Chapter Thirty-Six
Athrill of anticipation rushed through me as I quickly checked my appearance in the mirror and slipped on Owen’s gift. I left my hair down so it cascaded down my back, then threw a light wrap around my shoulders.
My bare feet made little sound as I left the cottage and followed a winding path of candles.
Moonlight filtered through the tree branches, silvering the edges of leaves and catching on the dew, while the shadows muted the flowers’ vibrant colours to dusky blues and ghostly whites.
Overhead, the trees stood tall and watchful.
The path led to the back of the garden and a tiny cottage that I’d never seen before, despite all the time I’d spent in the garden.
It was half covered by ivy and climbing roses.
Candlelight flickered softly against the windowpanes like golden fireflies.
Nestled in the embrace of the garden, the cottage was a quiet promise of warmth and love beneath the stars.
The front door was ajar, and I nudged it open to find Owen standing in a living room amid dozens of candles, holding a small bouquet of freshly picked flowers.
He was devastatingly handsome in dark pants and a black collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up. But his tight grip on the flower stems and the sheen on his brow told me he was also nervous, and that made me love him even more.
I lit up at the sight of him, and he grinned back. We met in the middle of the room and wrapped our arms around each other.
“It’s perfect,” I whispered.
“I said I’d get you that room, didn’t I?”
“You did,” I said, taking the flowers and smelling them. Then I yelped in surprise as he lifted me in his arms, turned quickly, and strode down a hallway lined with more candles.
“In a rush, are we?” I teased.
“Damn right,” he grumbled. “We finally have a room, and with you looking like that…we’re not waiting another minute.”
I laughed as I kissed his neck and jaw. Had I ever been this happy?
The hallway led to a room with a large bed in the centre, its plush covers and pillows aglow in the soft light.
I placed the flowers on a dresser, and he lowered me to the floor, his hands trailing up my sides. Every heartbeat, every breath intensified the longer he looked at me. We teetered on the edge of what we’d both wanted for so long.
The second his lips touched mine, the world fell away.
Owen’s kiss was hungry, aching, and full of everything that had brought us to this moment.
He kissed me like he was memorizing me, like he wanted to keep this night alive forever.
I leaned into him, and he groaned, deepening the kiss.
His hand slid to the back of my head, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us.
My world narrowed to the sound of his breath, the press of his mouth, and the wild, racing pulse beneath my skin.
His tongue swept between my lips to tease, taste, and torment, and I matched his ardour with strokes of my own until we were both breathless and wanting more.
I let my shawl fall to the floor, and Owen ran his hands up my arms, hooking his fingers under the spaghetti straps of my negligee.
“You look sexy as hell in this,” he whispered as he nuzzled my neck, his voice husky. “So. Damn. Beautiful.”
He dragged the straps down my arms, then trailed his fingers over my breasts and nipples, his breath hitching as he watched them harden. Cupping my breasts, he took a nipple into his mouth, and I arched into him, running my hands through his hair, heat and need rushing to my core.
I reached out to stroke his rigid length, loving the feel of it under my fingers. Owen stilled as I touched him.
“It’s your turn, now,” I whispered, and he drew back to look at me, his gaze heavy. I kept my eyes locked on his as I slowly undid his belt and lowered the zipper, letting my fingers trail over his rock-hard cock.
“Kira,” he groaned, his head falling to rest against mine. “Just having you here in front of me…I don’t think I’m going to last long, and I want this night to be perfect for you. We’ve waited so long.”
“It’s already perfect because I’m with you,” I whispered, kissing him long and hard.
“Fuck. I love when you say things like that.” He lifted me, urging my legs around his waist, and I rocked against him, making us both groan.
“Are you wearing underwear?” His hands tightened on my ass, his fingers dipping achingly close to where I needed him.
I nuzzled his neck. “Why don’t you find out?”
He muttered another curse and spun us toward the bed.
Laying me gently in the centre, like I was the most precious thing in the world to him, he settled his weight on top of me.
The feeling was perfect, like I had come home, and I wrapped my legs around him to keep him there.
But then I realized he was still wearing his clothes, only his pants undone, and my negligee was still around my waist.
I needed us both naked. Now.
Owen must have had the same thought because he pulled my negligee down my legs, touching and kissing every inch of my bare skin.
I reached for him next, desperation causing me to fumble with his shirt buttons.
Owen took over, tearing off his clothes, and then he stood before me, the controlled power and solid strength of him taking my breath away.
I scooted to the edge of the bed before he could stop me and ran my hands over his chest and arms, loving the feel of his quiet strength.
I traced the hard planes and angles of his body, dipping between the ridges of his stomach muscles, running my hands up his thighs, and grinned when I felt him tense and draw a sharp breath.
I could have stayed like that all night, but his cock—dear God, his cock—was long and thick and so very large. And, from the look of it, just aching to be touched.
I wrapped my mouth around it, without warning, running my tongue up and down its silky-smooth length while cupping his balls. He groaned and rocked into me, but I only had a moment to enjoy it before he pulled back.
“Any more of that and tonight will be over before it’s even begun,” he muttered, kneeling before me and spreading my legs. “But we’ll definitely need to revisit those moves of yours.”
I huffed a dramatic sigh, and he shot me a wicked grin before nuzzling his way up my inner thigh. I was already so wet and on edge, but he took his sweet-ass time kissing me everywhere except where I needed him.
Owen had meticulously planned this night, and I didn’t want to rush him. Eventually, however, I impatiently hooked a leg around him to draw him closer, but he only chuckled and placed another sweet kiss on my thigh.
“Owen,” I moaned. “Now.”
At last, he cooperated and settled in to work me relentlessly, kissing and sucking and twirling his tongue over the very heat of me. Curling two fingers inside of me, he pumped, matching the rhythm of his tongue, and I shouted his name when I came, wave after wave of pleasure rolling through me.
Owen grinned with pure male satisfaction as he kissed a path up my belly and paused at my breasts, kissing one nipple then the other, before travelling between them to my neck.
“How was that?” he murmured against my skin.
“Mmm…can’t speak yet.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer.
“Excellent. Consider that a preview.”
He shimmied me farther up the bed and settled on top of me, his cock heavy and large between us. Bracing himself on his hands, he rose above me, looking deep into my eyes, his muscles tense and ready.
I reached down and guided his cock inside me, my heat welcoming every inch of him as he slid in to the hilt.
It was a deliciously snug fit, and we both groaned at the absolute perfection of it.
When he pulled out almost all the way, I made a sound of protest, grabbing his ass.
He half grinned, his dark gaze locked on me, before sliding all the way back in, making me gasp and writhe.
“Owen,” I breathed. “Faster.”
“Want to make this last.” He kissed me as he slowly withdrew again. “Want to stay here forever…never letting you go.”
“I’m here, love,” I whispered, raising his chin so I could look into his eyes. “I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. I’m safe. You can let go.”
“Don’t want to hurt you… Can’t lose you again.” He rested his forehead against my own, his breathing laboured, his muscles straining while he slowly, tortuously pumped in and out of me. I urged him deeper. He was almost at his breaking point.
“You’re not going to lose me, Owen. I promise.”
He growled, capturing my mouth in a searing, possessive kiss, before finally thrusting into me hard and fast as I rose to meet him.
I threw my head back in blissful surrender.
Yes, this is what we had needed, desperate and mindless to everything except finding our releases.
He grasped one of my hips, drawing it up, and drove faster into me as I reached down to rub myself.
The combination was too much, and I came again, squeezing and convulsing around him, hanging onto him while moaning his name.
Owen continued to pump into me, working hard, only seconds from his own release.
His abs were clenched, the muscles on his arms and shoulders hard and defined, and a sheen of sweat covered his brow, but I could tell he was still holding back, trying to make it last. I kissed him and told him how much I loved him, how it would always be the two of us, how it was okay and he could let go.
With a shout, he came, shaking with the force of his release and collapsing on top of me.
Neither of us moved for a long time, content to simply hold one another. Owen smoothed the hair off my face, and I ran my hands over his shoulders and chest in wonder. Eventually, he rolled onto his back, taking me with him. I kissed his jaw and pressed my face to his neck.
“I like our room,” I whispered, when I could finally speak again.
“Not just a room, love. A whole cottage. Shamus and Freya spoke to the Yew, and it created it for us. No idea how. More magic, I guess.” Owen hugged me to him. “All I know is that I’ve missed living with you.”
“It’s perfect.” I traced his lips, gently kissing him. “I love it, and I love you. I’m glad our first time together was here.”
“There will be many more times here as well, love. We have a lot of rooms now, plenty of options. There’s the couch and the shower and the kitchen counter looks like a nice height—”
He fell silent as I ran my fingers down his stomach and took him into my hand.
“Let’s try them all, starting now.”
Owen captured my lips in a fierce kiss, and we made love through the night under twinkling stars and a silver moon.