Page 10

Chapter 10

Della

I frowned when I glanced at Haden. He had seemed so distant since I got home an hour ago. His eyes were dim, and his smiles did not reach his eyes. He looked lost in thought as I slid onto his lap as he sat in the chair at the table. His normally stormy blue eyes were replaced with dark black pools. This was the other side of Haden that came out sporadically. There was a subtle difference with him when he was like this.

“Please tell me what is wrong,” I whispered. "You look so sad."

His eyes searched mine like he was looking for an answer to something. His arms wrapped around me and rubbed my back. He tried to give me a reassuring smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

“I’m not sure; I just feel sad for some reason,” he said with a tinge of pain in his voice. I rubbed his back as I held him tightly.

“Did I do something to make you feel this way?”

“No.” He squeezed me tighter. “I just get like this sometimes. You always make me happy, Storm.”

I pulled back and saw the sadness swirling in his pretty eyes. I cupped his cheek and wished I could make him feel better.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get the pastries for you today. I didn’t leave the house after I started feeling like this.”

“It’s all right.” I leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He was keeping something from me. “We can get pastries a different day. We have a lifetime.”

He swallowed hard and nodded.

“A lifetime with you sounds like heaven.” He smiled, and this time it reached his eyes. “I had a dream about you last night,” he whispered.

“You did?” I smiled. “Tell me.”

“You and I were married. We lived in this house, and we had children running around us. Gods, we were so damn happy.” Tears sprang to his eyes as he looked at me. “Just as in love as we are now.”

“That sounds like a good life,” I confessed as emotions filled him. "Why is that making you cry?"

"Because I love you so much. All I want is that life with you. Nothing else matters to me." His eyes lost all of their happiness again. Fear trickled into my mind as I watched him. My hand brushed against his cheek.

“Are you sure you don’t want to tell me what else is bothering you? I will not be mad if that is why you are worried.”

His eyes bounced between mine as he contemplated his response. His hands started rubbing up and down my back again as if I was the one who needed comforting.

“There is nothing else, Della. I am just feeling off today, but tomorrow will be a wonderful day. I promise.”

I wished he'd tell me, but I didn't push it.

“Then let’s go to bed so we can get to the wonderful day sooner.” I smiled when he leaned forward and kissed me softly as he stood, holding me to him. I wrapped my arms and legs tightly around him. As he carried us to the bed in the living space. I hoped he felt better tomorrow because I did not like seeing him so sad.

?★★★?★★★?

Haden was gone when I woke up. I felt his side of the bed, and it was cold. Frowning, I sat up, holding the blanket to my naked chest. Stars, I needed to go home today and get some new clothes. I had not been home in a week, except for a brief meeting with Mikel yesterday. He just assumed I was hanging out with Penelope, and I didn’t correct him. I could not leave Haden for a long time without missing him.

“Haden?” I called out. He didn’t answer. I slipped out of bed and tugged on his tunic from last night. I went to the kitchen thinking he would be waiting for me, but he wasn’t there either. Terror gripped me after I remembered how upset he had been last night. Did he leave without telling me? I was about to turn around when a note on the counter caught my attention. I smiled at the small bundle of wildflowers sitting next to it.

Storm,

Sorry to leave you waking up to an empty bed, but it's for a good reason. Come find me at the pond.

- Haden

I smiled and hurried out of the house. Haden’s tall silhouette was standing at the water's edge. He must have heard me walking up because he turned and smiled at me. I paused when I saw how nice his outfit was. I glanced down at my bare legs, and Haden’s gaze moved too. He smiled brightly.

“Should I change?” I asked before looking around. “Why are you dressed so nicely?”

Haden’s eyes filled with amusement.

“Did you not notice?”

I turned and looked at everything around us. Nothing looked different. I glanced back at him and shook my head. Haden chuckled softly as he dragged his hands down his face.

“Come over here, Storm.” He reached out to me. I walked up to him, and he brought up my hand and kissed the back of it. I didn’t move. I stopped breathing. My eyes flickered up to his before moving back down to the ring on my finger. This has been on my finger this whole time?

“Haden…”

My heart was pounding as nervousness and excitement coursed through me. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes as I stared at him.

He fell to his knee in front of me.

“Ardella, you are the love of my life—no, the love of my existence. I meant it when I said I was all in. I do not want to wait for what others may deem as an appropriate time to start our beginning together. I know that if it is a day, a year, or a century, I will still be in love with you. I have pictured a future with you, and I am desperate to live in that reality. In you I have found love, but I also found the soul that completes mine, the voice that calms my heart, and a friend I used to dream about finding. You are everything.

“I promise to love you, to protect you, and to always comfort you. My heart, my soul, my everything is yours as long as you promise to marry me. I am desperate to be yours, to belong to you. My love for you knows no bounds. Please do me the honor of becoming my wife, Della."

I stared at the small silver band with the prettiest red stones and diamonds decorating it. It almost seemed to glow. Haden's nervous dark eyes watched me. I nodded as the words wouldn't come out yet.

“Yes, a million times yes. I will choose you in this lifetime and any that follow.”

Haden sighed like he was worried I would say no. This was it. This was the happiest moment I had ever had in my existence. This was everything that I waited for. An overwhelming wave of love slammed into me as I stared at him. I leaned down and pressed my mouth to his.

Suddenly, Haden yanked me down and laid me beneath him. His movements were frantic as he tugged his tunic off and reached for mine. He moaned softly when he saw I was naked under it. His hand skimmed down my stomach, making me sigh with anticipation. He leaned down, trailing kisses from below my breasts, down my stomach, and the insides of my thighs. Haden grabbed my legs and spread them apart, wasting no time devouring me.

“Fuck,” I moaned into the sky.

My hands dragged through his hair, pulling on it slightly. Haden’s tongue circled my clit as he plunged two fingers deep within me. My hips rolled against him, and he sucked me into his mouth. Before I knew it, I was at the pinnacle of pleasure, ready to fall over the edge. Fuck, he knew how to use his mouth. My greedy hips rolled into his mouth.

“Haden, I’m going to cum.”

He hummed against me before withdrawing his fingers and using his perfect fucking mouth to drive me crazy. I leaned up so I could see him. Haden’s stormy eyes looked up at me as he consumed me. His eyes darkened as I watched him closely.

“Oh, my gods,” I breathed. Haden’s gaze did not leave mine as I came apart in his mouth. After a moment, my trembling passed, and he gave me one last, slow lick before he slowly crawled up my body, his mouth trailing kisses. He smiled when I reached down to his trousers and undid them, yanking them down just enough to free him.

“I need you inside of me now,” I demanded.

Haden grabbed my wrists and pinned them to the ground above my head.

“I like it when you’re bossy,” he whispered softly. “But I also like it when you beg me.”

“Please, Haden, I want you.” I tried to roll my hips, but he pinned me below his large body. His gaze moved all over my face as I moaned softly.

"Look how pretty you are when you are a pleading mess below me, Storm," his voice was a confident whisper that made goosebumps spread across my skin.

"Please." I tried to move again, but he only held me in place with a smirk tugging his lips. My eyes flashed white at his teasing. Two could play this game. "Be a good boy and give me what I want."

His nostrils flared, and his eyes flashed red. Oh, he liked to be praised as much as I did.

"Do you like that, Haden?" I purred as his hips slowly moved, teasing me.

"Yes," he leaned down and kissed me. "Tell me exactly what you want from me."

He pulled back so he could stare at me. I yanked my hands free from his grip. My fingers traced up his neck and through his hair, tugging it roughly.

"You know what I want."

"I want to hear your pretty mouth say it, Storm."

Fuck, he was enjoying this too much.

"I want you to stop teasing me. You can do that for me, can't you?" I smiled. "You're going to make me cum so hard that I see the stars."

"Yes." He moved forward slightly, teasing me until neither of us could stand it anymore. His mouth fell open as he slowly pushed into me.

"Good boy, you listen so well."

Once inside me, he leaned forward and gave me a chaste kiss. “You feel good, Storm.”

Without answering, I pushed my hips up, causing him to slam into me.

“So greedy for me,” he muttered and refused to move his hips. "Beg me." He thought he was the one in control, but we both knew who actually was.

"Please, Haden. I need you to make me fall apart. Show me how eager you are to please me."

His long exhale let me know that he was having a hard time controlling himself. I yanked him down like I would kiss him but stopped. He tried to close the distance, but I yanked his hair back.

"Della…"

"You can kiss me after you've taken care of me. If you want my mouth, it will be after you make me cum with your cock buried inside of me."

His nostrils flared with his exhale, and I smiled because I knew he wouldn’t deny me any longer. He rolled over, pulling me with him so I was straddling his hips as he sat up. Then his hands tangled in my hair, controlling the quick movements between us.

“You know how to drive me fucking crazy, Storm,” he ground out.

“Haden,” I cried. “That’s fucking perfect. Do not stop.”

"I like how perfectly you say my name when you are losing control."

I gripped his shoulders and helped him lift me up just to slam me back down on him roughly. His loud moan made me clench tightly around him.?

“That’s it, use me, ride me until you’re calling out to the heavens who you belong to.”?

"Look at how good you take care of me." I demanded, and his movements became quicker. "This body, every inch of it, belongs to me."

"Fucking hell." He moaned.

My eyes squeezed tightly when Haden’s tongue licked my nipple before sucking me into his mouth, teasing me. With that, I came hard and fast. It was so powerful that the ground shook beneath us, and thunder echoed all around us. Lightning even struck the pond behind me. I'm sure the heavens and the stars heard his name fall from my mouth.

“Good girl, Storm; now show me those pretty eyes. Watch me as I cum inside of you.”?

My eyes met his, and he slammed me down twice more before he finally came, his frost shooting out in all directions as he did. He called my name to the stars, and then he stilled against me. His chest was heaving so much that I could feel his heart beating against my chest.

“I love you.” I grabbed his face and pulled it back. His lips parted as he tried to catch his breath.? His eyes were hazy with his pleasure. "Kiss me," I said as I leaned forward and kissed him with every ounce of love I had for him.

“I love you more.”