Chapter 308 Chapter 308
Deacon turned his head and crushed her mouth with his. She tasted him, blood, and herself, in her mind there would never be another moment in her life that was more perfect than now.
When he moved his head and rested it on the pillow, he slowly released her leg and let his weight settle over her. She didn’t care if she couldn’t move or breathe, she was content staying here like this forever.
After his breathing slowed, he shifted his hips and pulled out of her. Gia turned her head and saw the blood running down his skin, she licked over it slowly. She’d marked him as her mate and there wasn’t the slightest feeling of regret.
Deacon lifted most of his weight off her, propping himself up on his elbows. His sexy eyes moved over her face with a softness she’d never seen in them before. With his fingertips, he brushed away the sweaty hair stuck to her face. “Did I hurt you?”
Licking her lips, she smiled, “no, I think you branded my soul though.”
His lips quirked into a lopsided grin.
Gia watched the blood run down his neck.
“What did you do?” His tone was so soft it was barely spoken out loud.
“Marked you.” She reached up and traced his mouth lightly.
“I know what, but why?” A pained look came over his face.
Gia didn’t want sadness and reality right now, she wanted to savor this moment for as long as she could. “I don’t want any skanky females to be thinking you’re free for the taking.” She gave him a playful grin.
He snorted softly and then dropped his forehead to rest on hers. “No chance of that.” He kissed her and then pushed up, so their bodies were no longer touching.
The air sent a chill over her skin.
He held himself there and looked down at her. “I haven’t even looked at another since I watched this fiery redhead hand fifteen guys their asses as she breezed across a finish line holding the pelt.” He kissed her quickly on the mouth and then got up. “I’ll heat the water for a shower.”
She watched him walk over to the tank to turn it on, admiring the way the muscles flexed down his back and butt as he moved. His words sunk in. The fiery redhead was her and that was five years ago before she’d started defense training and taking control of her life. Sitting up, she pulled the sheet up around her. “Deacon, why did you never come to find me?”
He turned from the tank and looked at her. “I didn’t want to ruin your life.” He said it softly, truth-tinging every word.
“Wasn’t that my call though?” She hugged her knees and watched him. She could tell him what her brother said, but didn’t want to force it, she wanted him to come to her on his terms not because some bylaw said it was okay.
“Yeah, it was.” He went over to the shelf and grabbed two bottles of water, then moved with silent grace over and held one out to her. She took it and he stood there looking down at her, “I checked in on you a lot, to see how you were doing.” He opened the bottle and then looked at it, “I knew you were going to go places and I didn’t want to get in your way.”
She took a moment to have a few sips of the water, trying to figure out what that meant.
Before she could say anything else, he sighed, “look,” he motioned to the bed, “I didn’t,” he grinned, it faded fast, “I’m not going to lie, I’ve thought about being with you for years, but despite you destroying my control, I don’t want to spoil this with something that will end with you angry with me again.” He looked at the door, “or me ending up like that bat.”
Gia smirked, “he had it coming.”
He nodded and looked back at her, “mmm, I have no doubt.” He capped the bottle of water and then reached out his hand to her, “let’s just enjoy right now as it is before reality sets in.”
Setting down the bottle of water, she took his hand. “You know we’re going talk about things.”
“Oh, I know, sweetheart, and I also know it’s not going to end the way either of us wants.” He leaned down and kissed her mouth softly. “I’m still not going to ruin your life. Just, let’s enjoy our moment in the dark before daylight interrupts us.”
She didn’t understand what he meant, but nodded and let him lead her toward the shower. None of that made sense. If he regretted it, why was he being so caring toward her? A moment in the dark? What happened when daylight came? Her legs felt like rubber, and she couldn’t get her brain to kick back in. His scent was all over her, on her tongue, her lips, he was all she could smell. When he turned as they reached his little shower stall, all she could look at was her mark on his neck. Her fox was very happy with that mark. “Deacon.”
He looked down at her as he reached into the shower.
“You don’t regret it do you?” She felt juvenile and ridiculous looking at him with a pouty face, but she needed to know.
He looked at her for a moment, searching her face, then leaned down and kissed her. “No, I don’t.”
She could work with that; he wasn’t being cold toward her. Despite wanting him to profess his devotion and mark her as his mate, she couldn’t help feeling that he may have done right by her. Staying off her radar and out of her life all this time allowed her to become who she was now.
She let him lead under the water. If they mated anytime in the last five years, she wouldn’t be on the team now or helping liberate her own kind.
With a gentle touch, he turned her, so her back was to him and began to gently wash her back.
Deacon Parrish had allowed her to choose her own path and she understood that now, but their paths were meant to be entwined and there was no turning that back now.
Calum’s words came to her ‘tell him to stop running.’ She smiled and tilted her head back to rest against him.
His hands moved all over her, stirring her up again. As she turned around and stretched up to kiss him, she decided she’d let him run in circles around it for as long as it took—eventually he’d understand there was no way to outrun her and what they were to one another.