When his lips again met mine, my back arched, and I simplyknew.
From this moment forward, I washis. Forever. For as long as I had left.
A beautiful moan escaped him as we reached release together. Panting, I closed my eyes, feeling his hand cup my face before resting in my curls.
I could have lain there forever like that. Content.
Seth lifted himself off me, and I pathetically reached out when I felt him slip out of me. He chuckled, brushing my fingers as he walked by.
“I’ll be right back,” he promised.
Dropping my hand, I lay there like the dramatic princess I was. He returned a moment later, draping a cloak over me before nestling by my side.
“I have something for you,” he said, unfurling his fingers.
A necklace dangled from his hand. Beautifully carved wood hung from a silver cord, shaped to resemble a Duathi rune. It looked like a deer’s antler, or the branches of a tree, flowing and elegant.
“What does it mean?” I asked.
“It’s a tradition, for couples,” he said. “A promise of devotion.”
Bracing myself up on my elbow, I met his eye. “You were carving that back in Therapne.”
“I was.”
“Even though you were planning to poison me?”
“Even so,” he admitted. “I never denied being an idiot.”
Unclasping the cord, he placed it around my neck, entwining its chord with the sapphire necklace from Eleos. Once the wood carving rested between my collarbones, a look of satisfaction flickered across his face. Cupping my face, he lifted my chin and kissed me deeply.
“I love you,” he breathed.
“I love you, too,” I whispered.
Pain tore through his eyes, but also joy. Pulling me to his side, he rested his head above mine, running his fingers through my hair.
“I’d trade it all,” he murmured. “My magic, my crown. Everything. To run away, and be with you.”
“I wouldn’t,” I mumbled. “I still want my house by the lake.”
He laughed. “We’ll steal some gold to buy it. The kids, though? I’ll happily give those to you.”
Pressing my hands to his chest, I ripped away. “Do you want to go again?”
“Woah,” he said. “I don’t want those kidsnow.”
“Neither do I,” I scoffed, “I just want your dick.”
A laugh erupted from him, and he flipped me over. “As you say, princess.”
Brushing my hair aside, he kissed the back of my neck. As he trailed kisses down my back, I curled my fingers into his cloak, eager to intertwine myself with him again.
His hands trailed over my breasts and hips tenderly—fueled more by love than lust. Nesting his head against mine, he spread my legs with his and slipped inside me.
Gasping, I found his hand and knit my fingers through his. Tucked safely in a loving embrace, my thoughts drifted to my past.
The house by the lake, a loving husband, and two kids—the dream I’d always known I’d never have.
