Page 42 of Bound By Destiny

“I wouldn’t have wanted you to suffer any more pain,” she whispers shakily, “when you both fought so hard to be happy.”

For a few seconds, all I can do is stare at her. At those deep, thoughtful eyes that seem to follow me everywhere, even when she’s not there. Her face – beautiful, because there isn’t an ounce of hardness. And her mind just shines through. Everywhere I look she’s poised, intelligent. She’s capable of understanding the most technical theories, yet her thoughts never stray into mean, petty territory.

It’s at that instant that I realize I love her. It doesn’t come to me like an epiphany, a sudden revelation surging out of the blue. Rather, a sweeping emotion, calming yet thrilling at once, slowly infuses every fiber of my being. And at the end, it just feelsright. As if everything, from the whirlwind of my youth to the first time I held hands with Isobel, to the infernal tornado sweeping all away in its passage to this quiet moment, happened exactly the way it was meant to be.

“While we were apart,” I tell her gruffly, hating the shade of ripe tomato that surely colors my face right now, “I was busy doing some work. Fixing a broken part here or there. Figuring out where things fit, you know.”

Way to go, Dane.Speaking about my feelings is so unnatural to me that I’ve resorted to home improvement vocabulary.

Destiny’s brows lift, though she does her best to feign interest. I could almost laugh, if the moment weren’t so crucial. “Ah,” she says weakly. “In the barn?”

I shake my head. “No. Um…” Feeling oafish, I disengage our hands and point to my chest. “In here.”

A pretty pink adorns her cheeks. “Hmm. An important place to keep well-organized, yes.”

“Yeah,” I blurt, forcing myself to proceed even if it’s hard to speak about my emotions so openly. “So I just wanted to say, my heart’s ready for the taking now. And I’m tired of running away from the one person I want to give it to.”

The organ in question pounds with the brute force of a freight train. Destiny’s lip quivers, and I can’t tell if she’s on the verge of weeping or smiling. I can only hope for the latter.

“I already told you I like you.” She clears her throat, suddenly sheepish. “You know, forest fires and all. But… are you sure this is whatyoureally want?” She searches my face imploringly. “That it’s not just Fate, or whatever you call it, forcing you?”

Elation and sorrow erupt within me at once, because Destiny is willing to give us a chance. I wish she could feel more confident, but I’ll take what I can.

“I’ve got an eternity to prove that you’re exactly what I want,” I pledge to her with a beam. Eyeing her loose shirt, I lift a brow. “Should I start proving how much I want you right now?”

With something between a giggle and a sob, Destiny jumps into my open arms. I pull her close, happy like I’ve haven’t been in centuries, burying my nose into her hair to take in the sweet scent I hope to breathe for eternity.

But first things first, I need to work on turning that ‘like’she mentioned into love.

Destiny

Before I know it I’m flat on my back, with Dane planted on all fours above me. He traces the contours of my face slowly with his index, committing every inch to memory. His eyes are smoldering with something fierce, as if he’s looking at me and sees a lot more than I do in the mirror.

I can’t help but compare this moment to the almost animalistic way we pushed and pulled at each other under the mountains, when Dane lit all my senses on fire. Back then, we barely had time to look at each other, we were so consumed with need, so desperate to become one. Now I understand it was the bond of matehood that pulled us together so violently.

This time couldn’t be any more different. Dane slowly descends upon me, and presses a kiss on the very top of my forehead. He continues downwards, inch by inch, kiss by kiss. He gives special attention to my lips, nibbling them gently until I part for him.

Dane cups my curly hair in his hands, capturing me ever so tenderly in place. His fingers find my ears, caress me there. His tongue looks for mine, and pulls me into a languorous dance until I’m panting for breath.

Then he continues his journey south. Today he doesn’t rip my clothes apart – thank goodness, because I don’t know whose shirt I’m wearing – but carefully opens one button, lays his trail of kisses on my skin, and moves on to the next one. The stubble of his chin leaves behind a slight abrasion, like a road rash but tingling and sensual.

By the time he reaches the last button, a soft burn smolders between my thighs. It’s not the wild, scorching fire from the first time, but it’s no less wonderful.

He pushes the fabric away, and now I lay before him in nothing but my underwear. Without the crazed lust of a few weeks ago, I can’t help but fret that he won’t find me as attractive.

It’s only a passing thought.

There’s no missing the way his swollen lips drop open, the way his face grows hot, the way his irises scintillate as if they were reflecting something blazing and bright. I glance at my nearly naked body. Nope, it’s just me, and I’m not on fire. It’s all in his eyes.

“Lovely, lovely Destiny,” he murmurs, fiddling with my bra until it’s gone as well. “I missed you so much…”

And with that, he lowers his mouth to my breasts, lathering them with affection. His tongue teases my nipples until they're taut and begging, the sharp bite of his teeth builds a sting that makes his kisses all the more sweet.

As he slowly but surely pushes me towards the edge, I belatedly realize I’m being unduly selfish and hogging all of the attention. Putting my hands to good use, I unbutton his jeans. His hardness springs out immediately, making me blush with his eagerness. Dane groans as I tug at the waistband of his briefs.

“No,” he warns gruffly, parting ways with my breasts to shake his head at me. “This time, it’s all about you.”

Tears blur my vision as I understand what he’s doing.

---