“Blood of my blood. Bone of my bone.” She pressed closer, finding comfort in the hard safety of his chest.
“We two are now one,” he continued, then nibbled another kiss across her mouth. “Our halves are now whole.” He nodded. “Say it, love. Repeat the words.”
“We two are now one. Our halves are now whole.” She started trembling, unable to keep from it.
He tightened his arms around her. “For the good of all. With harm to none.”
“For the good of all. With harm to none.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “So let it be spoken. So let it be done.”
“So let it be spoken. So let it be done.”
“So mote it be,” he shouted.
“So mote it be!”
A blinding flash of lightning lit the land as if thousands of blazing torches exploded in the woods. Thunder shook the ground, making them stumble to one side. It had to be a coincidence, but then again, maybe it wasn’t. The rain pelted them even harder, baptizing their vow.
An electricity, an unmistakably powerful and unexplainable charge, crackled between them, pulling them closer. Her pounding heart echoed in her ears. Or maybe it was Jeros’s heartbeat that she heard. He lowered his head and kissed her again, gently at first, then ravaged her mouth with a ferocity in which she reveled. Yes. This was right. This was as it should be. She fisted his hair in both hands, determined to never let him go. She didn’t care if it came a flood and washed them away. Nothing would ever come between them ever again.
Lightning flashed again, but softer this time. Thunder rumbled like a grumbling old man. The rain lessened to a gentle drizzle, just strong enough to soak through everything it touched..
He groaned into her mouth, then lifted his head again. “Domus,” he whispered, then smiled.
“Domus,” she repeated, as they found themselves in their private sitting room between their bedchambers. “I thought you were too weak to get us all the way back to the Hall?”
“We are bound now, my love. Ye healed me and made me stronger.”
“We are bound now,” she repeated, shivering so hard her teeth chattered. She didn’t know if it was because of the cold or the fact that she had just sold her heart and soul to an irresistible Fae prince. Whatever the reason, she couldn’t stop.
“We need to get closer to the fire.” He swept her up into his arms and carried her to the roaring hearth at the other end of the room. Gently, he set her on her feet. “Time to get out of these clothes, aye?”
A sudden shyness hit her. “Uhm…yes. We’re soaked to the skin.” As she slowly tugged off her jacket, he stopped her.
“We do nothing unless ye will it, Lexi. Do ye ken my meaning?” He wet his lips like a man starving. “I want ye with a fury, but only if ye are ready.”
“I am ready,” she said, but it sounded all squeaky and uncertain. “I’m ready,” she repeated with more certainty. She draped the wet denim jacket on a nearby chair, then struggled to rid herself of her poor, soggy cowboy boots.
“Here, lass. Let me aid ye.” He knelt in front of her. “Hold on to my shoulders.”
She did and barely kept her balance as he yanked the boots off and set them aside.
“Ye’ve stained yer wee stockings red.” He chuckled and peeled off her socks, then flung them away.
“My boots do that whenever I get them wet, but I still love them. They are my lucky boots.”
“They brought us luck tonight,” he said, then he frowned at the front of her jeans. “What the devil is that fastener?”
She undid the brass button and slowly lowered the zipper, trying to continue breathing as she did so. Her pounding heart made that quite the chore. “A zipper. Much faster and more efficient than buttons, but wicked painful if you zip it too quickly and catch any skin in its metal teeth.”
“Aye, well…” He tugged on the wet jeans, working the stubborn things down to her ankles. “I am more efficient still. I dinna wear anything under my kilt. Feckin’ hell, these things dinna wish to come off ye.” He gave her a suggestive look that melted her insides. “I canna say as I blame them.”
“You don’t wear anything under your kilt?” That would makethingsmuch easier. If she were clothed in this era’s attire, she would be bare underneath her petticoats, and they could go up against the wall anytime they wanted. The thought made her lick her lips.
“I dinna wear anything but my pride.” He slowly ran his hands up her bare legs, tantalizing her with his touch as he kissed a path higher. When he reached her panties, he pinned a fierce glare on her favorite pair of black silk lingerie. “And yet another layer? Do women enjoy making things difficult in yer time?”
She laughed. She couldn’t help it. “Some do. But going panty-less with jeans can sometimes be uncomfortable. Especially when riding.”Riding.What a double entendre for this particular moment.
