Page 53 of Void of Endings
He accepted the cup, staring down at the thick, dark brew. The putrid scent of it was enough to make his nostrils burn.
Maeve smirked. “I mean, if you don’t want dessert then?—”
“Fine.” Tiernan bit the word out. Fuck. He downed the gross contents in one gulp, and a shudder wrecked his body. The “tea” was bitter and earthy, a horrible creation of mud and herbs.
He shoveled another piece of bacon in his mouth to rid himself of the nasty flavor, swallowing it down with some water. Then he reached for a biscuit in the hopes that it would soak up some of the alcohol sloshing around in his gut.
“I spoke with Ceridwen today.” Maeve toyed with one of her curls, running the strand between two of her fingers.
“Oh?” Tiernan took a small, hesitant sip of coffee. Already the pain in his skull was easing.
“She shared a vision with me.”
His head snapped up, and she added quickly, “A post-war vision. Not a bad one.”
Well, that was a small and welcome relief.
“And what did you see in his vision?” he asked, setting down the coffee and opting for more water instead.
“Our children.”
Tiernan choked. He pounded his chest with his fist, then coughed one more time.
Maeve smiled, amusement twinkling in her eyes. “Four of them.”
“Four?” he croaked.
“Three boys and one girl.”
He looked at her then,reallylooked at her. She was glowing, illuminated from within. It had nothing to do with the magic coursing through her veins and everything to do with the fact that she was envisioning their life together. Gods, he loved her so fucking much.
“Taron, Cillian, Shay, and Avalia.” She counted them off on her fingers.
The witch thread marking Tiernan’s wrist warmed, and a sensation wrapped around his heart, squeezing. Hope. “You already named them?”
“Not exactly.” She shook her head, her lips pursing in thought. “It was more like a feeling. Like something I knew.”
Tiernan lifted the tray from the bed and set it on the nightstand. “You’ll be a wonderful mother. I have no doubt our children will adore you.”
He grabbed her waist, dragging her against him until she straddled him. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he used his free hand to cup the back of her neck. “But only I will ever worship you.”
He brushed his mouth across hers, once, twice, as her arms wove around him. She opened for him readily when he traced the seam of her lips with his tongue. He claimed her in a clash of thunder and flames. Touching her was like holding fire in his hands. Their tongues tangled in a dance, each of them wantingmore, wanting all of what the other could give. Angling her head, he deepened the kiss, stoking the spark that flickered inside of her.
Maeve’s hips arched forward as she rubbed herself against the stiff length of his erection. Tiernan swallowed a groan, sliding his hands to her back. He grabbed a fistful of her curls, twining them between his fingers, and tugged. Her head tipped back on a gasp, and he scraped his teeth down the column of her throat while she squirmed in his lap.
Her nails dug into his shoulders for purchase and he ventured lower, enjoying the way the tiny black diamonds sparkled across her breasts. Bending down, he sucked one into his mouth, teasing her pretty pink nipple through the soft fabric. The bud hardened into a peak and he laved his tongue around it, swirling, stroking, until her breathless pants echoed in his ears. Again, she ground herself against him, but he had every intention of taking his time, of extending the length of her pleasure for as long as possible.
Tiernan pulled back, capturing her other breast with his hand. He rolled the twin peak between his thumb and forefinger, pinching slightly. She jerked, clinging to him.
“I thought you hated frilly undergarments,” he mumbled, tracing the plunging neckline of the nightgown with one finger.
“Only lacy ones.” Maeve laughed, trembling in his arms. “And I’m not wearing any undergarments.”
Tiernan glanced down between them.
Sure enough, he could see every beautiful inch of her beneath the fine fabric.
“Fuck,” he growled, then lifted her off his lap before depositing her back onto the bed. He peeled off his shirt and tossed it aside. She scooted back against the headboard, cushioned by the small mountain of pillows. She’d drawn herknees up and he arched one brow as he settled himself before her. “Open up for me,moh Ríenna.I’m ready for dessert.”
