CONTENT ADVISORY / TRIGGER WARNING
THIS NOVEL CONTAINS DEPICTIONS/STRONG IMPLICATIONS OF THE FOLLOWING THAT SOME READERS MAY FIND OFFENSIVE OR DISTURBING:
~ SEX AND INTMACY
Wading through the cold water of the lake, Libelle stared up at the bright moon in the sky. The air was surprisingly warm this evening, and washing in the lake felt refreshing after the day's events. She tipped her head back, the water tickling her ears as she lazily back stroked. She and Eskil had arrived shortly after the sun had set, the carriage driver returning to his home in Edinburgh once they had stepped out of his wagon.
She had filled her mind with Ingrid the entire ride home, and even now she was trying desperately to find an answer to her murder. She could determine how she died, but the reason why and who had done it remained completely unknown. Who would do something like that? Ingrid was such a sweet girl; she didn't deserve that.
A splash in the water caught her attention, and she straightened herself upright. Eskil was standing in the shallow end and watching her, a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Do you mind if I join you?" he called out to her.
Cheeks flushing, she turned around in the water and faced away from him. "It's fine."
She heard the rippling of the water as Eskil walked further into the lake, the flutter of his towel occurred a moment before she heard him chuckle. "This water is freezing."
"Oh? I thought it was perfect," she said in spite of the shiver that ran through her body.
"Perfect?" he said, getting closer to her. "Libby, you're shivering."
His arms wrapped around her waist, the warmth of his body spreading into hers. He gently kissed her neck and held her close as her head rested back against his collarbone. She was staring up at the sky, and his gaze followed hers.
"Libby," he said gently, using her nickname. "You were able to find her, you can't do anything more than that."
She nodded.
"Try to focus on something else for now, don't let it ruin your mood tonight." He stroked her stomach. "Think of something else."
She smiled. "What should I think of then?"
The water rippled again as Eskil spun her around in the water and pulled her against his chest. Her porcelain skin standing out from the clear yet dark water. "Perhaps you can think of me?"
She brushed her hair behind her ear, staring coyly at him. "If I think of you, where will we end up then?"
His smile was seductive, his eyes smoldering as he moved through the water with her until his feet found the sandy soil at the bottom of the lake. "I believe you know..." He kissed her gently. "Exactly..." Another kiss. "Where. This. Will. End. Up." Between each word he kissed her, dragging her through the water and bringing her closer to the shoreline. Libelle giggled, curling her arms around his neck as she returned his gentle kiss with a passionate one of her own.
His hands caressed her lower back, then to her bottom where he lifted her up in his arms. Her bare waist against his own, her legs wrapping around him, the cool water still tickling their skin.
"Libelle, can I ask you something?"
"Yes."
He slowly spun them around in a circle in the water, his hands moving up her back to cup her face. "Will you bind yourself to me?"
Surprise came over her at his question, at first not knowing how to answer. To bind herself to Eskil meant she would literally be binding her soul to his. Forever. His eyes searched hers with her hesitation. She knew how he felt about her, and she knew she cared for him and had intense feelings for him. It was just like love. Do I love him? She was trying to make sense of his question. By him asking to bind their souls together, was it similar to him asking her to marry him? If Eskil asked her to marry him, she would say yes, right? So, why would she say 'no' now?
"Will you show me what I need to do?"
The smile that beamed across his face reminded her of a giddy child. "Of course."
Eskil laughed warmly, kissed her again and swam in a circle. "Anything, my little elf, my love, I will do anything for you." Still carrying her in his arms, he waded through the cold water towards the shoreline. Passionately kissing her the entire way, his bare feet clung to the small sand grains as he walked onto the beach.
He dropped down onto his knees and broke his lips away from their kiss to straighten the towel he had thrown down earlier. His large hands grasped her buttocks while her delicate fingers twisted into his hair. He lay her down on the large cotton towel and rested his already hard member between her legs, which excited an expectant gasp from her lips.
"Not yet, beloved, not yet," he chuckled, brushing her hair back and kissing her slender neck. His warm hands trailed all over her body; like feathers, his fingertips traced her ribs to her hips, then up to her raised arms. A gentle kiss on her jawline and a stinging nip on her clavicle was followed by a teasing lick of his tongue against her skin.
Libelle couldn't hold back her needy and lust-filled moan, her hands sliding down between them and reaching for his hard cock. It had only been a few days since she last felt him, but it seemed like an eternity. She wanted him. Now. Her sex ached so badly and she wanted him to fill every inch of her, and yet he pulled away from her grasp.
Puzzled, she questioningly looked up at him. Eskil smiled, nipping the tip of her nose. "Patience, my love, there are...other things we need to do first." He laughed when she made a frustrated grumble and sarcastically rolled her eyes.
"Libelle, by exchanging these vows and by making the bond with me, you are binding more than just your soul to me. You are giving me your body, your heart, and your mind. You will be able to feel what I feel, see what I see, and hear whatever lustful thoughts I have in my mind." He playfully nipped her finger as she cradled his cheek. "Does that make sense to you?"
"Yes." She nodded.
"Typically, the bond is made between two dragons when they are in flight. However, neither of us have wings, so this beach will have to do." He took her hand in his and held it to his chest.
"All you have to do, beloved, is copy me."
She nodded again, smiling warmly at him. "Alright."
Eskil took a deep breath, gently clasping her hand in his. He kissed her palm and then pierced her skin with his fangs. Blood sprouted from the wound and she flinched, watching as he led her hand to his chest. Her bloody palm resting over his heart.
"My lifemate, this day I become yours. I give you my heart, my soul, and every ounce of my being. I vow to protect you, I vow to love you every day for the rest of our lives, and I vow to place your wellbeing above my own."
He bit deeply into his palm, allowing her to guide his hand to her breast bone. "Repeat what I said."