But love could also be magic.
Alastair pushed inside, and every cell of her body came alive.
Magic.The depths of the deepest valley followed by the pinnacle of the highest mountain.
He withdrew and then went deeper.
Fate.
She moved with him, cherishing each sensation, each kiss, each touch, each stroke and thrust. And again, while embracing everything about him, a second round of tears escaped. Tears of awe and joy.
The world beyond them ceased to exist.
The walls, the bed, the sun—everything blurred, faded into insignificance. There was only this. Only them. The desperate rhythm of their bodies, unspoken emotions crackling in the air.
They moved together purposefully, holding one another’s gaze even when the intensity made it feel impossible. His green eyes burned into her, searing straight to her soul, the golden flecks burning.
“My love, my Daisy,” he rasped, his voice thick with emotion.
Alastair drove into her, deep and sure, each stroke unraveling her more than the one before, drawing her closer to the edge.
She clung to him, touching his face, gripping his shoulders, feeling the slick heat of his skin beneath her fingertips.
Oh, how she needed this.
Oh, how she needed him.
And when this second wave of pleasure crashed over her, she shattered into a thousand pieces. She came apart willingly—crying out, arching beneath him, her body pulsing around his.
He followed with a shuddering groan, deeper than ever before, releasing inside of her body, his entire frame tensing as he surrendered to the ecstasy of it.
For long moments, neither of them moved.
She smoothed her hands around his neck, over his shoulders, her touch featherlight, soothing. And when she wanted to say something, anything…
Words escaped her.
His weight settled over her like a loving blanket. Shewrapped her arms around him, pressing her lips to his damp temple.
She would always love him.
No matter what came next, no matter where fate led them, this would always be true.
A cloud drifted across the sky, covering the golden sunlight right before they drifted into sleep, lost in the moment where nothing else existed.
RUNNING OUT OF TIME
When Daisy awoke, it was to the sounds of her brother and Alastair downstairs in the kitchen. She ought to rush down to join them, ask Gilbert about his day at school, but she remained lounging in her bed, the covers rumpled around her.
She wanted to draw out the afternoon—a few stolen hours she never could have imagined.
After they’d made love, she’d barely slept a few minutes before waking to Alastair’s touch. “I want you again,” his voice had rumbled near her ear.
She smiled sleepily, recalling his hand between her legs, his mouth tasting her everywhere.
He’d rolled onto his back, shifting her legs so that she straddled him.
He’d told her to take what she wanted, to move how she wanted, and she’d done just that. Had it beentoo good?
