Page 90 of Hidden By the Gargoyle

“Yes,” he whispered. “Do you think that is something you would want?”

I released a shaky breath. I wanted to pinch myself. He was saying all the things I sometimes dreamed he would say to me. There was no shield I could build that would hold up against the sight of him on his knees before me, asking me if I would want children with him.

He released my hands, shifting closer to cup my face. “Ally, I can’t promise I won’t hurt you because there will be times that I upset you or that we argue, but I will never do it intentionally. I will never lie to you. And I will never make you feel as though I don’t love you.”

My thoughts were racing even faster than my heartbeat. I lifted my hands to clasp his wrists.

“Now, Ally, tell me what you want.”

“Everything you do,” I whispered.

He frowned at me. “No, I want to know what you want for our future, too. Not for you just to agree to everything I said.”

I shook my head, a tear trickling down my cheek. “You don’t understand. I’m not saying this because it’s what you want, and I want to please you. Everything you talked about is what I’ve always dreamed of. I want a simple life. I learned far too young that the things we take for granted can be snatched away in the blink of an eye. Those are the memories I want to build. To cherish.”

He kissed me then, his lips brushing mine like a whisper.

“Can you forgive me?” he asked.

“I can,” I said.

“Can you give me time to prove to you that you can trust me not to push you away again?”

“I can,” I repeated.

His hands moved from my face to my sides and down to my hips. Dax got to his feet, bringing me with him. I squeaked and wrapped my legs around his waist.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice breathless.

He answered my question with another question. “How do you feel about make-up sex?”

I couldn’t completely bite back the smile that wanted to surface. “I don’t know. I’ve never had it.”

“Me either,” he said.

I slipped my hands from his shoulders to the back of his neck, running my fingers through his hair.

I didn’t know what to do with this Dax, the one who wasn’t actively hiding what he was thinking and feeling from me.

“Want to try it and then decide if it’s a good idea?” he asked.

I couldn’t hold back my laugh this time. “Absolutely.”

He walked across the cave to the bed and leaned forward, putting one hand and one knee on the bed before he lowered me to the blankets.

He wasn’t wearing a shirt, so my hands wandered over his shoulders and chest, stroking his skin. He was still grey, and his skin held the faint roughness of stone.

Dax’s hands went to the bottom hem of my shirt, his fingers sliding under it to skim over my belly. Then, he tugged it up and off me in a swift motion.

His hands returned to my body, moving to cup my breasts through my bra. His thumbs brushed over my nipples before he tugged the thin cotton aside. He leaned down and I gasped when his mouth enveloped my nipple and he sucked, soft at first and then harder and deeper.

My back arched as heat spread through my body, leaving tingles in its wake.

Dax released my breast and focused on the button and zip of my pants. A few seconds later, my pants and panties were on the floor next to the bed. He slid his hands behind me to the clasp of my bra and stripped it from me as well, leaving me naked on the plush fur blanket that was spread over his bed.

Then, he worshipped every inch of me.

His mouth started at my throat, his tongue and the tips of his fangs skimming over my skin and bringing goosebumps up on my arms. My nipples hardened as his lips cruised down my chest to my breasts. He tugged each of my nipples in his mouth, leaving them wet and aching before he moved down to nip the flesh of my stomach.

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