Destiny United (28 page)

“That…that’s good,” she murmured.

Marcelo ran a hand down her thigh and pulled her leg up
around his waist. She wrapped the other around him.

She heard his teeth grind together as he hissed in a
shaky breath. “Ah gods, you’re perfect, Aila. Just like this. Pinned beneath
me, open and bare, your legs locked around my waist. Beautiful.”

He bucked into her. Firm thrusts impaled her, over and
over, taking her to the edge while he whispered endearments in Spanish. He was
relentless, possessive. He attacked her mouth, nipping and sucking. A fury of
sensation overwhelmed her. She was coming undone. Falling, tumbling, and
suddenly afraid to let go.

 “Just one more thing,” he said against her lips. He
pulled out and rubbed against her clit. She whimpered at the loss. “Who do you
belong to?”

She squirmed beneath him. “You.”
Always
you
.

He smiled. “That’s my girl. Now come with me.”

One more hard thrust as his tongue dove into her mouth and
she screamed, his lips catching it. Her orgasm hit like a tidal wave, washing
over her, stealing her breath away. Marcelo roared while he pumped into her,
his seed branding her channel.

She blinked, her vision blurry through wet eyelashes. Her
eyes stung and her cheeks were wet.
Why are my cheeks
wet?

She was crying. Not tears of joy or pain. She wasn’t sad
or hurt. She was simply…at peace. The demons that had haunted her were gone.
Chased away by a big, bad vampire. Marcelo kissed her wet cheeks then rolled
off her and cuddled her into his arms.

He didn’t ask about the tears, just held her tight and
wiped them as they fell.

Wonderful man.

***

“I’m going to need a good long soak in the tub,” Aila
told him an hour later, waking up from dozing in his arms.

“I think I promised you a shower.” He ran his fingers
through her hair as they stared up at the ceiling. His lips were at her ear.
“Do you remember what I said I was going to do to you in the shower?”

Heat rushed to her center as she pictured his head
between her legs, that wicked tongue working its magic.
Damn. How does he do that?

He laughed and she knew he noticed her arousal. She cast
him a dirty look. “That’s not fair.”

“Of course it’s fair. My job is to satisfy you. How can I
do that if I don’t know when you need me?” The back of his hand grazed across
her breast. He gently pinched her nipple.

Her body tingled but she swatted his hand away. “Stop
that! I’m still tired. And if we keep up this pace I’ll be so sore I won’t be
able to walk.”

“But it’s a good reason to be sore.”

She pursed her lips in determination.

“All right.” He exaggerated a sigh. “I’ll give you
reprieve. But if you keep wiggling naked in my arms like you’re doing now, I
can’t promise it’ll last long.”

“Do you want me to put my clothes back on?”

“Try it and I’ll tie you to the bed.”

She giggled and tightened her arms around his torso.

Suddenly all laughter was gone. Marcelo grasped her chin
and pulled her head up to meet his somber gaze. “Aila, I want you to know that
I plan to make love to you in so many different ways that you completely forget
the bad thing that happened to you when you were a child.”

She bit down on her lip and nodded. The sentiment was
sweet but she didn’t think that would ever be possible. It was too engrained in
who she was.

“You don’t believe me,” he stated. “But I got you past
your fear of people, didn’t I? After all, you shot me in the neck to run off
and meet up with the fae.” He arched a brow at her guilty expression. “Isn’t
that right?”

“About that…I’m not sorry I left but…I am sorry I shot
you. I should have confided in you. Given you a chance to accept my plan. For
that, I’m sorry.”

“I know.” He kissed the top of her head. “But I didn’t
exactly make it easy, did I?”

“Trust goes both ways.”

“You’re right. I know I’m a bit protective – ”

“A bit?”

“
Querida
.” His voice was
solemn. “I’m trying to apologize here. It isn’t easy.”

She made a motion of zipping her lips.

“I’m sorry for my part. I should have trusted you instead
of imposing my will. I can’t promise it won’t happen again, I’m still learning
how to compromise. But, Aila, you can’t run off like that again. If you’re
scared, tell me. If you’re mad, hit me. But you don’t run. No matter what we
face in life, we face it together. I’ll have your vow on that.”

“You mean no more arrows to the neck?” she said in mock
disappointment. “A pity.”

“I mean it, Aila. No more running off by yourself.
Promise me.”

“I promise.”

“Good.” He kissed her firmly on the lips. “Now then,
let’s have a talk about the use of weaponry in this relationship. I’m glad
you’re so competent with your bow and arrow but I don’t know if my ego could
handle being bested by a mere fae again.”

She shot up in the bed. “A mere fae?”

Laughing he pulled her back down, draping her over his
chest. “Speaking of fae, would you like to tell me who this KW is?”

“Keiran, the Unseelie fae prince.”

“Ah, I see.”

“We’re supposed to get married.”

His body tensed beneath her. She looked up at him. His
eyes were dark, almost black. His lips formed a snarl. A growl started deep in
his chest.

“Relax,” she said, placing a hand on his bare chest.
“Obviously I refused him.”

His expression didn’t change but his muscles relaxed and
the fury receded from his eyes. She laid her head back down on his chest.

His arms tightened around her. “I must confess I’m a bit
jealous.”

“Duh.”

He gave her a squeeze that threatened to snap her bones.
“Disrespectful little thing.”

“Well, why should you be jealous? I chose you.”

“Yes, but he gave you a gift. A very valuable one.”

Her forehead creased. “The bow and arrow? You don’t want
me to have them?”

He cupped her cheek and tilted her head up. “Of course I
do. In fact, I expect you to keep practicing with them.” He placed a soft kiss
on her lips. “But I have a gift for you as well.”

“Really? What is it?”

“Later. Now you rest.” He shifted her so her head was on
top of a pillow. She pouted at the loss of his body heat.

“But my sister –”

“I’ll wake you when she comes.”

“Where is she?”

“She went Topside to look for you. You were late in your
arrival and she had a bit of a meltdown. I’m surprised the castle is still
standing.” He rolled off the bed with unnatural grace. “Sleep now. You are
weary. I can see it in your eyes.”

She was. The small nap hadn’t been enough to replenish
her. He tucked her under the blankets then pulled on his jeans. But she wasn’t
ready for him to go.

She reached out a hand. “Stay with me? Please?”

He looked at the door and she thought he would refuse.
But with a sweet smile he nodded and returned to bed, tugging her into his
embrace, enveloping her in his warmth.

That morning she had wondered if Marcelo would ever
forgive her for leaving him alone in the forest. He had been furious with her,
but he hadn’t hurt her. He’d barely even yelled at her. And he’d forgiven her
easily.

Trust really was a risk. He could still reject her. He
could use her, abuse her, or just ignore her. But it was too late to guard
herself now. She’d already jumped.

Marcelo kept Aila cushioned
against him while she slept. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so content. He
finally had his mate, naked in his arms, right where she should be. Just an
hour ago they’d made the sweetest love he’d ever had. Life was perfect. What
was wrong with him that his immediate thought was “how long will this last?”

Aila hadn’t given up on the pursuit of her destiny, he
knew that much. It worried him. The fate of an entire race shouldn’t rest on
the shoulders of one small fae –
his
fae. He had
to convince her it wasn’t her responsibility. Maybe he could distract her with
sex. His chest puffed up in pride when he thought about how she had opened
herself to him, trusting he wouldn’t hurt her, only give her pleasure. He was
hard again just thinking about her willing surrender. And damn if she didn’t
look good riding him like a cowgirl, impaled on his member, breasts bouncing,
head thrown back exposing her slender neck. If she would let him sink his fangs
into her delicate skin and taste her rich, addicting blood, it would be the
ultimate pleasure.

Though his erection was uncomfortable, he managed to
drift off under the hypnotic effect of her steady breathing and heartbeat.

She woke with a tired smile and gazed into his eyes.

“How long did I sleep?” she asked between yawns.

“Just a few hours,” he answered. “You can sleep more if
you’d like. You still look –”

She shushed him with a gentle finger on his lips. “No. I
feel much better.”

“What is this,
querida
?”
He snatched her wrist and stared at the bracelet dangling from it. She hadn’t
been wearing a bracelet before visiting the fae.

“Uhh…just a bracelet Kieran gave me.” She pulled from his
grip and tucked her arm under her body where he couldn’t see it. He wrestled it
back into view.

“It’s not a big deal Marcelo. It’s just…I had mentioned I
liked this one statue of a fox. It was made of red jasper which protects
against fears of the night. He thought it might make me feel better.” She
lowered her gaze and fingered the red beads that encircled her wrist. “Do you
want me to take it off?”

Yes, he did. But he didn’t say so. He didn’t want her to
resent him for his possessive ways. “Keep it. Anything that protects you is
added benefit for me.”

She smiled.

“That’s two gifts now the fae prince has given you,” he
teased. “How am I to compete?”

Her smile was gone in an instant. She dropped her gaze.

Mierda, there’s more
.
“What
else,
querida
? Might as well get it out now.”

“Well, there’s a book.”

He sighed. “Of course there is.”

“It’s about the fae and magic and I should probably read
it.”

“Yes, you should. As jealous as I am, Aila, I recognize
that you are fae, and you always will be. You could no more ignore that side of
you than I could my thirst for blood.” He arched a brow. “Anything else I
should know about?”

“Nothing else. I promise.” She traced his lips with a
finger then kissed him. “I need to get up and stretch my legs though.” She
rolled off the bed holding the sheet tightly around her. His body felt the
loss. “Let me get dressed then you can give me a grand tour of Sage’s…um…lovely
home.”

He tried to focus on her words but her firm nipples jutted
out from under the sheer sheet, taunting him. “We can start with the bathroom.
I think you’ll love the shower.”

“No.” Her voice was stern but there was a flicker of
amusement in her eyes.

He licked his lips remembering the taste of her soft skin,
sweet and refreshing.

“I’m serious! We can’t just fool around in bed all day.”

“Not just in the bed. In the shower, on the floor, up
against the wall. We could even get creative with the dresser.”

She bit down on her lip as if she were holding back a
laugh. “You know what I mean. I miss Sage, Marcelo. I need to find her.”

Her tone was pleading and he realized it would be hard to
deny her anything again. And he didn’t like that one bit.

“Now, I am going into the bathroom,
by myself,
and I’ll be out when I’m dressed.”

With a disappointed sigh, he pulled on his jeans and
t-shirt. Several minutes later she returned, dressed in the flimsy, yellow
sundress that was far too delicate for the dusty Underworld. Images of
stripping it off of her flooded his mind. Her flat stomach flared into curvy
hips and backside. Her breasts were the perfect size to fit in his palms. He
looked down at her legs remembering them wrapped around his waist, pulling him
deeper inside her.

I’ll never lose this hard-on with her around.

She cleared her throat. When he met her gaze, her lips
were quirked in an amused little smirk as she eyed the bulge in his jeans.

Little minx
.
In one
long stride he had her in his arms, pressed tight against his chest. He arched
a brow. “Keep staring at it and your tour will never extend beyond this bedroom.”

With a mischievous sparkle in her eye she said, “Maybe you
should just control yourself better.” She licked her lips and looked down again.

“That’s it.” He pushed her up against the wall. “You
asked for it.”

When he lifted her she wrapped her legs around his waist,
tight like a vice, and attacked his mouth with such ferocity he almost dropped
her.
I’ll be damned if I can’t appreciate an aggressive
woman.
He dove into her mouth, licking and nipping and sucking
while his hand reached under her dress.

“I thought I told you no more underwear,” he teased upon
finding the inconvenient barrier.

He shoved a finger under her panties and squeezed her
swollen clit. She gasped and her legs tightened around him. He ripped the
offending garment right off her body.

“Hey! I need those!”

“No you don’t. In fact, let’s get rid of this too.” In
less than a second her dress was in tatters on the floor.

She gasped. “You better hope I can find something of
Sage’s that fits!”

He nipped her swollen bottom lip. “New rule. No clothing
in the bedroom.”

She nipped him back sending jolts of electricity straight
into his shaft.
Ah, gods, the woman makes me crazed!

“Well I’m not staying in your bedroom forever.”

“Wanna bet?” he growled then shoved his tongue between
her lips to cut off any protest. Her hips bucked against his erection and that
was all the invitation he needed. Using the heel of his hand he rubbed against
the soft flesh between her lips.