Page 49 of Clause & Effect
As mine.
Fuck.
I already know what it’s going to feel like. I already know it’s going to be too good to be true. I already know she was made for me.
How do I know this?
It’s something I can’t explain. Maybe it’s part of the lore of my ancestors. Or maybe it’s just desire.
No.
It’s not that.
It’s more. I know it is. She’sfamiliarto me. It’s like I’ve known her before. Or I’ve always known her. I can’t explain it, and frankly I don’t want to dive into the emotion of it. I just want to be in the moment. To feel her like this.
To feel her soft lips, to hear her moan in desire.
I want her underneath me and I want to be so deep inside her that I’m all she can ever think about or imagine. I want to be her fantasy in every waking moment.
Because I have a feeling, she’s about to be mine.
I pull back from her so I can breathe her scent in, my lips trail kisses around her beautiful face and I rub my beard against her delicate skin.
“You’re so beautiful,” I tell her as I gaze deep into her sapphire eyes.
She doesn’t answer, instead she turns her head shyly and moves it into my chest as she wraps her arms around my waist.We hold each other like this for a moment as I place soft kisses on the top of her head.
To be fair, I’m impressed with how well she’s taken it all in with stride. I know her mind must be racing in all sorts of directions, and I don’t blame her. I’m just relieved I don’t have to work harder to make her believe in all of this.
But then, this is a novel experience for me too. I’ve never brought a woman here. I’ve never told a woman about my family before, and I’ve never felt the earth move when I set eyes on a woman in my life.
Dammit! The earthmoved.
Her body trembles in my arms and I pull her even closer.
“Are you cold?”
She shakes her head against my neck.
“No,” she whispers softly.
“Then what is it?” I ask, feeling so protective of her.
“It’s nothing,” she says and if possible, molds herself into my arms even more.
I tilt her face up to mine and stare down at the perfection looking back at me. She takes my breath away. I’ve never had such a reaction to a woman before in my life. Everything about her makes my blood heat up.
My eyes race over her face. Flushed cheeks, twinkling eyes—maybe a slight buzz from Shorty’s hot chocolate.
Perfect.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” I say.
“You’re the one who can read minds this time of year,” she returns cheekily. “Why don’t you tell me?”
I rub my hands up and down her back and kiss the side of her neck.
“It doesn’t work like that.”
