“Of course. Lucien has always worn black onyx, but Brielle finally convinced Cash to wear his amethyst, as well. He just wears it under his shirt. Anyway, they’ve all been cast with a protection spell, cleansed, and charged. And I had the same done for this one. I know it looks purple, but it’s not amethyst. It’s auralite. For—”
“Also for healing,” I interrupt, turning the stone over in my palm. “For calm. Relieves tension and strain and can even soothe a hot temper.”
“It soothes and heals the mind,” she says as she slips it out of my hand and over my head. “And with your visions, I thought this was appropriate. I know they’re getting worse. I can feel the tension in you when you’ve had them. I want you to wear this, all the time, to keep you safe.”
“Thank you.” I brush my fingertips over the smooth stone, and then over hers. “So, you’re letting me hang out with you a lot.”
I tick items off on my fingers.
“You let me kiss you, you’re worried about me, and now you’re buying me gifts.”
“Do you have a point?” She raises a brow, but there’s humor in her gorgeous eyes.
“You love me.”
Surprise replaces the humor, and then she starts to raise that wall of defense she’s so good at when it comes to me. I frame her face in my hands.
“It’s okay that you love me, Daphne. And I’ll tell you why.”
She grips my wrists and watches me avidly.
“Because I love you so much it hurts. I feel like I’ve loved you all of my life. As if I were just waiting until I met you. And then those years without you were just plain torture. Living without you was way worse than surviving any war zone. I love you, and I’m never going to do anything so stupid that it drives a wedge between us again. I can’t promise to never make mistakes, but I can tell you that I’ll never walk away.”
She narrows those eyes and then sighs.
“I never stopped loving you, you big oaf. I wanted to. Trust me, I did. But I couldn’t. You’re meant for me. And for a while, that meant living through the pain of it. So, yeah, I love you. I bought you a protection pendant, didn’t I?”
“Yeah.” I kiss her nose. “You did.”
“Let’s not get all mushy about it.”
I laugh and lead her into her bathroom, turning on the bathwater and dropping in some bubbles.
“Fine, we won’t get mushy. But I’m telling you, here and now, that once you get naked, you’re not getting unnaked for the rest of the day.”
A slow smile spreads across her beautiful face.
“Deal. But first, I need this bath. Mostly because I have to shave my legs. It’s been a while. I’ve been busy.”
I laugh but shrug and leave her to her bath while I clean the kitchen. I can hear her splashing away in there, talking to herself. She hums for a while.
With the kitchen back to the way I found it, I walk into the bedroom and take off my shoes, then turn down the bed.
I’ve never been so nervous in my life.
I’ve had sex with this woman before—plenty of times. Hell, we were each other’s firsts, way back in the day. I knew her body better than I knew mine back then.
Knew.
That’s the keyword. Because it’s been a hell of a long time.
I’m down to my underwear when I hear footsteps behind me. I turn and just about swallow my tongue.
Standing there in the doorway is Daphne. Completely naked, aside from the pendant she never takes off.
Her long, curly red hair falls around her shoulders, and her brilliant dark eyes are glued to mine.
That gorgeous pale skin of hers looks soft from her bath, and my God, I fucking want her.
“Getting a little cold over here,” she says as goosebumps form over her skin.
“I can fix that.”
I scoop her up and tumble her into bed, rolling her beneath me as I kiss her like my life depends on it.
Because right this minute, it feels like it does.
Her nails scrape down my back, her legs skimming up mine and coming to rest over my hips.
It would be so easy to just slip right inside of her and take her.
But I’m not here for easy. Definitely not this time.
So, despite her delectable invitation, I slow down and slide my nose over the skin of her neck and up to her ear as I whisper, “You’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
She smiles, and those hands tighten on my shoulders.
“But,” I continue, “we’re going slow here, sweets.”
“We can do slow later,” she offers. “Fast now, slow later.”
“Slow now, slow later.”
She narrows her eyes, and I laugh, then fasten my lips over one of her nipples. She sighs and shoves her fingers into my hair.
“See? It’s a good idea.”
“What about slow now, fast later, then slow later-later.”
My head comes up in surprise. “You’re trying to kill me.”
She giggles and then sighs again when my lips travel down to her navel. Her skin smells like lavender and lemon and feels like fucking heaven.
I’ve dreamed of her like this for years.
I never thought I’d be back here.
I lean my forehead against her belly, her hips in my hands, and simply stop to rest and take a breath.
“What’s wrong?” she asks and combs her fingers in my hair once more. God, she’s good at that.
“I just missed you,” I murmur and then look up at her. “I missed everything about you.”
She curls up, cups my cheek, and presses her lips to mine so sweetly it makes my heart ache. Her lips are soft and pliable, and when she moans in that light way she does, I press her back down and return to the task at hand.
Making her fucking crazy.
Chapter Thirteen
Daphne
Was it always this intense? Before, when we were so young and so ridiculously in love with each other, was it this intense when we made love?
Because this is way better than I remember.
Maybe it’s good that I don’t remember it being this way because it would have only pissed me off more.
I can’t stop combing my fingers through his soft hair. He presses a sweet kiss to my stomach, and the butterflies there go absolutely crazy.
The room is cool, thanks to a landlord that believes in a good air-conditioning unit, and Jack’s skin is warm against me, his mouth hot as he leaves open-mouthed kisses over my body.
I take a deep breath and let myself close my eyes and simply feel him. Enjoy how he makes me feel—so sexy and alive. My body hums with excitement, and my heart swells with more love than I knew was possible.
When he slides over me, links his hand with mine, and unites us, the lights flicker around us—just the way they used to before.
My eyes meet his as he smiles.
The lights get crazier as he picks up the tempo.
I bite his shoulder.
He growls in my ear.
And the world explodes around us in a wave of pure, wild lust.
“I think we broke the lightbulb in the bathroom,” I mutter, struggling to catch my breath.
“I’ll replace it,” he says before rolling over and pulling me with him. He tucks me against his chest. “In about ten years, when I can move again.”