Page 33 of Slaying With Sylphs (Haven Ever After #6)

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

DIRK

I ’m slicing bread at Connall’s behest when the treehouse door flies open and Louanna rushes through.

“Dirk! I caught a tree on fire with my flames! It was amazing!”

I round the island and catch her when she throws herself into my arms. Seating her on the island top, I press my forehead to hers. “Tell me everything, my sweet. How did it feel?”

“Your mate is strong,” the vampire’s voice drifts from the doorway. “Bound and determined. She’ll make a fine blue.”

Connall enters the kitchen with a smile and a bottle of wine in one hand. “You have our eternal thanks. It’s Laerith, right? Abemet told us, but I wasn’t sure I remembered correctly.”

She grins at him, flaring her nostrils.

“Dinnae think about his blood,” I snap. “Not a drop fer you.”

“Aww, come on,” she croons. “I can make it feel nice. It’ll only pinch a little.” She grins at me. “You can watch, sylph.”

Lou grumbles and attempts to slide out of my arms. She waves a hand around at all three of us. “Are you gonna be like this all night? Or can we get along?”

“‘Tis just posturing, my love,” I offer, but Lou shrugs.

“Well, I’m in desperate need of a shower, so I’m gonna do that.”

“Need any help scrubbing?” Laerith asks, eyes dropping down my mate’s body.

To my surprise, when I press my mouth to Lou’s neck, her scent is strong. Och, my Louanna finds the idea of Laerith touching her intriguing. I hold back a chuckle, my competitive nature rearing forward.

“Mine,” I rumble, sucking at Louanna’s skin as she squirms.

Laerith rolls her eyes, and Connall watches our standoff with a bemused smile.

Tension is thick in the room. Elemental monsters from opposing elements are always like this…nitpicking and arguing. It’s part of why my being teased as a child was such a big deal. I lived with air elementals. It shouldn’t have happened to the degree it did. It should have been surface level, playful.

I’m lost in thought about that when Louanna shoves out of my arms. She turns and kisses my lips roughly. Then, with a grumble, she heads down the hall, leaving Connall and me alone with Laerith.

“Laerith, can I make you a drink?” Connall rounds the bar to stand beside me, slipping one hand up between my shoulders to grip the back of my neck. His touch is possessive and reassuring all at once. He’s telling everyone I’m his, while still being accommodating.

Laerith watches us with a thoughtful smile, then crosses her arms. “Anything you’ve got that’s strong.”

“Excellent.” Connall heads for the bar area and grabs an assortment of bottles. Laerith and I stare at one another as if in challenge.

And it continues like that as my mate makes her a drink. She snips, and I respond until I suspect Connall wants to crack our heads together.

Ten fraught minutes later, faint footsteps echoing up the hall tell me my beautiful mate is out of the shower.

Connall can deal with the vampire for a moment. I need to reconnect with my woman, and she’s naked under that towel.

She laughs when I jog after her into the bedroom. Grabbing the edge of the towel, I rip it from her and drop it to the floor. She spins to face me, eyes flashing and glorious long hair all mussed. Heavy, round breasts sway, glistening with droplets from the shower.

“Yeh need to be tongue-bathed dry, Louanna,” I murmur.

She grabs a long strand of wet hair. “What I need is a hair dryer. Think you can do that for me, Mister Zefferus?”

Grunting, I fall to both knees and grip her hips, pulling her to me. I sit back on my haunches and kiss my way up her belly. “Gladly, my sweet.”

Louanna’s gaze goes thoughtful, her smirk falling. She stares at me, a multitude of emotions passing through her elegant features.

“I love you,” she whispers. “So damn much.”

I rise, emotion overwhelming me as my heart rate kicks into overdrive. Slipping my fingers into her hair, I tilt her face upward. For once, I’m speechless. Hearing her say those words after hoping for so long… Pressing my lips to hers, I kiss her, knowing I’ve finally, finally , broken down the walls. That she trusts me enough to let me in.

She loves me.

She loves me.

“Louanna,” I gasp. “I love you too. I always have, I?—”

She silences me with the press of her lips to mine. When we part, she runs both hands up my chest, resting them over my heart.

“I pushed you away for so long, and I’m sorry for that.”

I crush her to me, determination rushing through me. “Never apologize for that, my sweet. You weren’t ready until you were. Thank you for taking a chance on a wild, rule-breaking elemental. I cannae promise that everything will always be perfect and safe, but I promise you a life full of love, fun and, och, yes, likely a bit of danger too.”

“Good thing I’m a blue witch, then.” She nips at my chin. “Laerith told me once I’m strong enough, I’ll be able to pick you up with my power and toss you around like a ragdoll.”

I run my hands down her plump arse, slipping my fingers between her cheeks to tease at her back hole. “I cannae wait for that. I’ve got to taste yeh, Louanna, and then I’ll happily dry all that glorious hair.”

I don’t wait for an answer. Instead, I slide my tongue between her pussy lips and circle her clit as she grumbles about the guest in our living room. Yet her scent explodes around us, so I grip her ass cheeks harder and hold her open for me. I’m so amped from another elemental power being in our home that my licking goes rough and ragged. But Lou groans, bringing both hands to my hair and threading her fingers through.

The pinch of her grip drives my lust higher as I sling one of her legs over my shoulder. Growling, I call my lightning and direct it to my tongue, where little zaps along her pussy have her moaning and asking for more.

When she comes, she chokes the sounds back as she floods my tongue with sweet honey.

“Louanna,” I groan, “give me more, my sweet.” I keep going as her legs tremble, knees buckling. But I hold her steady. I’ll always hold her steady.

She pants and gasps as her orgasm prolongs, my tongue slipping over her mound and back to her clit. Eventually, her bliss fades, and I press tender kisses to both thighs and up to her bellybutton.

“Beautiful.”

“I love you,” she whispers again, eyes closed as she steadies her breathing. “So much.”

I smile. “Did yeh tell Caroline that yeh wanted me before you admitted it to me?”

Her eyes flash wide. “Did you spy and read my letters?!”

I shake my head. “Never. ‘Twas only a guess based on watching you write them. I promise I’ve not read them.”

She slaps my chest playfully. “We can read them together sometime, but, yes, I told her about you, and Connall. Although I haven’t written to her since the two of you bowled me over with your advances.”

“Och, Louanna,” I moan, feigning hurt. “Perhaps you should write to tell her all about getting dicked down by two handsome males, then.”

She laughs, but her eyes flick to the door. “You left Connall with Laerith, and we’re being rude. We better get out there.”

“Fine,” I agree. I’m not ready to leave this room, but she’s right. We cannae leave Connall to host the blue witch either. “Let me do yer hair, then.”

When my woman nods, I slap my gem and dissipate. I swirl lazily through her long strands at first, pulling moisture from them. Then I strengthen until I’m brushing fast through her hair. In a minute, I’ve got it dry and braided, and I’m having the time of my life. I could play with her hair for ages.

I return to my human form and tug the end of her braid back over her shoulder, holding it up so she can wrap a hair band around it.

“Holy shit,” she breathes, grabbing the dry braid and staring at it in shock. “Best blow dryer ever, all the stars, no notes, highly recommend.”

“I’m great at blowin’ things,” I say with a wink.

Her smile goes big and wicked. “Yeah, you are. Speaking of which, shall we rescue our mate?”

Our mate.

“Yes, Louanna,” I agree. “Let’s.”