Page 49 of Gifted Destiny

She cocks her head to the side, clearly disbelieving that she could be that distracting. Deliberately, I adjust my aching cock within the confines of my jeans. I want her to see that my words aren’t said to appease her, and it’s uncomfortable to sit with a raging hard-on. I swear my pants weren’t this tight when I put them on this morning.

Color floods her cheeks and her pink tongue slides across her lips again. How does she manage to undo me without even trying? I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and clutch the chair beneath me until the plastic protests.

“You have no idea what you do to me,”I breathe as I swipe a hand down my face and gather my control. “You say you want me, but I have many flaws. One of the most damning is that I’m adverse to change. I’m single-minded and simple, and I crave control. I can blame this on my childhood, but that part isn’t important. The point is that I’ve built my future around revenge and retaliation. When Bren led me here and upended everything, I got mad. I’m sorry if I took that anger out on you.”

My fingers itch to touch her now that I’m not. She opted for a messy bun this morning instead of her usual braid, and I like it. The style compliments her beautiful facial structure and makes her seem less restrained. The strands of gold, red, and auburn shine in the morning light. I want to run my hands through her thick hair and see it loose around her shoulders.

“Your plans for revenge shouldn’t be forgotten, Garrett. We have a common enemy, and we will bring him down.” The power of her sphinx is behind the words, making them sound like a prophecy and a promise. “I also understand that you feel trapped. It’s hard for me too. It isn’t supposed to be this way. We should have the run of the entire campus, but it’s not safe right now.”

I hadn’t considered this possibility. I don’t really want to spend time with the haughty students, but everything might change once we rid the school of Addington’s influence.

I don’t want to burst the bubble of hope she’s cultivated, but the protector in me feels compelled to point out the flaw in her logic. “Addington and his followers aren’t the only threat. You are the last sphinx. There will always be someone who wants control of the library … and you.”

She shrugs. “I know, but I hope those people won’t be on top of us all the time.” Her beautiful eyes glint with wicked intent. “Speaking of being on top ….”

The plastic chair creaks ominously as my biceps strain. “Zosia ….” Her name is a prayer on my lips. I close my eyes to erase the temptation she presents. “I’m sorry.” My apology is difficult to say, but the library reveals its honesty. “What I said was … unforgivable and stupid. I didn’t mean to insult you.” I stammer and babble, but I can’t stop. I should be on my knees and begging for forgiveness, but I can’t move. If I move, it will be toward her, and she hasn’t given me permission.

“Garrett.”

I love the sound of my name on her lips, but I don’t know the meaning. “Yes?”

“I forgive you. Now come here.”

I spring across the distance between us with a speed that would rival a vampire’s, but I don’t throw caution aside. I’m mindful of my size and the power of my beast inside. She’s not weak, but I could hurt her without even trying.

My mouth crashes onto hers with the full force of the desire I’ve restrained since the first time my lips touched hers. The intensity of my attack pushes her down onto the bed. She lays with her legs still half hanging off the bed and my thighs bracketing hers. I’m too heavy to lie on her, and I purposefully maintain distance between our bodies. If I surrender to the urge to press my throbbing cock against any part of her body, I might lose the last ounce of control I’m holding onto.

Instead, I use the power of my core to hold me over her and concentrate solely on the kiss. I devour her while cherishing every taste, imprinting the shape of her lips in my memory so that I can recall it when we’re apart. Her suppressed whimpers of pleasure and the way her panting breaths nearly press her beautiful breasts against my chest threaten the shreds of my control.

Reluctantly, I move my mouth from her lips and suckle at her neck. I want to taste and touch her everywhere, but I only haveone mouth and two hands. My griffin has his own agenda. He wants to mark her – not only with a mate tattoo but also with the pressure of our lips. Her fingertips raking through the shorn hair on my head and grasping at my shoulders feel more erotic than they have any right to be.

With irritating insistence, my conscience manages to find my voice. “I should probably be the last,” I hear myself whisper. Wasn’t I just complaining about being last … to the others and to her? Reason insists that Bren is already part of my pack; he doesn’t threaten my beast. What if my brother leaves, though? I’d have to choose between Bren and Zosia. He wouldn’t change his mind willingly, but it’s still a possibility.

“I thought it was time to open the library ….” I scarcely recognize my own voice. Why am I protesting?

I stand back up and stare at the opposite wall, unseeing. My arguments are the last, sputtering responses of my logical brain. It argues that we’ve cleared the air, so we should go open the library. It also says that she must be sore after her two other mates and could probably use a break, but I can’t get myself to leave. My body is consumed by my desire for her and my muscles won’t obey.

Movement flutters at my midsection. I ignore it until soft lips press against the bare skin above the waistband of my jeans.

“Fuck.” The curse word is the only word my mouth and my brain can manage. Addington didn’t like it when we swore because he said it made us sound lower class. I’d taken up the habit just to spite him, but this has nothing to do with him. It’s the only word that seems appropriate, especially when her movements are innocent but bold. She teases the skin she revealed when she lifted the hem of my shirt. My pants are naturally low on my hips, and I groan aloud when she dips her tongue under the waistband.

My fingers catch in the hair gathered at the back of her head. “Zosia,” I croak in a voice I barely recognize. “It will be very difficult for me to stop if you don’t stop right now.” I hate this admission because it implies I would take her by force. I might be half-beast, but I’m not as horrible as that. I feel like I can’t right now, though. My griffin urges me onward, and she has filled me with so much lust that I might burst – perhaps literally. That would be preferable to taking her against her will, though.

The trail of kisses and little nips she’s pelting me with pause for a brief second. My muscles shake with the tension of restraint, and my jaw feels like it might break. I’m rooted so firmly into the ground I might as well be a stone pillar.

“Do you want to be my mate, Garrett? Do you want to fulfill the rest of the contract you signed?” I feel her looking up at me, but I close my eyes tightly. Her question overflows with intention and purpose despite the heat of the moment, and I can’t answer lightly.

The rest of the contract …. It comes back word by word, even though my brain doesn’t normally work in that manner. I knew what I was signing when I signed it, but there were also levels of commitment. She’s asking me if I want to deepen our bond and become fully one with her and the library.

My answer will change the direction of my life, but there’s only one thing I can say and still maintain honesty. “Yes, Zosia Abram. I want to be your mate.” My declaration rings with brutal sincerity. The fundamental truth is that I will be an inferior version of myself without her, the library, and the other guardians – although I hate admitting to the last one. Alone, my revenge will be hollow, my victory worthless, and my purpose wholly selfish. In addition, my future loves and desires will pale in comparison to this woman.

The candidness and determination in my words elicit a satisfied growl. Her sphinx is just under the surface of her skin,judging by the sharpened tips of her fingernails as she undoes the top button of my pants.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” I force the protest past my tight jaw with my eyes still shut tightly. If I look down, I am gone; there will be no more thinking.

“You won’t,” she says. I don’t believe she’s completely confident about this, but her trust in me is genuine. I open my eyes but continue to stare at the ceiling, forcing my griffin’s instincts under my human ones. I don’t know how long I can maintain this restraint, but I want to give her control while I still can. My hands clench at my sides because I fear hurting her.

She undoes the last button on my jeans, and my cock springs free with joyful anticipation. It probably smacks her right in the face. I can’t determine whether her faster, louder breaths are caused by fear or desire, so I risk glancing at her face. She’s staring at my eagerness with wide eyes.

---