Page 152 of Fated In Forever
“Malachi, this must have taken forever.” She paused, her eyes widening as she took in the full scope of the restoration. The polished floors, the pristine tapestries, the way the candles glowed brighter, the gentle air more welcoming than that cold, shrieking wind. “Tell me you didn’t do all of this for me?”
“I wanted everything to be perfect,” I said simply. “I wanted you to see the beauty in this place. I want…” I swallowed, suddenly nervous.What if I was wrong? What if shedoesn’t like it here?“I wanted you to think of this castle as our sanctuary, as I think of Crimson House.”
Her eyes were bright as she reached up to cup my face. “It's beautiful, and I’m grateful. But Malachi…you’re the reason I made that wish, you’re the reason I’ve been looking forward to these three days together. You didn't have to go to all this trouble.”
“Yes, I did,” I interrupted gently. “Because this is your realm too. And I want you to love it the way I do. There is beauty here, Evangeline. So much beauty.”
She kissed me then, soft and sweet and full of the promise of the days we'd have together. Because for every day, I would get over a week, and since I was a greedy bastard, I already had every single one planned out, down to the second. When we broke apart, I took her hand and led her toward the great doors that opened onto the castle's rear courtyard.
“There's something I want to show you,” I said, barely able to contain my excitement. “Something I've been working on since the moment I knew you'd be coming back.”
The courtyard looked the same. Ancient stone, the perpetual twilight sky of the Underworld overhead. But just beyond, a vast lake stretched out before us, its surface reflecting the dim red light of the Underworld's sky like a mirror made of liquid garnets. This hadn't existed a year ago. I'd carved the basin from the rock with my own hands, channeling water from the river.
Evie stopped dead in her tracks, “Is that…” she began, then stopped, shaking her head in wonder. “Malachi, how did you…”
“I wanted you to have somewhere to go early in themorning.” I trailed my fingers down her back. “Somewhere peaceful.”
She was quiet for a long moment, and I found myself holding my breath, waiting for her reaction. Then she sighed, leaning into me, “It's perfect,” she said, turning to face me with tears glistening on her cheeks. “Absolutely perfect. Though I have to point out—there are no swans in hell.”
“No,” I agreed. “But there are other things.”
As if summoned by my words, lost souls began to spiral out of the clouds, filling the sky above us, our own personal galaxy. “Oh,” Evie breathed, “They're beautiful.”
“The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” But I wasn’t looking at them at all, a wicked idea taking shape in my head.
***
“Wow. That’s some throne.Thrones.” Evie breathed, staring up at the pair of carved-out chunks of obsidian in the center of the room, perched high on the dais. “They seem…bigger than before. And I don’t remember there being two of them.”
“Hmmm? Really? You don’t?” I asked innocently as I swung her up into my arms and strode forward, setting her gently in the biggest one, her feet not touching the ground, before I knelt before her, spinning a circlet of black glass around one finger. I held my breath, then set the delicate crown on her head.
It was perfect against her bright golden hair, glittering warmth in the shadows.
That’s what Evangeline was. A light amongst the darkness, a beacon guiding me home, like a candle always burning in the window.
“There. Now you’re exactly where you should be. By my side, queen of the shadows. I have to say, you look perfect up there…except for one small detail.” I flicked my finger and her clothes vanished, replaced by a gown of shifting black shadow, framing the pale peaks of her breasts, barely covering her creamy thighs.
Fuck, down here I smelled nothing but her—sweet, juicy and we’d been apart for so godsdamned long I was about to come before I even touched her. Every minute without her had been complete torture, but now…I was about to experience fucking heaven again.
I circled her ankles with my fingers, pressed my lips to each of her perfect toes, then slowly pulled her feet apart, her eyes darkening, a long, slow breath easing out of her mouth as she realized what I meant to do.
Those shadows parted when I leaned in, pressed my nose to the inside of her thigh and dragged my tongue up that strip of white, velvety skin, savoring the exquisite taste of exotic spices and nighttime flowers.
I cannot go slow, Vicious, and I can’t take my time.
I don’t want slow, Malachi. I’ve missed this too much. I’ve missed you. She shifted her hips, tilting them up so all I saw was her pink, dripping cunt, heat melting me from the inside out, grunting as her delicious scent hit me full on.
I’ve missed you more, all those little delicious sighs, the way your fingers stroke my horns—yes, just like that—the way you look at me like I’m the only thing that matters.
I pushed her wider, retracting my talons all the way to protect her delicate flesh, the blunt ends of my fingers pressed into perfect, soft skin.
I was already lost, then ran my tongue up the center of her.
One long, deep lick coated my mouth with her dewy essence, sent stars bursting behind my eyelids. Another stroke of my tongue and her whole body shivered, then I couldn’t stop, lapping and tasting, driving my tongue indeep, until she was writhing and moaning for me to go harder, formore, more, more.
Are you sure, my love?
I’m sure.Those blue eyes glittered between half-closed lashes.Give me everything, Malachi.
