18
After this sex filled night, it turned out that Draven didn’t deliver on his threat at the dinner table about discussing what had happened between Lucius and me. And nor did he mention the reason I flinched when he came close to touching my birthmark. For obvious reasons I never asked him why, as let’s face it, I would have been stupid to press my luck.
I had no idea why he didn’t press for it, but I had my theories. Alright, so whatever was going on with Draven in these past few days since the battle, I still had no clue, and this included his little demon freak out. Okay so granted, not so much on the little and more on the huge and that huge being very much the colossal and terrifying variety. But no matter how frightening it had been, I couldn’t really risk thinking too much about it, not with Draven around and considering we were about to leave for our honeymoon, around he would be…a lot.
But on some level, it felt as though he was too scared to leave me and for the short moments that he did, it was always to come back to me craving my body in a way like never before. It was as if he couldn’t get enough of me, which was why I had to ask myself, was the reason he didn’t bring up Lucius was because of the love I shared last night?
Was it because he was content with all I had said? Was he now satisfied enough to know his worries were unfounded? Well, whatever it was it didn’t look like he wanted to talk about it anytime soon and I was more than happy with this.
But these were the reasons I couldn’t chance thinking too much on the subject because I was still unsure on the strength of my barriers I had thrown up in a hurry. And well, Draven still felt like the storm that was trying to tear them down. I knew this for a fact as I would feel him there every now and again, like I did in the beginning, when we first met.
The only difference was, back then I didn’t know what that intense presence was, but now I knew…boy did I! And because I knew, I would turn quickly to find Draven watching me with an intensity that could only be described as bordering on obsession.
But like I said, the reasons for this were still unknown to me but the only thing I could put my finger on was that nearly losing me and essentially seeing me die had done something to Draven. It had cut him deep and scarred his soul. And to be honest I couldn’t say that I wouldn’t have been any different given a swap of our circumstances.
Hell, even the thought of it had me shuddering and trying to shake away the past. Because that’s when it hit me. I had already felt that and for a lot longer than the few minutes that Draven had been made to feel it.
Yes, so okay, he did have to look in my eyes as he was forced to plunge that knife in my heart and then watch as the life drained from my eyes. And putting it like that, then I could pretty much say for a certainty that this was reason enough for his strange behaviour. Because no matter how much hearing how Draven had died that day, I still hadn’t had to watch as his bloody body fell to the floor. I hadn’t been made to watch as his knees hit the ground, all strength leaving his body as his soul started to leave the outer shell.
I hadn’t had to live through that particular pain.
But Draven had.
And what was worse, it had been by his hand, like it was always destined to be. His greatest fear come true. Christ, but it wasn’t worth thinking about what must have gone through his head.
So, question was, could I really say which one was worse?
No, I could not.
As in, definitely not.
But in the end, it was a moot point because Draven woke up that morning, dragging me up his body for a kiss and after that I knew the rest of my day would be perfect and I was right. This of course, started with the delicious and sensual morning sex and was followed by a slightly less delicious, but still amazing, full English breakfast.
Complete with bacon (English cut, not a streaky piece in sight) sausage, beans, crispy golden hash brown, scrambled and runny yoke eggs, friend mushrooms, fried toast and of course, ketchup because I wasn’t a brown sauce type of girl. This I informed Draven of and he threw his head back and laughed before taking a bite out of my black pudding. Which he knew was something else I didn’t like because I had immediately pushed the slice to the side of my plate. This he had also found funny.
“Why do you find me not liking black pudding funny?” I finally asked him directly after the ketchup/brown sauce statement. He put down his slice of buttered toast, something I had done for him which ended up making him smile at me like I had just cured world hunger by inventing a magic bean.
“Because technically, you’re half Vampire,” he informed me with a half-smile.
“So?”
“It’s blood sausage, sweetheart.” Of course, being born and bred in the UK, I knew what a black pudding was. But the way Draven said this made me burst out laughing, to the point I had to put down my knife and fork so as not to hurt myself. Which would most likely have happened because as it turned out, being a Vampire didn’t end up stamping out the clumsy gene, so the vamp side of the pros and cons table got a big fat zero for that one.
“Now I find myself asking you in return, what it is that you find so funny?” he enquired trying to keep a straight face at the sight of my hilarity.
“Let’s just say I think we are safe and far from the Keira drooling stage when we watch gory movies together,” I told him and soon he was the one joining me in my outburst of laughter. Which was why on this particular morning, sat at our private dinner table in a fabulous suite, sharing breakfast together in our matching robes and laughing about the silly little things just made it to the top five of the best mornings ever. Number one was of course, the first morning when waking up next to Draven. But with mornings like waking on a bed of roses and our morning spent sightseeing in Milan coming in second and third on the list.
This was number four.
Hence, this was why our morning was perfect and after I showered and changed, I looked in the mirror to check all was looking as it should. Draven had told me to dress warm for there would be a chill in the air when we arrived. So now I was wearing a pair of light grey tight fit jeans, a light blue sleeveless top with a cute design of birds flying in a spiral over the chest, which was a shame to cover up. But to this I then added a chunky navy coloured hoodie that had thick white drawstrings hanging from the front of the large floppy hood that slightly crossed over at the neck. This also matched the thick white piping around the ribbed material at the bottom and wrists that I was happy to report, had thumb holes. All that was needed was to zip up a pair of tan suede boots that also buckled just below the knee.
In fact, I was just fiddling with the buckles that were attached to the leather straps that crossed over the boots when Draven walked out of the bedroom and I swear I stopped breathing at the sight. Holy Mother of God but he looked incredible.
When he came out of the room fastening what looked like an expensive watch to his wrist with a strap of dark brown leather I was happy to see his attention was elsewhere so that I could openly gawk at him and drank in my fill of his body.
His long strong legs were encased in casual stonewash jeans that seemed to mould to his thighs like a tailored suit. Added to this he had on a man’s rugged, chunky knitted sweater the colour of oatmeal with darker flecks of brown in the wool. It had a thick ribbed panel down from the neck that ended at his pecs and it fastened with brown stitched, leather buttons.
Only one of these were through the bottom buttonhole as the rest of the large collar was left open, skimming the side of his jaw line. This allowed you just a glimpse of the dark blue and white checked shirt with open collar, he wore underneath.
I swear the whole look just made me want to walk up to him and rub against him like a damn cat, seeing for myself if the sweater was as soft as it looked. Even the sight of his bare neck made me want to pull that collar off to one side, just so I could lick, suck and kiss my way up it. That was if I was standing on a stepladder, so I could accomplish such a task.
He looked so incredible, my mouth actually fell open in what must have looked like a comical way. Once he had finished with his watch his eyes found my admiring gaze and I swear the small quirk of his lips was down to my obvious approval.
He walked straight to me, bent at the waist and tipped my head back with a thumb and finger curled under my chin. Then he planted a sweet kiss on my lips and asked,
“Ready to go?” and what was my cool, calm, collected reply,
“Mmm…mm.” This again granted me another lip twitch before he pulled back and offered me his hand. I placed mine in his and after he pulled me up, I blushed when he took a step back to take in the sight of me. He scanned me from head to toe and back up again, deepening that growing blush to a crimson flush.
“Beautiful as always.” I bit my lip and said shyly,
“I am only wearing a hoodie, Draven.”
“And like I said, beautiful as always,” he said more forcefully this time after hooking me around the waist and pulling me into his hard body. My hands rested against his chest and it was now I could confirm that yes, the sweater was as soft as it looked. Then, with me looking up at him, he ran the back of his finger over my heated cheeks and told me,
“I like this best of all.” And speaking of my blush, it then turned to neon pink, a colour you could also see from space!
Then he ran the pad of his thumb over my lips and added,
“And your lips…always your lips.” He muttered this last part over my mouth making me smile as he lightly kissed me.
Shortly after this we were ready to leave and with my hand still firmly in his, he led me down to the waiting Rolls Royce that was ready to take us to Birmingham airport.
“You look excited,” Draven commented once we were on his private jet that was all cream leather and shiny varnished wood. In other words, expensive and not somewhere I would choose to eat anything sticky and dripping.
“I am!” I told him only two dials down from going high pitched.
“Come here, sweetheart,” he said after giving me a tender look as though he found my exuberant answer endearing.
“But I can’t, not until we land anyway.” He chuckled at my serious tone and told me,
“I think we both know you will be safe in my arms…wings remember.” I let out a nervous laugh at this and it was the first of many that day I had to stomp out the urge to think too strongly about the hidden factor behind his words. And just how wrong they could be. Because really…was I ever safe in the arms of his Demon?
I would like to think so and that deep down it was impossible to even consider that he could hurt me in anyway. But going by yesterday’s events, I didn’t think the verdict looked as clear cut as it once had.
“Keira?” He said my name bringing me back to my secret (don’t think about it) mission and realising quickly that I was currently failing.
“Sorry, I zoned out then,” I told him making him frown before agreeing,
“Yes, so I noticed.”
“So, you really own a castle?” I asked trying to get him to stop looking at me that way, and also to try and get him to stop pushing around the edges of my mind, like he was trying to find another way in. I swear it felt like I could actually visualise him sticking his fingers under my tent, trying to find a hole in my flimsy barriers. If it was possible I would have stepped on his hand for even trying but unfortunately it didn’t work like that. As my metaphor wasn’t physically real.
He gave me an annoyed look and at first, I panicked slightly thinking he might have found a way in without me knowing. But when he nodded down to his lap and flicked two of his fingers at me, gesturing for me to come to him, I knew he was being demanding again.
So, with a sigh I gave him what he wanted. I unbuckled my belt, one I knew I didn’t need to keep on, but did because, well I hated flying of any kind. Ironic seeing as my husband had wings I know, but what can I say, the cosmos must have had fun with throwing that one my way.
The second I was within arm’s reach Draven whipped out a hand and snagged me, tugging me the rest of the way and catching me midfall.
“You know I am working on trying to be more graceful and less clumsy…you know, now I am queen and everything, but I have to say when you do things like that, you kinda make it impossible.” He pulled me closer to him and buried his head in my neck taking a deep breath and breathing me in.
“I like you clumsy, it means I get to be the one to catch you,” he murmured against my skin making me smile, one he couldn’t see.
“Yes, but I am queen now and have an image to uphold,” I informed him in a fake posh and regal voice.
“You’re my queen and the only image you need to uphold little wife of mine, is that of you naked in my bed,” was his reply and I had to say, it was a good one. But then if a reply could create butterflies to start kickboxing in your stomach, then it was always going to be a good one.
I, of course, had one better…or should I say, funnier.
“That’s an unusual Queen’s image Draven, but whatever you say…so tell me, will it be made into a painting to hang in the family gallery or should we just go with a tapestry to hang in the great hall for all to see when we have royal feasts?” I said pulling back to see for myself his reaction…he didn’t disappoint. He threw his head back and roared with laughter then pulled me closer to him, to cradle my head to his chest and kissed my hair before whispering to himself,
“My beautiful, funny queen.” I swear hearing this made my insides melt as I relaxed further into him. By the Gods he was sweet.
“I think it safe to say that an image like that is for her King’s eyes only and one I must say I am greatly looking forward to enjoying again and soon.”
Yep, definitely a melty insides moment.