Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kellan

"It took me years to learn how to open a portal."

Josie turned her gaze toward mine, the gentle breeze tossing strands of her hair around her face. She was tucked into my arm while we laid on a bed made out of leaves.

It wasn't the most magical place to be, but I was glad to be there with her. To have someone sleep next to me helped me sleep better. It'd felt like forever since my eyes closed and stayed that way until the sun woke me.

Josie ran her fingertips along my bottom lip and jawline. "You don't think Ernest can do it?"

I sighed heavily. "I didn't say that. I'm just not sure he can do it in the amount of time that we need."

Josie closed her eyes. "How long do you think we have before she shows up with all her witchery to take us out? What's she waiting for?"

I pulled her closer to my side and inhaled her scent. "She needs Ernest gone."

Josephine chuckled.

"What's so funny?" I whispered, listening to the wildlife wake around us.

She peeked an eye open. "Ernest seems like such a sweet, old man. For Deidamia to be scared of him is strange."

Sliding my palm down her back, I glanced over at Ernest asleep against the base of a giant pine. "Yeah, it's weird. I think he's holding back his abilities. Deidamia has a reason to want him gone."

Josephine curled closer into my side.

I tangled my fingers into her ebony hair. "Do you think your family will tell you who took the spindle?" I asked.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I think that I'll have to pry the information out of them."

My mind raced with possibilities of who it could be.

"What about your dad's assistant?"

"Luther?" She chuckled. "Doubtful. He's been with my father for years. We've never had any problems out of him. I doubt he would know how to maneuver through a portal, but then again, I didn't realize my father knew about them."

Fern stirred in her sleep across the small campsite. The campfire flickered into the night air, rising toward the tops of the pines while my mind wandered even further.

"What about your ex-boyfriend?"

Josephine's gaze opened, and those too-blue eyes landed on mine. "What about him?"

I shrugged, feeling like a child digging into her past relationships, but I couldn't stop myself. "What happened? You said he proposed to you?"

"He did," she said exasperatedly. "I asked him if we could talk alone, and he just sat there on one knee, waiting for me to say yes."

The dominant part of me loved that she rejected him. What would have happened if she had said yes? She wouldn't have woken up the deadened part of me. I would have longed for her to no avail.

"I said no, and everyone caught it on video. They posted it online, and it humiliated us both. He's bitter, and I'm sure he'll be waiting when I get back."

"Maybe you shouldn't go alone," I said, knowing I couldn't go with her, no matter that I wanted to. "What if he hinders you to return?"

"I'll handle him," she whispered.

The pain of her returning without me settled in my body. It weighed me down. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to sleep with her intoxicating scent wrapped around me like a blanket.

"Why did you say no?" I asked.

Josephine pushed up to a sitting position and stared at me. It was hard to tell what was on her mind. I leaned onto my elbows. "Isn't it obvious?" I waited on her to continue. "Because I was meant to find you here."

"I believe that," I said. "But at that moment, why did you say no?"

Her gaze lowered to her fingers. "Because it didn't feel right. He didn't make me feel alive. I was coasting through life with him. He was a reasonable choice. He would have provided for me, but he didn't make my stomach tighten. Or scorch my blood the way I wanted my future husband to."

The innocence on her face warmed me. Her answer was sincere. It was how she felt. She went with her feelings, with her emotions because she wanted to be happy.

Leaning up, I snaked my fingers around the back of her neck and brought her down to me. Laying down, she pressed her chest against mine and accepted my kiss.

In the morning, we would part ways. If Ernest could open the portal, she would go home and hopefully find the spindle. I'd go on an adventure to slay Deidamia.

The thought of our separation fueled an invisible need I had for her. It hung over me. It tied the two of us together like some twisted fairy tale.

"I don't want you to leave," I whispered into our kiss.

She tightened my T-shirt into her fist and maneuvered herself to sit on my lap. The position ignited a fire inside of me. I captured her hips in my palms and squeezed her.

Josephine moaned into my mouth and whispered, "Take me."

I stalled against her mouth, feeling too many things inside to make a coherent word. I wanted nothing more than to strip her naked and take her. The gentlemen in me said not in the woods next to Ernest and Fern.

The jackass said give her what she wants.

I was old-fashion at heart. Waiting until you were committed was the right thing to do, but what was more committed than your soul mate?

"Say something," she said softly.

I felt a tear leave her cheek and hit my own.

"Hey," I whispered, rolling her over to her back. "Why are you crying?"

She turned her head, but I cupped her jaw and forced her to look at me. "You don't want to?"

I chuckled humorlessly. "You're joking? You think I don't want to have sex with you?"

She shrugged. "I'm leaving tomorrow. What if ... what if it takes me a long time to get back? What if I can't find the spindle? Put me out of my misery."

The pulse in her neck throbbed in sync with the heavy beating of her heart. Her pouty mouth opened as she stared up at me. Leaves were stuck in her hair, and the air was thick with humidity.

"Please, Anti-hero?" she whispered. "Anti-heroes do not always make the honorable choice, and I'm pleading with you this time not to. Don't make me beg."

The resolve inside of me snapped.

I tangled my fingers into her hair, feeling the invisible string attaching us pulling me forward. I lowered my mouth to hers and whispered, "I'll give you what you want if you stay quiet. I don't want Ernest or Fern seeing my naked ass."

She smiled as I lowered my mouth to hers. The humid air tightened around me, pulling sweat from my skin, but I couldn't stop my pace. I needed to feel inside of her. To slide into my forever seemed lightyears away.

What would it hurt to give myself a taste of Heaven?

Josephine slowly slid her pants down her hips, and her flesh touched the sliver of skin between my pants and t-shirt. The warmth traveled along my body and tightened the air in my lungs.

Sitting up, I watched her watch me. Her heavy-lidded eyes were lust-ridden. I stripped out of my clothes, stopping when I hooked my thumb into the hem of my underwear.

"Strip, Josephine," I ordered.

She took her time taking off her t-shirt and sweats. Her pale flesh was bright in the moonlight, the smooth surface begging to be touched. A shiver raced through her body as a breeze traveled through the campsite.

Leaning over her, I kissed her deeply, maneuvering my way between her waiting thighs. I grabbed my length and let it slide against the outside of her underwear, feeling her wetness through the fabric.

She inhaled deeply, her fingertips clutching my deltoids. "Don't make me wait," she whispered, moving her hips against me.

Grabbing the hem of her panties, I jerked and ripped them into two pieces. Josephine gasped, but I wrapped my hand around her mouth to silence her. "Quiet," I hissed.

She nodded, watching me as I pressed the tip of my length against her sleek heat. A groan worked its way up my throat, but I swallowed it.

I watched her face as I slid inside of her.

She arched her back and clung to me. Her words were muffled by my palm, and her eyes screwed closed. "Open those eyes, Josephine," I said softly.

She obeyed me, a blissful tear traveling down her cheek and dissolving into my palm. I pulled back and pushed back in. Rockets of heat scorched me from the outside in.

The tightness of her cunt around me pushed curses to my tongue. "More," she whispered against my palm.

Leaning down, I removed my palm and kissed a path up her jaw to her ear. "I'm going to give you more, but you have to bite your tongue."

"It's so good," she moved her hips, but I gripped them. "Say it. Say you'll bite your tongue."

"I'll bite my tongue," she said in a breathy sigh.

"Good."

I grabbed her hips, moved her up my thighs and slid into her. I watched as she sank her fingers into her hair and rode each thrust I gave her.

The rhythm felt out of control.

The bounce of her breasts as I hammered into her made me harder than I"d been in years.

Watching her barely keep herself together fueled the asshole inside of me. I loved seeing her struggle to stay quiet. I loved the feeling of her wrapped around me. There wasn't one thing I didn't want to see over and over again. For years and years.

I'd give her every inch every day if she wanted it. The halo of ebony hair around her shined in the moonlight. The breeze gave my body a break from the inferno inside of me.

Josephine reached up and cupped her breast, pinching the nipple and biting her lip. The vision of her taking me so easily, riding out each thrust like a mechanical bull.

Grabbing both wrists, I captured them above her head and wrapped my fingers gently around her neck. Her heated gaze lifted to mine, and a wicked smile crossed her eyes.

"More," she whispered.

In one solid motion, I turned her to her stomach and dragged her ass into the air, sliding into her from behind and pressing my palm against her upper back to keep her still.

She took every thrust, whispering my name like a mantra into the night until she orgasmed all over my length.

The weakness took over and she slumped to the ground as I thrust several more times, finding my own release and catching myself above her.

Her heavy breaths and the smell of her sex would forever be engrained into my brain.

I kissed her cheek and bit the side of her jaw. "You did good, Josephine," I whispered.

She opened her sleepy eyes and smiled. "I can't wait until we get back to Earth. Next time, I want to say the things I wanted," she said softly.

I rolled over to my side and pulled her close to me. "Next time ... I promise you'll have free range to scream if you need to. And I promise you'll need to."