“I really do love you,” I whispered sincerely.
“I know,” he said simply. That sexy grin turned downright devilish. His hands slid around my back, making their way lower. “Wanna know how I know?” he asked, his hands about to dip and grab two generous handfuls of the junk in this trunk.
“Because I just told you?” I said on a laugh.
“Besides that.” He was looking so happy, almost smugly so, I wanted to smack him and then kiss that look right back onto his face.
“Greniv Marsh, what kind of game are you playing at-” I started to playfully chastise.
“Your hair is gone purple.” Before I could say anything to that, he was kissing me, and, oh my frond, he was quite good at it.
“Greniv,” I burst out, when he left my lips to nibble his way down my jawline, my throat, and lower still. Squirming in his partially shifted arms, his body already going green, planting out on me, I wasn’t sure we’d make it to the marsh if he kept up like that.
“Hmmm?” A deep, rumbling noise left him.
“Yes.”
He was just shy of burying his face into my breasts, his vines lifting my shirt up, exposing my lavender bra and the tops of my breasts. Gren paused and lifted his head.
“I want all of it. Everything. I know this is all sudden and fast for some, but not to me. Us, this, it feels right. You feel right. I know it clean to my chlorophyll. I want all of you and all of me. All-”
“MINE,” he muttered fiercely, and then he was grabbing for me. And then we were shifting, a burst of movement as he scooped me up and I wrapped my legs around his lean hips, my arms around his neck.
“MINE,” I softly rumbled back. Branched limbs spread, circling, vines tangling, veiny leaves enclosing, and we were moving.
Our clothes shred as we hit the bottom step on the porch, and then my limbs were entwining with his, until we were a mix, almost one. “Aster,” Greniv gasped out reverently as we slid into the murky water bordering his backyard paradise. That was the last word he could speak before he was in his full shift.
His head tipped, dipping. The heavy thickness between his legs, digging into my belly, began to dip. More vines wrapped around me, and mine around him. Then he was there, his thickness pressing into my heat.
A guttural noise left my male as he slid deeper, until my channel rippled around him, driving him even deeper, and our bodies began to lock. Marking required us to basically temporarily tree out. We’d reached the middle of the deepest part of the swamp-like marsh, trees surrounding us, just as a Human swamp would, lush with nutrient rich soil I could taste like this that made the marsh home welcoming, as our roots started to set.
Blossoms sprouted all over me as our roots plunged into the soil. Euphoria washed over me, and my male alike, the experience uniquely sexual. Wild plant people sex. Again and again, our roots plunged deep, until our vines were quivering, leaves sprouting to shoot out. We were truly one in that moment, no part of me not covered by part of him, and vice versa. The head of his cock burst, tendrils shooting out to bury deep and set root.
Spores filled the air, perfuming the magick thrumming marsh.
On and on, we went, climaxing over and over. Golden puffs of pollen expelled. Our hearts pounded in time, his accelerating in exhilaration with mine as what exactly we’d just done began to sank in.
Our vines tightened, the water cool as it lapped at our partially submerged bodies. Entwined with my mate, our forms shivering with orgasm after orgasm, we could have been there for hours. Time held little meaning.
As dawn peaked sometime later, my male’s vines slowly retracted from my face. Green eyelids lifted, wild eyes meeting mine. My one exhaled, right over my face, a Marsh mate’s version of an I Love You, as that telltale third beat, nestled deep inside me, softly began to gently pulse.
Even if he’d changed his mind about the ring right now, this was all so much more.
Chapter 23
Guys’ Night
Greniv
“Iknow,” I mumbled miserably, before anyone could answer, “I screwed up.”
“So instead of giving her the ring, you offered her the swamp D, and then promptly impregnated her. Nice...” Alfie shrugged, laughed, then shook his head, a soft, drawn out whistle leaving him. “You might wanna hurry up and rectify that real quick now, Green.”
“If he can.” Ben gave a grunt. Glancing my way, he huffed. “You’re an idiot.”
“So you’re fond of telling me. Repeatedly,” I grumbled, scowling, searching the back patio area for my lost ring box. I didn’t argue. It was here somewhere!
“Why are you here after basically shunting her off to her place? Just tell her what happened. Tell her the truth. You want to marry her like Humans do, it’s important to you. You chickened out on the whole proposal shebang because you were afraid she’d say no. She’s going to assume the wrong thing if you’re not careful,” William muttered from his spot beside me. Ben and Will shared a look and Ben grimaced.
