Page 70 of Of Flame and Fate
“Yes,” he answers. The way his deep voice drops an octave guarantees I’ll have a peaceful nap following a very long romp in bed.
“Nice,” I say, flicking my incisor with my tongue when I glance up at him.
“We need to talk,” he says.
“Talk?” I ask. “Dirty and during?” I give him another pat. “Sounds good to me.”
He smirks. “If that’s you want.”
“Oh, yes. I want,” I assure him.
He laughs. “There’s something else. Something important I’ve kept quiet about it for too long.”
My hand falls away as we reach our newly appointed quarters at the end of the hall. “What’s up?” I ask.
He punches in the code to our keypad, allowing our entry. “I’ll explain in the bedroom.”
I step inside, no longer sure where this is headed. “Am I going to like it?”
“I want you to,” he says, shutting the door behind him.
There’s a large framed mirror just inside the foyer, it’s a decorative piece. I sneak a look. My long hair is slightly fuller, the long waves continuing to react to the consumption of lightning they were forced to endure mere hours ago. Genevieve assured me it would eventually settle. Based on what I see, “eventually” is long ways away. But I won’t complain. Girlfriend did manage to regrow my eyebrows and lashes.
I play with my hair as I step out of sight of the mirror. I’m not wearing makeup, not even a stitch. That’s rare for me. I like being all dolled up, although au natural is how Gemini likes me best.
Maybe it’s a good thing now, considering the ominous vibe I’m getting from him.
We reach our bedroom, the large California king bed calling to me to huddle beneath the clean white covers. But as I reach the edge, Gemini’s hands find my waist, turning me carefully.
He grips my hips, his thumbs rubbing the exposed skin where my low-cut jeans hang and the T-shirt doesn’t quite cover. If he was feeling playful he would tease the skin in slow seductive circles or tug the edges of the denim further down. Instead he continues the same languid movements as he wrestles with what to tell me.
“This is bad, isn’t it?” I ask.
“It doesn’t have to be,” he murmurs.
As effortlessly as he says the words, we lose ourselves in each other’s stares. It’s easy to. In those beautiful dark eyes, I don’t need to be so tough, and nothing is as bad it could be.
The moment doesn’t last, nor do our stares linger. For what feels like the first time, he’s the one who turns away. I’m not sure why until he speaks. “You’ve always struggled when it comes to us,” he says. “Every step in our relationship has been a challenge from the start.”
I can’t deny that’s true. “What’s your point?”
My remark makes him smile. I think he’s happy, although I also know there’s more there. “You love me,” he says. “I felt it long before you finally told me. And while we’ve endured a great deal, our love has remained and sustained us.”
“It has,” I manage, not wanting to picture my life without him. Been there, done that, and it was hell. That doesn’t mean I’m ready for what I think he’s about to ask.
“I want us to try for a family,” he says.
“Eh?”
“A baby,” he says, ignoring my slacking jaw. “I want you to have my child.”
“You want to have a baby. With me?”
He smirks. “No, love.”
“Oh, good,” I say, patting his arm and attempting to walk away. “Glad we had this talk.”
He holds tight and his smile warms. “I want to have several with you.”