“Only you, Aaron. How could you doubt it?”
Desire glazed her eyes, and she lifted her legs, twining them around his body, deepening his thrust even more. He clenched his jaw and concentrated on not coming until she did, but he teetered on the edge. The pressure building at the base of his spine was enormous. It made his whole body shake with the need for release. Her body had gone tight, every muscle contracted, and he knew she hovered on the edge.
“Please, Aaron,” she whispered. She didn’t have a chance to finish her thought. She arched her back, and her orgasm rocketed through her.
It triggered his own, which blasted through his body like an exploding nebula. There were no words for it. Just, perhaps, perfect.
Gaia brushed Aaron’s shaggy hair from his face, meeting his gaze. Without even meaning for it to happen, the bond had been completed. She hadn’t promised she’d be hispermanently. But she’d done something much more powerful. She’d acted on the promise in their hearts and given him immortality.
Now the bond between their souls was sacred. Joy washed through her, knowing that no matter what, they would both survive.
She hadn’t realized how good it would be to have a mate. The bond was something she hadn’t guessed she needed before. Even though she’d survived without it, she hadn’t felt complete.
Now she did.
Epilogue
Two months later.
Gabriella Fierro hadn’t thought about knocking as she entered the greenhouse until she saw Gaia and Aaron locked in an amorous embrace. They jumped apart.
“Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude…”
Gaia grinned. “Hi, Gabriella. Don’t worry. We only get naked inside the house now that it’s finished and we can lock the doors.” She and Aaron held hands and strolled down one of the long rows of fragrant heart-shaped plants to meet the Fierro matriarch. There was one large silver-and-gold pot, and it housed two grander heart-shaped plants growing out of the same stem.
Gabriella hugged Gaia, then Aaron. “What’s this?” She pointed to the metallic pot. “A different plant? It looks so much bigger than the rest.”
Gaia smiled at Aaron. “It’s very special, because it was a gift from Aaron to me. We don’t know why it grew so much larger than the others.”
“I believe it grew exponentially as our love for each other grew,” Aaron said.
As if they couldn’t help it, the couple shared a tender kiss, which grew passionate before her very eyes.
“At this rate, it will reach the ceiling in no time.” Gabriella couldn’t help but giggle. Then she cleared her throat, and the couple sprang apart as if they’d just remembered she was there. “Well, I just stopped by to let you know Misty had her baby—babies, actually. Twins! A boy and a girl.”
“You didn’t know she was carrying twins?” Aaron asked.
“She and Gabe knew, but they didn’t tell anyone else. They wanted it to be a surprise.”
Aaron chuckled. “And no one got suspicious when they saw two cribs and two highchairs?”
“Misty, because she’s a muse, let Gabe build the crib and then just zapped up a duplicate when they brought their little bundles of joy home.”
“How is Gabe handling it?” Gaia asked. “As I recall, he wasn’t planning to have children—ever. Now he has three!”
“He’s the proudest papa you’ll ever meet.” Gabriella’s eyes twinkled. “And that’s not all. Guess who else is expecting?”
“Dawn,” Mother Nature said matter-of-factly.
“Well, yes… You knew?”
Gaia rolled her eyes. “Of course I knew. I’m Mother freakin’ Nature.”
All three of them laughed.
Gabriella glanced around the greenhouse. “It looks like your plants are thriving. When do you plan to start testing its chemical formula or…whatever else doctors need to have documented so they can prescribe the medicine?”
“Never,” Aaron said and smiled, surprising her.
