Page 109 of The Book Reader
“How happy I am, how I don’t want to leave here,” I reply
Something crosses his face. “You don’t have to leave my Rose; this is your home as much as it is mine.”
Smiling softly, I look around as we dance. I really don’t want to go. I know that, being away for the last couple of weeks, Mekhi is going to kill me, and Lucy will be so worried. My phone doesn’t work down here, so I’ve not been able to message them.
“Are you asking me to move in?” I say cheekily.
“Yes, I am,” he voices so seriously, leaving no room for questioning. “I’ve spent far too long without Arianna; I don’t want to live another day without you in them.”
“Yes,” I blurt out,
“What?” He says, shocked at how fast I answered.
I laugh, move to hug him. “Yes, Gaelan, I will move in with you,” excitement thick in my voice.
He picks me up, swings me around, and kisses my lips. Clapping erupts around us, followed by cheers. Gaelan lowers me to the ground, his eyes filled with joy. “You have just mademe one of the happiest men in all the universes.” Contentment in his voice.
“Excuse me, my lady,” a shy voice interrupts us.
I turn and see a young man holding a blue flower out to me. He bows, “May I have this dance?” His hands shake with nerves, making me smile brightly at him to try to ease his fear.
I take the flower, bring it to my nose to smell, and it smells like lavender but a little sweeter.
Gaelan pats the young man on the back. “Keep your hands above the waist, no kissing,” Gaelan jokes. The young man’s cheeks turn pink, and he nods his head. “Of course, my lord,” he says in a low voice.
Gaelan kisses the back of my hand, then passes it to the young man. “My Rose, this is Dixon, he is the chef's oldest son.”
I bow and incline my head with a smile. “Nice to meet you, Dixon.”
He takes my hand as the music changes to a faster song; we start to dance. “My lady, did you enjoy the bread last night? I made it for you. I remember you used to love it so much,” he beams at me.
“It was perfect, thank you. Tell me what you remember of me from before?” I question.
He looks a little taken aback but smiles. “Kindness and beauty, the dream realm was so alive with you here, his lordship smiled all the time.” He gets a faraway look in his eyes, as if he is remembering something awful. “When you were gone. We all felt it. The darkness kept creeping in with no one to fight it away,” his eyes downcast with his sorrow.
Knowing what I know now about my past, seeing what the evil in the underworld can do, I hate that I wasn’t able to survive before. That I couldn’t have been the light they needed. This time is different.
The marking on my left hip tingles with an untamed need to protect these people and the realm at all costs.
All of Gaelan’s people are so happy living here, I can see why. Not only does Gaelan run his realm with a level of fierce care, but he also loves his people so much, something I have a feeling he gets from his father.
Everyone here loves to do whatever they can to help. The gifts Gaelan and I have received from everybody show how much they love him and us.
This is a daemon realm, meant to be full of people so evil, but all I see here is love and family. They are nothing like the daemon I’ve witnessed topside; maybe the ones up there don’t have a leader to look after them.
As the night goes on, I dance with what feels like everyone. The band stopped playing a little while ago; now the DJ is in full swing, the music is pumping, and the amount of black I have consumed means I should be a wobbly mess, but I feel just a little tipsy. Gaelan comes over and joins me on the dance floor, our bodies grinding together, hands everywhere, holding and touching every place we can.
My back is to his front as we dance. I can feel his hard cock pressed against my body. I wish that we were alone. I want to know that we didn’t have to stay until the end of the party. Still, I turn in his arms and press my front to his. He moves his hands down my back to rest just above my ass. He pulls me closer, molding me against him, making a low whimper leave my lips. He lowers and kisses me hard on the lips, stealing my breath with his passion. Gaelan lifts his leg slightly so that he can press his thigh against my pussy, I swear, I almost come. My hands move to his shoulders, holding him tighter. I want to strip us naked.
As if hearing my thoughts, Gaelan growls against my lips before he whispers hotly against them, “Naughty, my Rose, ifyou are not careful, I am going to lay you on one of those tables and fuck you, not caring that we are in a room full of daemons.”
My lips part in my need. I don’t ever want anyone to see me or him naked, but fuck me, I think that’s the hottest thing anyone has ever said to me. I can feel the needy ache in my pussy grow. “What if I want to be naughty? Can we leave the party early?” I bite back a smile at the salacious look in Gaelan’s eyes. He groans low, the sound sends a thrill through along my back, I can feel my pussy getting wet, he takes my hand, gripping it hard as he marches us toward the door.
“Gaelan, we can’t leave yet,” I giggle.
“Fucking teasing me like that, Ari, we are leaving,” his voice commanded, full of dark need.
He leads me toward the main doors. I know the party will continue through the night, the black and the dancing have only just begun, really.
