Page 84 of Touch Of Fate
“Fuck,” he says gruffly, lifting his head. He thrusts twice more and holds deep. I tremble and drop my legs.
He presses his forehead to mine, our breath mingling, and our bodies locked together. The room is calm, and our magic recedes into us. I lighten my touch, realizing my nails are digging into his scalp. We don’t need to speak to know the importance of the moment. The soul bond is complete, and with the joining of our bodies in every way, it seals our connection. I would do anything for Rome. He’s given me a future I didn’t allow myself to hope for. He eases back and looks into my eyes. I smile slightly andkiss him. I move my hands and brush them across his shoulders. Pulling back, I kiss his cheek, then the other, and then his jaw. I bite him lightly and lie back.
“I don’t think I’ll ever tire of this,” I whisper, smirking.
“I know we never will,” he says, lifting slightly and looking down. “You're beautiful, my Mara.”
“You make me feel beautiful.” I hiss as he eases out of me and sits on his heels. He narrows his eyes and touches my side. “What’s wrong?”
“A new tattoo,” he mumbles, and brushes his thumb over it. I look down and gasp. Sitting up, I turn slightly and touch it. An infinity symbol is down my side, four inches in length, with a sun and moon on either side of it in its center.
“It’s gorgeous.” I look at him, my eyes wet, and get to my knees. “You have the same.” I press my hand under the identical tattoo on his chest, under his heart.
“Our combined power.” He cups my hand and smiles. “Representing our soul bond.” I want to sob, knowing we will forever be tied together in the most profound way.
“I love you,” I say, and he tilts his head.
“Don’t cry, love.” He cups my face, kissing me gently. “I want to give you something else that signifies our bond.” I tilt my head watching him pull off one of his rings.
“Rome,” I whisper, staring at the silver band, unsure what it means. We haven’t talked about marriage.
“When I was a teenager, I was much like you. Hiding from the world, afraid of the magic I could do. Mom loved to travel, and she lectured me that if I didn’t confront my fears, I wouldn’t be able to see all the beautiful places in the world.” He slides his hand underneath mine. “Every trip she took, she bought me a ring. I have hundreds of them. Each has a different meaning, or she found them in a special way. This one…” He holds it with his free hand. “It has been spelled to remain stuck in timebecause it is very old. She was in Ireland, staying with her friend, another witch. The woman had never found her soul bond, and she decided to stop practicing her magic years before. She began to age, and her spells lay unmoving inside her. Mom tried unsuccessfully to convince her to resume her magic, try to turn back time, or at least stop aging. The woman wanted to live her life on her terms, and she was tired of waiting. Her life was filled with human friends, and that was enough for her. She gave this to her and told her to give it to someone special. The woman said to tell whoever it was to always live life in whatever way, as long as they were satisfied. Whether that is living with magic or without. Live happily and with no regrets. The woman was in love with a human, and he loved her. It didn’t matter that they had no magic; they were loyal to each other.” He slips the ring on my index finger. “This isn’t an engagement ring.” He smiles. “If you want that, we can pick something out together.” He squeezes my hand once it’s in place. “This represents love, loyalty, and family. With or without magic, we belong together.”
“It’s beautiful.” I swallow hard, staring into his eyes. “What happened to them?”
“Mom met her friend's man and understood. She asked her warlock friend to spell the man so he would live as long as her friend did. They died the same day, the same minute, at age one hundred and twenty.” He laces our fingers. “The band is simple, and so was their life. Yet, the most powerful things aren’t extravagant. They lived tucked away, in love and respect. I will show you the same devotion. I can’t imagine living without my spells, but I could with you. I would give it all up just to be with you.”
“Rome,” I whisper, climbing onto his lap. “Thank you. I will always cherish it and your love.” I hug him tight, my lips against his ear. “As long as I have you, nothing else matters. I love you, not for your power, but for your heart.” I ease back, pressing mypalm to his chest. “I’m so grateful we found each other.” I kiss him tenderly, and he touches his forehead to mine. We sit in silence, glorying in our new bond, his hands roaming my back. As he pulls back, I notice voices outside. “Is that Lace?”
“I couldn’t hold the soundproof spell,” he grumbles, moving off the bed. “She was disturbed by the noise. Archer is trying to calm her down.”
“Since when?” I jump up and grab my clothes.
“Since the thunder in a cloudless sky,” he chuckles.
“She’s been standing out there that long?” I hiss, pulling on my underwear.
“No, I believe he talked her back into her house,” he says.
“You didn’t say anything.”
“I was a little distracted, and so were you,” he points out. “I knew someone was activating my spell.” He pulls up his jeans. “Like fuck I was going to stop to reassure her.”
“She’s been—” I slap my hand over my mouth to hold in my giggles. My sister thought we were in trouble. “It’s a good thing our magic has settled. She’ll move away every time we have sex.”
“Who said anything about settling?” He yanks me against his chest, and I hear lightning crackle. “The neighborhood had better prepare. I plan on causing storms as much as possible.” He smirks, kisses me, and lets me go.
“Damn,” I breathe, biting my lip. I stare at him and am disappointed when he puts on a shirt.
“Stop looking at me like that,” he says gruffly, and I shake my head.
“I’m in,” a voice yells. My eyes widen.
“Fuck no,” he growls.
“Is that your mom?” I gasp.
Chapter Nineteen
