Chapter Twenty-Seven

Loralie was breathing hard, and they'd only just started. Somehow, Det had divested her of her clothing, and she was naked on his bed. He took off his own robe, and she finally got a good look at him. His body had hardened even more over the years they'd been apart. He was a honed creature of sharp edges, muscular ridges and keen intelligence, with nary a soft spot anywhere on his body or in his mind. She wasn't sure about his heart.

Clearly, he loved the children, but was there any room left in that organ for anyone else? For her? She didn't dare hope. Not after she'd hurt him so badly in the past.

He stroked her body, slow and steady, while her breathing increased with every touch, every caress. Sliding his fingertips around her most sensitive areas, she began to pant for him, as he grinned a very male, very masterful grin. Moving his mouth over hers, he kissed her again. A long time later, he lifted his lips to trail them down her neck, eliciting little shivers of awareness from her as he nipped gently, sucking on her skin in a way that made her want to moan.

Very conscious of the fact that she couldn't make too much noise, she stifled her sobs as he roamed lower, cupping her breasts and then sucking one hard nipple into his mouth. He moved to the other, using his thumbs to caress in between licks and puffs of air on the skin he had wet.

He was driving her crazy in the best possible way. Her pleasure increased, and she wondered vaguely if she would climax without him, just from his caresses. His mouth came down upon hers again as he seemed to change tactics. His tongue swept inside her mouth, kissing her deeply. She curled her fingers around his shoulders, holding on for dear life as the desire built and built to a crescendo pitch.

Then, he joined with her, his body becoming one with hers in a hard, yet gentle, glide of possession. He claimed her, and she claimed him right back, their two bodies straining together toward a singular goal.

Det began to move, slowly at first, letting her get used to his motion before he went any faster. She gasped when he plunged into her, changing their positions just slightly, increasing the pressure on a particular spot that drove her wild. He lifted her leg, changing position again, and again, she gasped as the pleasure evolved into something new and almost terrifyingly beautiful.

Then, he changed his angle a final time, and it was all she could do to hold on while the most intense pleasure of her life took her away on a shooting star into the heavens of bliss. She whispered his name over and over, something in the back of her mind keeping her from crying out as she wanted to do. Instead, she said his name like a mantra, invoking the incredible feelings only he had ever brought her. Physical feelings, but also emotions that made her want to declare her undying love for this man who had been, and still was, the love of her life.

Though she couldn't really lay that burden at his door. She'd done enough to him that she could never undo. Not that she would, selfish creature that she was. She would take whatever she could have with him and count herself blessed. Her only regret was that they could not have forever in which to pledge their troth to each other.

Tears were in her eyes as she came down from the highest heights of pleasure she'd felt in years. It had been so long, yet they were still so good together.

"Are you all right?" he whispered to her as he removed himself from her body as gently as possible.

She nodded, words almost beyond her as her body thrummed in the aftermath of orgasm.

"Do you trust me?"

She looked over to find him raised up on one elbow at her side, his blue eyes daring her to some deviltry she could only imagine. There was no question in her mind that she would do whatever he asked at this moment. Tomorrow—and any consequences—would come soon enough. Tonight, she wanted to just shut the rest of the world away and live. With Det.

"Yes." The single word all she could manage as her breathing slowly returned to normal.

Det got off the bed and then bent to lift her into his arms. She squeaked, but cut herself off before she could make too much noise. He'd just taken her by surprise, but she was a willing accomplice to whatever mischief he wanted to make.

He carried her a few yards away to a side chamber that she hadn't really noticed. Opening the sliding door, he walked inside, and she was amazed to find a private oasis of greenery. Sweeping lines in the architecture enclosed them in a little grotto that was made totally private by the abundance of leaves and flowers. There were tall windows all around in a magnificent circle and far above that reached upward to a point. The roof was a lattice of small windows and metal work that held them in place and allowed her to see the stars shining down on them in the privacy of this amazing fern-filled bower.

There was a central spot that was clear and looked like a place for quiet contemplation, or even exercise. Off to one side, there was a steaming pool of water surrounded on three sides by a plethora of leafy plants and the occasional night-blooming flower, which lent a fragrance to the air in here that was almost intoxicating.

"This is my own special retreat," Det said, putting her on her feet near the edge of the pool. "I built most of it myself, though I commissioned a glass artist to do the spire."

There were windows, but they looked out on more green, reinforcing the feeling of privacy. The spire, as he called it—the conical part that led to a point far above—was nothing but glass and metal. It was a feat of architecture she had never even imagined.

"This is lovely," she said, looking up at the stars that twinkled down through the panes of glass far above.

"Occasionally, I need a place all to myself where I can unwind. I start many of my days in here, and end them here too. In the mornings, I like to sit underneath the rising rays of the sun and meditate before I start my day. At night, I often soak my aching muscles in the hot spring." He gestured toward the pool behind them.

"Did you do that tonight before I came to your door?" she asked, almost shy, though they were both naked in a paradise of plants and wafting steam from the pool.

"I did, but I'd be happy to have another dip in the waters. They're very relaxing," he said, his smoldering eyes saying something quite different. Something quite daring.

"You don't say," she replied, feeling a bit coquettish, which was far from her usual demeanor. Being with Det made her feel young and free and…playful.

He stepped over the rim of the small pool and held out one hand to her. She could just see by the starlight streaming down that there were a series of steps and a ledge around the perimeter of the pool where one could likely sit. She took his hand, and he helped her over the rim and into the warm water.

"It sparkles," she said, laughing a bit at the feel of the effervescent water against her skin as she walked deeper into the pool, following his lead. He hadn't let go of her hand.

"This pool is fed by a hot spring that creates the bubbles in the water. You can't see them, but there are little vents around the perimeter of the room to allow air to circulate. The effervescence made this water source unusable for the household, but it's perfect for a private hot tub."

She agreed wholeheartedly but didn't get to say so because he tugged her into his arms in the warm, sparkling water and kissed her deeply as their bodies slid against each other. In no time at all, her body was ready for more of his lovemaking. His possession. Their shared passion.

She could hardly wait.

In fact, this time, it was Loralie that pushed Det down onto the seat just below the water. He did as she asked, and when she straddled him, taking him deep into her body with one long, lovely push, he cradled her hips and helped. The water made everything both easier and more challenging as she tried to set up a rhythm that would bring them both the most pleasure possible.

When she couldn't keep up with the motion, he took over, driving hard up into her and taking them both up to the stars…together.

Afterward, they lazed in the warm water, holding hands and talking in soft tones. This night was a moment out of time, and Det seemed to be as grateful as Loralie was for the chance to be together. They didn't speak of tomorrow, though they both knew it was coming.

Instead, Det told her about his family and the many generations who had lived in House Adain. He spoke of the ancestor who first built the main structure, to the additions each generation had made as the population grew. He told her how the enclave started with just a few families and farms under the protective Veil. And how, over eons, the city rose up as each new structure was added.

Though the fair folk were long-lived compared to humans, they did not stand still. Change happened in the enclave, but it was on a different timeline than the outside world. Which was why it seemed to humans that nothing among Det's people ever really changed.

As the stars revolved in the night sky, they finally got sleepy, and Det urged her out of the water. He had fluffy towels ready to dry them both, and then, he escorted her back into his bedroom. When she would have gotten dressed to leave for her room, he forestalled her, taking her hand and urging her into his bed.

They slept together, wrapped in each other's arms. Each hoping tomorrow would take its time arriving.

*

As Loralie slept, secure in Det's strong arms, she dreamed. The dream was a familiar one that she'd had at least once a year for the past decade. She dreamed of the red presence, that she now understood was Leasharra. But why was she dreaming of Leasharra again? The red dragon had done her part in rescuing Penny. She'd gone even further in helping Loralie in her fight with Gebel. Surely, that's all that was portended by the dreams Loralie had been experiencing for so long.

Confused, she nonetheless watched the dream unfold, knowing it felt different than regular dreams. It felt important—the way prophetic dreams sometimes felt. The imagery wasn't clear. The red dragon dominated the scene of fire and ice, flame and shadow. Loralie couldn't make out where they were, but she knew it was someplace familiar. Whether it was in the enclave or outside it, she couldn't tell. She only knew that Leasharra had a part to play in some future event, though what that part was, and what the event was, Loralie could not see.

It could possibly be that Loralie was seeing something that would come to pass in her daughter's life, not her own. After all, Leasharra was bonded to Penny now. They would spend the rest of Penny's life together. That thought was a true comfort to Loralie. If she couldn't be there for Penny, she was pleased that the dragon, as well as Petr and Det, would be. The three people who mattered most to Loralie would have each other long after she was gone. And their dragon heartmates.

Comforted by that thought, Loralie slid into deeper sleep where the dream could not follow.