Ava
Chapter 31
“You scared me!” I chided, as Garrett wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. He pressed his mouth against my neck, using his expert tongue to plant long, soft kisses along it.
“Let me make it up to you,” he rumbled, making his way up to my ear, causing me to shiver.
As I reached over to grab my red riding cloak off my bed, Garrett pulled me back against him.
“I have a ride scheduled with your brother this morning.”
“And I took it upon myself to send a note to George, delaying that for a little while. On your behalf, of course.”
I turned around to look at him. “How considerate of you.” The corners of my lips quirked as I shook my head. “Now you’re making my plans for me?”
He chuckled. “I know better than to order you around, Avie. That’s a suicide mission.”
I ran a finger down his shaved cheek. “Glad we’re on the same page.”
He lowered his mouth to mine, clearly ignoring any guff I had about him sending letters on my behalf. I didn’t mind the sneaking into my room, but I wouldn’t be disregarded when it came to what I wanted.
I broke away, furrowing my brows. “Are you always like this?”
He bit my lower lip. “Only when I’m around you.”
“Well, that’s all fine and—”
“Quit talking, Avie, and kiss your man already.” He took my lips again, advancing on me as I followed his lead to my bed.
My man?
While my body warmed up to his, warning bells alarmed in my head. I didn’t regret giving myself to Garrett; I’d enjoyed it immensely. But we were still figuring this…whatever this was, together. Giving your heart and soul to someone was an important and dangerous thing. While I was extremely attracted to him, was that all we’d ever have? He wanted to go back home to Aruna; I had a business to run with Papa. Then there were always those lovely assassins to think about.
We are on two separate pages.
Feeling the back of my knees hit the side of the bed, he gently pushed me onto it as he removed his shirt. My eyes scanned his tan skin, his chest hair, and the tight muscles making up the fetching man in front of me.
I looked up to find him watching me stare like an idiot, and a smile graced his lips.
“Garrett, I think we should talk about all this.”
He stepped closer. “I don’t feel like talking.”
I pushed myself further toward the middle of the bed, away from the distraction of wanting to touch his skin.
“I think we have two different views of this situation.”
Garrett leaned both arms on the edge of the bed, quirking a brow. “Oh?”
“While I enjoyed…what we did, I—”
“Shit, I hope so.” Bringing his knee up on the bed, he began to crawl toward me, his eyes devouring me. “Now I’m ready for round two.”
I held up a hand. “Now hold on, Garr. You can’t just start making decisions for me and sending out notes on when I will be somewhere.”
He halted. “Noted. Are you done, my darling?”
My nostrils flared. “No, I’m not done. I’m not your mistress. You just can’t waltz around—”
Garrett seized my arm and pulled me toward him, his eyes narrowed. “Mistress? Avie Barlow, I know damn well that no man on this green Earth would be able to boss you the hell around.”
I yanked at my arm, but he wouldn’t let go, his fingers squeezing me to stay put as he continued. “What makes you think I’m even stupid enough for that challenge?” I blew a piece of hair off my face in frustration, and he raised a brow. “I’m waiting.”
“You know how I feel about being controlled. I want my freedom, and I’ll be damned if some rich, entitled man comes along, takes my virginity, and thinks he can stroll around, making my decisions.”
He sank his body closer to mine, forcing me to lie down.
“Entitled?” he repeated with a growl. “My entitled ass has worked for everything I have. I worked for those lands and made my own army to protect your small, perfect ass.”
“Don’t chastise me, then compliment me, you daft idiot.”
Releasing my arm, he hovered over me, placing both arms on either side of my body. “This idiot is going to make you feel daft in about two minutes, when I lick every inch of your pussy with my mouth.” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t believe me, sweetheart?”
He reached down and began untying my riding pants.
“You can’t just—”
“I’ll do whatever I want until you tell me ‘no’,” he muttered, as I gasped, hearing a rip.
He bent over my ear, and his tongue licked my lobe before he took it between his teeth. His calloused hands slid down my thighs, bringing my pants to my knees. My breathing hitched, my body melting against his. Suddenly wanting to be rid of my trousers, I pulled each leg out of them. His hot breath tickled a sensitive part of my neck.
As he trailed his lips down my stomach, I laced my hands in his hair, pulling at it lightly. Shards of pleasure rippled through my body as his lips brushed my inner thigh. I didn’t know how sensitive that part of me was until now, especially as he inched closer to my pussy.
I didn’t know how much I craved sex until last night. With this man. And it was scary as hell how my body surrendered with just the proximity of him. Moving away my undergarments, he licked, as I crumpled the sheets around me, the friction of his mouth both wicked and sexy.
A moan escaped me, which made him intensify his actions. As he kissed my clit, sucking the sensitive nub into his mouth, his name fell off my dry lips. While the thought of him being inside me was amazing, this was a close second.
Feeling the pleasure beginning to build in my body, I ground myself against him. A fog of ecstasy hit me, and I squeezed my legs together, pinning Garrett’s head. Breathing heavily, I came back down to Earth. He peered up, smiling—that wolfish smile that gave me butterflies.
“You are perfect,” Garrett confessed, his eyes glossy.
Heat covered my cheeks. Coming up my body, Garrett leveled himself with my face and kissed me, and I tasted myself on his lips. He rested his forehead against mine.
“Marry me, Avie. I need you with me always.”
I froze.
Did he just…
My breathing became ragged, as sweat beaded on my forehead. The new orgasm must have made me senseless because I never imagined hearing those words. Ever. Especially out of his mouth.
“Don’t say you have to think about it,” he continued. “We were meant for each other, you and I.” He studied my face, his eyes soft. “Is this all just me?”
“No,” I replied.
He watched me; his face eased, but just a little. “Why are you hesitating then?”
I opened my mouth, wanting to speak the words I had been feeling. The fear. The uncertainty. The freedom within my grasp.
I looked at his chest. “I just…I don’t want to be tied down right now, to anything.”
He clutched my shoulder. “I was afraid of that myself,” he admitted. “But being with you wouldn’t be a burden at all.” He rubbed his nose against mine. “Especially if I get you like this every night.”
I chuckled. “I can’t argue with that.”
“Then I think we’ve made our decisions.” He moved off me and lay on his side, draping his arm around my waist.
“No, you made your decision,” I tittered, shaking my head.
He pulled me closer to him. “Woman, I just proposed to you.”
“And so kindly mentioned sex every night, for your benefit.”
“My Lady, I will benefit you like I just did, every night, if you just say ‘yes’ to me.”
I peered up at him, his blue eyes soft and relaxed. “You’ve never spoken about marriage, Garr,” I pointed out. “Why now?”
“Because I want to get you out of here,” he said. “I want to be the one who shows you the world.” He raked his hand through his hand and paused. “And most importantly, I want to be the one who saves you from this world.”
His eyes darkened. “You’ve possessed me, body and soul, and I find myself not wanting to be free from you.” He sighed. “And it scares the shit out of me.”
I closed my gaping jaw. Not recognizing the man lying next to me, I couldn’t think of anything to say. Garrett was an effective, intense man, and knowing it must have taken every ounce of courage to let me into his thoughts made me care for him more.
“I have John looking for homes; something for you to pick out, close to your father and not too far from George,” he continued, playing with strands of my hair.
“But you wanted to leave Telliva. I can’t make you stay here. It’s too much.”
“You make me want to stay. If I have you, I don’t need anything else. I don’t want anything else but this.” He laid his hand over my heart. “I want to possess you like you’ve done me.”
I swallowed. I’d never had someone openly tell me how much they needed me before.
Glancing up at him, I said, “But your father…”
He shook his head. “We’ll travel for a year; you’ve been dreaming about it your whole life.”
“He will hunt us down, catch us, and hang us by our toes,” I warn.
Garrett chuckled. “I’m a predator, not prey, my love. I can keep his men at bay. We’d travel for a year straight. But after that”—he kissed my neck—“I get my year of you being in our bed.” Another kiss. “Begging you to give me a child.”
“I’m impressed.” I breathed, lacing my hand through his thick hair, as he used his tongue against my skin.
“I want to hear you say yes. I want you to be my wife.”
“I haven’t gotten to thin—”
He began sucking on my neck, bringing chills down to my center.
“I’m not letting you out of this bed until I hear you agree,” he quipped. “I will devour you for hours. Do you want to test my stamina, sweet Avie?”
A smile graced my lips. “It’d be fun to watch you try.”
He hummed. “I will take you to the brink and back down, repeatedly, until you can’t stand it.”
“Such a romantic sentiment to the woman you want to be your sex wife,” I teased.
Garrett brought his head up from my neck and looked at me. “I’ve never wanted someone so much in my life. I’ll make you the happiest woman alive.”
I knew being with him would be marvelous; it would be an adventure I’d never anticipated. It was spontaneous and mysterious, and I wanted it all with him.
Wrapping my hand around the back of his neck, I brought his head down, placing soft kisses on his mouth, wanting him more than before.
“Say yes,” he breathed against my lips.
I nodded. “Yes.”
He pulled away. “You’re serious?”
“I am.”
“You can’t back out, Avie. I’m serious about all—”
“I said yes.”
He smiled, and my heart filled with something I wasn’t used to—hope. Pure, natural hope.
He kissed my temple. “You’ve made me the happiest man in the world. Nothing will keep us apart.”