Page 48 of A Promise of Forever
Adoration.
Possessiveness.
Need.
Mine.
A gasp tumbles from my lips as I search his face, my hands moving up to cup his cheeks. “I can feel you,” I whisper, my voice trembling with awe.
Forrest mirrors my shock, though it quickly morphs into pride. “I wanted you to know just how much I love you every time I touch you, little dove.”
I grin, my heart so full it feels like it might burst. “Kiss me again, Valla. Please.”
Forrest leans in to lick the small wound along my bottom lip, a jolt of pleasure zipping through me followed by a surge of protective pride. “I plan on doing a lot more than that,” he teases, his arms wrapping around me, pulling me close. “No one’s taking you away from me, little dove.”
Sterling
I wake up slowly, my body pleasantly sore in ways that speak to thorough use rather than injury. My heat is finally over, the relentless biological storm that consumed the past two days having passed and left me feeling wrung out but satisfied. Forrest made sure I was freshly showered and fed before I fell asleep again last night, his care and attention never wavering even when I was too exhausted to do more than accept what he offered.
I'm wearing one of Forrest's shirts, the fabric soft and saturated with his scent in ways that make my Omega instinctspurr with contentment. The bond mark on my lip throbs with a dull ache that feels more like reassurance than pain, a constant reminder that I'm claimed and protected and wanted.
I stretch carefully, testing the various aches and pleasant soreness throughout my body. Everything works, nothing hurts in ways that concern me, and the bone-deep satisfaction I feel suggests that Forrest kept his promise to make this the best heat I've ever experienced. Not that the bar was particularly high, considering my previous heats were disasters.
I stop mid-stretch when I look down and see Forrest's head resting on my chest, his large body curled around mine in a way that uses my smaller frame as his pillow. My powerful, dangerous Valla is using me for comfort, seeking out my presence even in sleep.
I run my finger across my bottom lip carefully, feeling the swollen tenderness there. Forrest's bite mark is still sensitive, the skin broken where his teeth claimed me permanently. He'd been sucking on it all day yesterday between rounds of my heat, the stimulation causing fresh waves of need that demanded immediate attention. But now, with my heat finally passed, it just feels nice. Really nice.
And all that terror I was feeling because of Wilson is sitting on the back burner of my mind, manageable rather than immediately overwhelming. The bond between Forrest and me pulses with so much love and focused attention that there's barely room for fear. I can feel him even as he sleeps, his emotions bleeding through the new connection in ways that constantly reassure me.
It's almost too much, actually. The intensity of feeling someone else's emotions layered on top of my own takes adjustment. I can sense Forrest's contentment and possessive satisfaction, his deep love and protective instincts, hisexhaustion from caring for me through an intense heat. It's beautiful and overwhelming in equal measure.
I let out a heavy gasp as another pulse of emotion flows through the bond, stronger than the previous ones. Forrest wakes up immediately at the sound, his body going from completely relaxed to alert in the space of a heartbeat.
"Good morning, little dove," he says, his voice a delicious baritone that rumbles through his chest and into mine.
He slides up slightly to press a kiss to my lips, gentle and sweet despite the intensity we've shared over the past two days. I squirm involuntarily as the pressure makes the bite mark throb more intensely, pleasure and slight pain mixing in ways that make my body start to respond despite my exhaustion.
I sigh into the kiss, letting Forrest's presence ground me fully in the present moment. When we finally break apart, he's looking at me with fond exasperation written across his features.
"Settle, sweetheart," he says with gentle amusement. "I'm not starting anything. I'm not sure either of us has anything else left in the tank after the past two days."
The observation makes me grin despite myself because he's absolutely right. My body is thoroughly satisfied and completely exhausted. The thought of another round makes me want to curl up and sleep for a week.
But then I hear noises outside the cottage, voices and movement that remind me we can't hide away forever. Reality is waiting just beyond our sanctuary, full of complications and threats that we postponed but didn't eliminate. My grin fades as anxiety starts creeping back in.
"We'll figure all that out," Forrest assures me, reading my expression with the ease that comes from our new bond. "I just need to grab a quick shower and speak with my brother about what's been happening while we were occupied. But then I'll bring back a full breakfast. I think the fruit and crackers we'vebeen surviving on for the last two days aren't going to cut it anymore."
He starts to move from the bed, and I immediately shift to the edge, kneeling there and watching him with growing distress I don't fully understand. "I... that's so far away."
The words come out before I can filter them, revealing the separation anxiety that's apparently part of our new bond. Even though Forrest is just going to the main house, the thought of him being that far from me feels wrong.
I huff out a little sigh, frustrated with myself for being so needy. We can't spend every moment together. He has responsibilities and I need to learn independence rather than becoming completely codependent.
Forrest's expression softens with understanding. "What if I meet them in the courtyard instead? You'll be able to see me from the cottage windows the whole time. But this really can't wait anymore, Sterling. I don't want to be on edge waiting for something to happen. We need to address the Wilson situation head-on."
I nod, content to watch as Forrest heads toward the attached bathroom, but the idea of him washing off my scent feels like a physical pain stabbing through my chest. I make a small sound of distress before I can stop myself.
Forrest turns around, concern written across his features. "Sterling, what's wrong?"
