“Hi.” Maeve’s voice sounded timid. She hesitated, only a few steps inside.
Hakken gaped as the unwavering speech he planned rapidly vanished from his mind. He found no words, not one, to express how much she meant to him. “Maeve.” No room for planning now. And as he strode to reach her, he knew what he should do. He would honor whatever decision she made, but before that, he would claim his kiss.
He took her by the waist, lifting her from the ground. Feeling her against his skin, his body came alive, and everything else faded. There was no sound, no sight, no other sensation besides her. Hakken meant to be gentle, but he could no longer control his craving.
Those lips were bewitching. Velvety and sweet. Hakken cradled the back of her head to kiss her deeply, coaxing her lips open with a flick of his tongue. When Maeve allowed him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he couldn’t stop the hungry moan that left his throat. He kissed her like it was the last thing he would do in this world. If she were to tell him she would leave him, he would either live or die a happy man, holding to this memory.
But as she eagerly kissed him back, molding into his arms, his heartbeat went wild. He wanted more, and as much as he kept saying to himself, he should be patient with her, his body thought otherwise.
He took her to their bed and lay her down on the furs, hovering over and staring in awe at her bright smile. Caught in the moment, none of them moved. “Hakken...” She seemed to be as out of breath as him.
“Hi.” Goodness, he was an idiot. “I missed you.” A lot better. Maeve laughed with glee, taking his face in her hands. But then her eyes filled with unshed tears, and her bottom lip shook slightly before dropping her arms by her side. That was a troubling change. Hakken frowned. “What is wrong, beautiful?”
“I’m so sorry, Hakken! I shouldn’t have asked you to leave. I was so worried about you!”
Ever since the day she helped him escape the castle, she held the power to render him mushy and emotional. He certainly suffered from an overload of tenderness when she was involved.
Maeve felt guilty! That sweet, loving woman worried about hurting him! “Don’t say that. You did the right thing. I needed to be responsible for the consequences of my selfishness.” The weight of the life he took was still very much present. “You know of my crimes, Maeve, so I would never ask you to forgive me if I don’t feel like I deserve it.”
She gave him a long, serious look. His skin prickled as she slowly unearthed every detail of his soul. Has anyone ever looked at me like that? Unlike any other, Hakken yearned for her to know him. To understand him.
Maeve lifted a hand, burying her fingers in his hair. With her free arm, she raised her body and reached for his lips once more. He wasn’t about to let her do all the work. Hakken met her halfway, catching her lips and pushing her back to the bed.
They lost all notion of time, and luckily, no one was nosy enough to interrupt them. His kisses moved to her jaw, her neck, the spot behind her ear that made her quiver. Caressing her over her clothes built up his frustration, but he bit his lip to hold back. This was a perfect moment, and he wouldn’t push her.
It didn’t mean he had to be uncomfortable. In one swift movement, he got rid of his vest, kneeling next to her.
Maeve let out a soft gasp, and he couldn’t help to smirk at the sight of her blushing face. Oh, beautiful. I’m dying to test that shyness of yours. Two curious hands touched his chest, tickling his way down his stomach, and this time he flustered. The turmoil inside of him made him lose control, so he tried her a bit more. Not taking his eyes from hers, Hakken peeled off her clothes. Since she allowed him, he went further, peppering her with kisses as he witnessed her getting more and more aroused.
The sight of her perfect naked body was enough to drive him mad with desire, but he held back, for her sake. She could hardly hide her nervousness. He let out a warm laugh, laying on top of her once more. He sensed on his skin the rapid beating of her heart. “Maeve... if you blush more, I might worry.”
“Oh, please! Shut up!” she squealed, throwing her arms around him. Every second they spent together was perfect. Hakken constantly made sure she was comfortable and enjoying herself. He? There was no way this was not a million times more wonderful than he had imagined.
When he finally took her, there were no doubts in his mind. He loved Maeve. And as Maeve lost control over her powers, her unwavering love engulfed him. Her emotions were all on display. How could he ever doubt after experiencing this?
As they both languidly climbed down from the enchantment, all the little pieces of his soul found their way back home. He was whole, and the promise of happiness was too real. Maeve curled in his arms and dozed off while Hakken caressed her back. The mild autumn sun hid behind the horizon, and the temperature dropped, so he covered their bodies with a large fur.
“Mm... hey...” Maeve was drowsy. Her golden hair spread in a tangled mess, a clear sign of what they have been doing for at least half a day. He thought of teasing her about it, but she had experienced too many powerful emotions for the moment. He would save it for later.
“Why are you grinning like a madman?” She peeked at him from under the covers.
“I was just
