Page 157 of A Simple Truth

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FINNLEAH

The blazing, desert sun peeked past the crevices of the old, cracked shutters. The coals in the small hearth near me were cold; red specks of dust and sand danced in the rays of light illuminating the messy room. My eyes darted to the empty spot beside me, immediately sitting up as I glanced over the room.

“Gideon?” I called out, but he didn’t reply. His clothes were gone too, yet he left the weapons behind. I willed my concern to quiet, wrapping the blanket around me into a make-shift dress as I stood up. But just before my mind spiraled out of control, the door opened, and his delighted face peeked in.

“Oh, you are up?” His voice was apologetic. “I was trying to be fast, but this village is not very easy to steal from.” His eyes radiated a certain glow as he stared at me, his mouth drooling at the sight of me.

“You went to get food?” My brows bunched up in surprise as he dropped a small makeshift sack filled with his findings.

“Well, I figured, after all the ‘fun activities’ we had last night, you’d be hungry.” He winked at me as he shut the door behind him, crossing the room in a few strides, and before I could reply, he had me already shoved against the wall, his hands picking meup as the blanket moved, exposing my legs. “I’ve missed you,” he tenderly said, landing a kiss on my lips.

“Youstolefood from the poor villagers?” I paused to say in between our heated kisses.

“Would you rather I kill for it?” He clicked his tongue. “They’ll be fine. Anfissa will take good care of them. Now, why don’t you eat and let me take good care of you.” He tilted my head up with his forefinger and his thumb, his mouth meeting mine as his hips grinded into me. I felt his cock twitching, throbbing for more, but he set me down a minute later. “You need to eat, otherwise you will die of starvation, and I don’t want to fuck you to death,” he gently stated, placing a kiss on my forehead as a look of disappointment flashed through my face.

“If I had to pick a way to die, then that is the one I would choose.” A girly giggle escaped my lips, as he slapped my butt, while I darted to the food. “So, what do we do now?” I asked, chewing on a few fresh flat breads and odd fruit I’d never seen before.

“Anything you want. Though my personal preference, we hop on Greyfas and leave Esnox. To hell with the war, the Queen, and anyone else for that matter. We’ll find a nice house you like somewhere, get you those chickens and goats, and then just fuck each other until we are dead.”

“That is a very tempting offer.” I smiled, realizing that perhaps for him, abandoning it all was not as far-fetched as it would be for me.

Because he’d leave.

If I said yes, he’d forsake it all for me.

Because when I said I loved him, it meant that I loved him more than anything else. More than anyone else I ever loved or would love. But when he said that he loved me, it meant he lovednothingelse but me. It meant I was theonlything he ever loved or would ever love.

My soul esteemed that truth, my heart making a secret promise to spend each day, each breath of my entire existence cherishing him, loving him, treasuring that precious gift of love he so generously offered me.

“As much as it pains me to say this, we have to go back, Gideon,” I said, taking a sip of the milk he stole.

“‘Having to’ is debatable…but if we do, war or not, you must stay with me. Otherwise, I will simply go insane.”

“Okay,” I eagerly agreed, unable to imagine how I could ever be apart from him, myself.

“So now that we settled that part…we also should probably discuss our plan for the otheractivities…”he sheepishly murmured.

A puzzling look laced my face, and I wasn’t sure what he implied.

He cleared his throat, clarifying, “I mean…we know I got off inside you, and I know I probably should’ve discussed that prior to it happening. I just want to know what your expectations and plans forthatpart are.”

“Oh.” I paused, swallowing the food in my mouth. “You mean, if I want to carry your children, considering we are having completely irresponsiblesex? You know you can actually use that word, right? Dirty, primal, hot seeeeexxxxxxx,” I drawled, cackling as he almost blushed. “Who knew the Lord of Death was such a prude?” I teased him.

“I am serious, Finnleah.” He folded his arms. “We have to talk about it.”

“‘Having to’ is debatable...” I theatrically copied his words, even as he loudly glared at me. My mind took pity on him and his worried look. “Fine. You have nothing to worry about. At the ‘pleasure’ dome, before I was about to prostitute myself out, they gave me a tonic. Not sure what it is exactly, but the girls swore by it. It will last for a few more weeks, so we should be good. See,I told you, I planned everything,” I replied as his body eased, but then I added with a more somber voice. “But long term, I won’t shy away from the truth, Gideon, I want children. I always dreamed of having a family, of loving my children, of being a wife and a mother…”

“I know. And I hope you know, Finnleah, that it would bring me nothing but joy and pride to be the father to our children, to raise them with you and love them unconditionally. But...” He hesitated and my heart froze mid-beat. “I was a bastard, and I cannot do that to my children.”

“I understand,” I stated, aware of the implications. My heart ached seeing his deep wounds, scars he carried even as a child, scars he didn’t quite show to anyone but me.

“And I know that you’ve been engaged before, and I know it might be too soon for you and I am willing to wait for as long as you need, and I mean that. As long as you need. As long as you desire,” he nervously rambled, and I listened to every word. “But my one and only request is that we wait until we are bonded to have children.”

“Deal.” I confidently nodded as our eyes met. He released a long breath, his shoulders relaxing. The corner of my mouth tugged up, as I realized that this time around, I was actually really excited about making a deal with the brutal Destroyer General.

He didn’t hide his own happy smile as he gawked at me.

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