Page 27 of Destined Dawn

I’m still sensitive and I come again quickly, screaming so loudly I’m sure everyone else in this mansion must hear, and then Tristan Kennedy does something surprising. He rolls up to sit so our faces are hovering just millimeters apart, he wraps his arms around me, stroking his hands up and down my back, brushing my hair away from my face, kissing my mouth and my neck. Worshiping me all over again.

When I come a third time, he comes with me, holding me tight against his body, so tight I can feel the thud of his heart, nuzzling into my neck, whispering words of affection that make my heart swell.

We stay like that for several minutes: him buried insideme, me perched on his lap, just kissing and caressing each other.

“I’ve never done it bare backed like this before,” he admits, “it feels fucking amazing. I can feel all of you.”

“You haven’t?” I say, surprised by yet another of Tristan Kennedy’s revelations, and also confused because didn’t we …

I snap up straight, the realization hitting me square between the eyes.

“Before,” I gasp.

“What?” he murmurs, sucking on my neck.

“When we did it before, back at your house. Tristan – we didn’t use … did you cast a barrier spell then too?”

I don’t know why I’m asking. I know he didn’t, but there’s a little bubble of hope residing in my chest that maybe he did and I was just so caught up in the moment that I didn’t notice.

But then he’s snapping up straight too, a look of horror in his eyes, and that bubble well and truly pops.

“No, shit, Rhi, no, I was … it was … shit.” We stare at each other. “I’m clean,” he says. “I’ve always used protection.”

“I know but …”

“It’s a small chance,” he says, not sounding half as confident as he usually does.

“We’re fated mates. Are you sure the chance is that small? Because I’m really not ready for–”

“Me neither. We’re on the fucking run! My dad will be looking for us.” He tugs at his fair hair. “There has to be a way … something you can take …”

“Winnie will know,” I say, hopping straight off him and scuttling off the bed.

“You’re going to ask her now?”

“The sooner the better,” I say, already sliding my pantiesup my legs. I don’t bother with a bra, I tug my hoodie over my head and then my pants up my legs and head straight for the door.

“Winnie?” I yell right from the landing. I am so lucky to have this girl. Because I seem to land myself in trouble left, right and center and without her I’d probably be dead in a ditch right now. In fact, I would most definitely be. “Winnie?” I yell again.

“Rhianna?” Azlan calls from somewhere on the ground floor. “Is everything all right?”

I ignore him. “Winnie?” I cry.

One of the bedroom doors snaps open and Winnie sticks her head out. Her braids have been unwound, her mascara’s smudged and her cheeks are flushed.

“I’m kind of in the middle of something here, Rhi,” she says.

“Winnie,” I say and I’m sure there must be panic written all over my face because she ducks back into the room and then emerges again a minute later, dressed in Trent’s jeans, her t-shirt – on back to front.

“Winnie,” I say, grabbing her hands and not commenting on her appearance. I doubt I look any more respectable.

“What the hell is wrong? Did he do something–” Her eyes swivel towards the master bedroom.

“No, Winnie, no, but I screwed up. I screwed up big time.”

Footsteps sound below and I know my other mates are going to come up here and cause a fuss any minute now so I pull Winnie into one of the unused bedrooms, shut the door and lock it with my magic. Precisely a minute later, the door knob starts rattling but I ignore it and drag Winnie to the other side of the room.

“What’s going on, Rhi?” Winnie asks, concern etched across her face.