder blade. I’ll never forget that moment. How frustrated I was to be running behind, how captivating this large man with eyes like the ocean was.
“Aye,” Jarek mumbles against my neck before placing a kiss there. “But before you and Sorin turned away, you helped me up. You stuck out your hand and pulled me to my feet.” He pulls me back so we’re face to face. “I knew it then you were someone I needed to know. Not just wanted to know, but needed . And by the grace of the Mother, you told me to hurry on and follow you. That if I was in such a rush, I must be desperate for work.” He smiles before placing a kiss on my lips. “It wasn’t long after that I fell in love with you Sam. In all the ways that make you, you.”
“Even the temper?”
“ Especially the temper.” He brushes a kiss to my bare shoulder. “I love the fire that makes up your soul.” A shudder runs through me as his hands trail across my arms with feather-lite touch, causing the hair on my skin to raise until his hands settle on my hips again, pulling me closer to him.
“I love the way your body fits perfectly to mine.” His hand slides across the curve of my hip and lands on the inside of my thigh, digging his fingers gently into my skin. The thin cloth of my undergarments is barely noticeable against his rough fingertips as he moves his hands closer to where I want them. My body takes over as my hips push forward in response to his touch.
“Most importantly”—he takes his free hand and uses it to cup under my chin, so I’m forced to look at him—“I love your fearless, beautiful heart, Samaria.”
Tilting my head, he takes a deep kiss, parting my mouth with his own, biting slightly on my lower lip as he pulls away. All while his hand rubs firmly where it’s anchored between my legs. “You wield your empathy like a weapon,” he continues, flipping me on my back and settling over me. “You look into the darkness of others and instead of running from it, you question why it’s there in the first place.”
His fingers push away the small fabric of my undergarments, finding my center. A soft moan leaves me as I tilt my hips forward.
“You are soft and kind,” Jarek continues, his fingers circling right where I need them to, “strong and compassionate.”
Gripping his shoulders, my nails dig into his inked flesh.
“And there is no one in this world that is deserving of your full attention.” His lips brush against my ear, his beard scratching against my cheek, and my breath hitches as he finally pushes into me. “Not even me, my queen.”
My body heats from his touch, from his fingers working rhythmically inside of me, from the words I’ve made him repeat on numerous occasions for my comfort.
Maybe it’s selfish to have him tell me again all the reasons he loves me, but his truth is the only one I care for. So often my mind plays tricks on me. Convincing me that the love others have for me isn’t real. That I’m alone in this world, despite the reassurance I’m given that I’m not.
“I love you,” I pant out, before he slides off the bed and onto his knees. He drags me forward by the back of my calves so I’m on the edge of the mattress before positioning his face between my legs. I prop myself on my elbows, biting my lip to stifle a moan as Jarek leaves a trail of kisses on either side of my inner thigh. I’ve seen many beautiful things in my life, but none quite measured to the sight of Jarek on his knees.
He swipes his tongue, his fingers and mouth working together, and it’s enough to push me over the edge until I’m seeing stars. Once he’s sure I’ve met my release, he crawls back up, cradling my body between his arms.
“I love you too, Samaria.” He kisses me, and this time, the role reverses. It’s me who takes control. I push him into the mattress and climb on top of him, placing kisses along his neck and shoulders. He moans my name and it’s the last bit of encouragement I need before I join our bodies together. How could I ever doubt his love for me when I feel it in every part of his body. In every inch of his soul and in mine.
We are the same, he and I, and I am a silly girl to forget it.