Chapter Thirty-Two
THE NIGHT WAS FILLED WITH FRIENDS LAUGHING and making plans for the future. Even though there had been deaths on both sides of the fight, we had been victorious. Only a few rogue preternaturals escaped, and Dwennon was confident they’d be found and taken care of. We all enjoyed each other’s company until late into the night before everyone began going home.
A profound sadness was tugging on my heart, and I wondered where the feeling was coming from. I felt like I’d found the place where I belonged, I felt at home. When I saw Soren to the door, I realized the melancholy I was experiencing was coming from my brooding vampire. I reached out my hand to stop him, to ask him what was bothering him, but he jerked his arm away from me abruptly and muttered something about the bond being a nuisance. I let him leave without smacking some sense into him, but I promised myself I’d talk to him the next day.
Leaning against the front door after the last guest had left, I yawned into the back of my hand.
Aldwin walked over to me, flashing a crooked grin. “You are dead on your feet. Up to bed, Miss Hannigan.”
I raised a challenging brow at him and crossed my arms over my chest. “Make me." I thrust my chin out. The gauntlet had been thrown.
I shrieked as Aldwin pinned me against the door and then scooped me into is arms before I could even pretend to have had a fighting chance. I stuck my bottom lip out in a pout. “No fair! I’m wounded. It wasn’t an even match.”
His laugh boomed off the walls and warmed my heart. “You never had a chance, Sage,” he boasted. He carried me all the way into my room and gently set me back on my feet.
I threaded my hand through his thick, ebony hair and felt a thrill shoot through me when his body shivered ever so slightly. I got up on my tiptoes to gently kiss him.
“Sage, you are injured. I don’t want to hurt you further.”
His husky voice cut through my haze of desire, and I looked into his concerned gaze and knew beyond a shadow of doubt that I wanted him more than I had wanted anything else in my life.
“Aldwin, I need you tonight. Please don’t deny me again.”
His eyes widened slightly. Instead of saying anything, he lowered his mouth to mine and answered me passionate kiss for passionate kiss.
After several moments, he broke away reluctantly and rested his forehead on mine. “I need to tell you something… before we—”
I put my finger across his lips and breathed in the scent of honey and spices.
“Whatever it is won’t matter to me. Tonight is just about us. Save it for tomorrow,” I said breathlessly.
He seemed a bit torn, so I made the decision easier for him. Turning around and looking over my shoulder at the man who made me feel complete, I asked, “Undo my dress for me, please?”
His pupils dilated, and I hid a small smile. His hand brushed my hair over my shoulder, and I felt his breath a second before he kissed my neck. I groaned out loud.
His fingers expertly unbuttoned the back of my dress, lowering it down past my shoulders and just above my breasts. His mouth skimmed the back of my neck, and then he kissed the sensitive skin where the mark of Amerach was.
I hissed in a breath at the contact, feeling a sizzling current travel throughout my body. Aldwin groaned as I let the dress drop to the ground. Stepping out of the puddle of fabric and turning to face him, I suddenly felt unsure of myself.
I reached over and tugged at the fabric around his neck; Aldwin took the hint and disposed of his shoes, tie, and vest. I smiled and crooked my finger at him. His eyebrows rose, but he didn’t deny me. I reached up and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, exposing more and more of his muscular chest. When I pulled the fabric off and he stood shirtless in front of me, a jolt of red-hot desire shot through me.
I kicked my boots off and set my sgian-dubh on the bedside table. With my back still to Aldwin, I unclasped the hooks at the front of my corset. Suddenly self-conscious, I held on to it for a moment longer; I had never been completely bare in front of a man before. With a deep breath, I let the corset fall away, crossed my arms over my chest, and turned to face him.
Aldwin stepped forward and lifted my chin gently with his finger. “You are absolutely beautiful.”
I released a breath as his mouth descended to mine again, saying what words never could and wiping away all my inhibitions.