Page 119 of Yearning For Her

She turned, took his face between her hands, and kissed him again, pouring every ounce of her love into it. He cradled the back of her head in his big hand, his nails grazing her scalp as he pulled her closer.

When she finally broke the kiss, she stared right into his entrancing eyes, and she saw everything she felt mirrored in them. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Violet,” he said, stroking her hair.

Willow smiled and pecked another kiss on his lips, causing him to chuckle before she forced herself to exit the car.

“I’ll spend our time apart thinking of all the dirty things we’re going to do this afternoon.”

She cast him another teasing glare. “You’re trying to make this difficult.”

He grinned. “Just building anticipation. Think of me.”

Willow stuck her tongue out at him.

“Oh, you’ll be putting that to use later.”

“Jerk.” She shoved the car door closed and turned toward her house.

As she walked toward the front door, she could hear his muffled laughter. With a mischievous smile of her own, Willow reached back, grasped the hem of her skirt, and lifted it, giving him a quick flash of her ass.

The laughter cut out, replaced by a very distinct, very horny, “Fuck!”

Thirty-Three

Willow was so happy she was practically floating on air as she drove home. Despite the rush to make the appointment on time, lunch with her client had gone wonderfully. The bride-to-be was excited and couldn’t wait for her photoshoot next week. She’d listened to all of Willow’s ideas, had offered some great suggestions of her own, and had been overflowing with joy about her coming wedding.

Willow felt that same elation. In a way, she’d just been married herself, and she’d longed to get back to Kian throughout the meeting.

She loved waking up in Kian’s arms, loved teasing him, loved being teased by him. She loved the fervent light in his eyes and his wicked yet charming smile. She loved how he made her feel safe, how he made her feel seen.

She simply loved being with him. Loved him.

I’m mated to a fae.

The reality of that was staggering. Part of Willow still couldn’t believe it was true. Only a couple months ago, fae had been nothing more than a myth to her—a myth she’d never given much thought to beyond the fae romances she’d read. They appeared in books and movies, but they were never supposed to be real.

And Willow had somehow ended up fated to one of them.

But it’s more than that, isn’t it? I’m not just fated to Kian…his immortal lifeforce is part of me now.

Willow slowed the car as she neared her house, pulled into the driveway, and cut the engine. She grabbed her purse and checked her phone. Her meeting had ended sooner than she’d expected, so she had some time before Kian would arrive.

She was tempted to text him and tell him to come over now, but she wanted to take a shower first, since she hadn’t had time in her hurry to meet her client. And the house needed some tidying, anyway. There were wilting flowers to throw away, and though the clean laundry was all neatly folded, she hadn’t quite gotten around to moving it off the dryer and putting it away.

Climbing out of the car, she closed the door and locked it with the key fob. As she walked to the front door, she recalled flashing her ass at Kian when he’d dropped her off earlier, and she could stop herself from grinning. Willow knew she was going to pay for that.

And she certainly anticipated that punishment.

She never would’ve done something like that with anyone else, especially not Eli, but with Kian… Being with him was freeing. She could be herself, could be quirky, carefree, or inappropriate, could be playful, seductive, sensual. She could explore her desires, her fantasies, and know that he would never judge her. He would never mock her or make her feel inferior.

Willow entered her home, locking the door behind her. Bebe, who was lying on the sofa, lifted her head, while Loki and Remy eased toward Willow cautiously, their noses twitching. Their lingering uncertainty broke her heart a little. They’d kept their distance from Willow when Kian had dropped her off, and she’d taken some time before leaving to give them love and attention. They’d eventually warmed to her after realizing she was still herself, but it was like Kian had said—they just needed time to adjust.

“Hey babies,” she said, smiling as she crouched and extended her hand.

Bebe jumped down to join the others. All three cats moved closer, sniffing Willow’s hand. Finally, they butted their heads against her palm, eager for pets and scratches.

She obliged, chuckling. “I knew you’d still love me.”