Air of Seduction (Elemental Enforcers #3)

Chapter 38

Ronan

My mate is a goddess, a fucking goddess.

Her touching, kissing, and licking are all deliberately driving me insane with need. I can hardly breathe, and I’m making sounds I don’t think I’ve ever made before.

Her lips wrap tightly around my tip, forcing a whimper from me. Her silky wet mouth is fucking heaven, but the feeling of her clearly enjoying what she’s doing to me is even better.

While swirling her tongue around the rim of my cockhead, she wraps a hand around the base of my shaft. I can’t look away. Her beauty and eagerness are mesmerizing.

Her other hand moves down to fondle my balls, and I let out another strange whine. Pleasure is rising inside me like a giant wave, and with what she’s doing to me, it won’t be long before it breaks.

My eyes widen, and my lungs seize when her lips slide down my shaft, taking my length into her mouth until she gags. And then she hums.

The wave breaks and pleasure floods my body. My dick erupts, pumping my seed down my mate’s throat, and the exhilaration I feel pouring through the mating bond mixes with my own.

It takes me a while to regain my senses and open my eyes, and the first thing I see when I do is my mate grinning down at me. I can’t look away.

My throat clogs, and I have to clear it before I can speak. “I’m the luckiest fucker on this planet.”

She laughs. “I’ll take that as a compliment. And, if you don’t mind my saying so, fucker is a good descriptive word for you.”

It’s my turn to laugh. “Is that right?”

She nods. “It is. It’s one of the things you do best.”

“Well, thank you.” I push up on my elbows. “Since my main goal is to take care of you in every possible way, it’s good to know I’ve at least got one thing going for me.”

She lies down on her side next to me, supporting her upper body on one elbow, and puts a hand on my chest. “You’ve got a lot of things going for you. You’re not the only lucky one of the two of us.”

My gaze lands on the bite on her shoulder. There’s blood smeared around the wound, but it’s mostly healed. I smile as I tilt my head to the side, exposing the bite she gave me. “Thank you for biting me. I much preferred it to biting my tongue and having you take some of my blood that way. I’ll cherish the mark on my shoulder for eternity.”

She tries to look down at her own shoulder. “What about mine? How does it look? I thought it would be more painful.”

I take her hand as I scoot off the bed. “Come. You can have a look at it in the mirror.”

She follows me into the bathroom, where I guide her to stand in front of the mirror. I stand behind her, watching her as she takes in the wound on her shoulder. Using her index finger, she prods the raised skin that is quickly healing into a beautiful scar.

I suck in a breath when it all suddenly hits me. This is my woman. This is my mate that I’m going to spend every single day with for the rest of my life. I’m never going to be alone again, and we might even have a…

My throat tightens, and my heart slams against my ribs as my gaze drops to her flat belly. I want to watch it grow round with my child. And not just once, but several times.

“Ronan?”

I raise my gaze and meet her questioning one in the mirror. “Are you all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I nod slowly. “Perhaps I have. I’ve…got something to tell you. Something I’ve kept to myself for two hundred years, because I couldn’t bear to say the words out loud. I didn’t tell my brothers until today.”

“Okay.” Her brows push together, and she bites her bottom lip as she waits.

I take a deep breath before blurting out, “I lost my daughter before she was born, and it still hurts that I never got to see her and hold her.”

Her eyes widen before she turns toward me. “I’m so sorry, Ronan. That’s terrible.” She raises her hand and cups my cheek, her touch gentle.

Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her close. Neither of us say anything, but there’s no need. I can feel her compassion and grief for me through the mating bond, and I’m sure she can feel how her closeness soothes my pain. A mating bond is never just one way; it’s always both.

I’ve got more I want to say, though, and after a while I pull my head back and look down at her. But she beats me to it.

“Is this a result of the bond between us? That I can feel what you feel. Because I like it.” Her palm on my chest is rubbing circles over my heart, but I’m not sure she’s aware of what she’s doing.

My lips curve in a soft smile. “It is, and I like it too. It’s amazing to know what you feel without you having to explain it to me. Words are great but not always adequate.”

She nods. “But the feelings I get from you don’t tell me everything.” I can feel her anxiousness more than I can see it on her face, but it’s mixed with a feeling of hope. “I hope this doesn’t come across as indifferent to your loss, but do you… Do you still want children?”

There’s a fluttering in my chest, and my smile widens. “I do if you do. For two centuries I’ve been too scared to even contemplate that possibility, but with you… Yes.”

A huge smile splits her face, her excitement practically vibrating in the air. “I do. I’ve always wanted children, but I was losing hope that I would ever find a man I’d want to start a family with. But now I have, and since we didn’t use any protection, who knows? Perhaps I’m already pregnant.”

Laughter forces its way out of my mouth and fills the air around us. “That would be a gift, but if it takes some time for it to happen, that’s okay too. We’ve got plenty of time.”

“Yes, we do. But I hope it happens sooner rather than later.”

As I stare down into her beautiful happy face, I know what I have to do.

***

Payton

I’m standing, wrapped in the arms of the most gorgeous man in the world, feeling happier than I’ve ever felt. All of my hopes and dreams have already come true or will in the near future. There’s nothing left that can make my life any more perfect.

“Payton, my true mate.” Ronan’s expression is suddenly serious. He unwraps his arms from around me and takes my hand in his. And then he sinks down on one knee.

My eyes blow so wide I’m surprised my eyeballs don’t roll right out of my skull. Because I know what he’s about to do.

“We’ve already mated, and there’s no bond more permanent than that. But if we’re going to start a family, I would like a bond that’s recognized in the human world as well.” He pauses, his turquoise eyes searching mine.

I hold my breath while I wait.

“My beautiful mate, will you marry me?”

My breath comes out in a whoosh as tears gather in my eyes, and all I can do is nod.

“Thank you.” He kisses my ring finger before getting to his feet and gathering me in a tight embrace. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I croak against his hard chest. Just when I thought life couldn’t get any more perfect, Ronan does something unexpected and makes it even better. And I doubt it’s the last time that will happen.