Page 89 of The Mating Claim

Shimmering on the edge of a climax, she opened all her senses. She opened herself, and the tension blasted out of her core, shattering her into a million pieces, something dark and delicious bursting from her. Drust threw his head back, shouted her name as he bucked against her. Warm seed jettisoned into her. He kept pumping inside her until his muscles quivered and he collapsed atop her tremblingbody.

Boneless with pleasure, Lacey fell back, gulping down several deep breaths. His lungs bellowing for air, Drust pillowed his head beside her. Their mingled heartbeats gradually slowed until they beat in unison. She listened, wondering if he controlledthat.

Drust lifted his head with a sleepy, adorable look. Sweat dampened his dark hair. “Yes, I matched my heart’s rhythm toyours.”

The sweat-dampened sheets began to cool. He pushed off her, watched her with a guarded look. The space between her legs felt wonderfully sore, her musclesached.

Drust could never be with her always. He was an immortal wizard and had his duties. But as they lay there, tangled in each other’s arms, she could almost believe they were destined to be one forever. That she deserved this happiness,always.

Almost.

Even if only in adream.

Chapter 17

The sun was warm,the sky blue and her heart light and happy, for she was determined to live for the moment. Lacey laughed as she went to the beach to collect shells the following afternoon. Wind tickled her cheeks, playfully lifting the hem of hersundress.

On a beach chair, Drust sat, chin on fist, reading from the mysterious book that hopefully provided answers to the Book of Shadows destruction. He looked adorable, brow wrinkled in concentration, blue swim trunks showing off the muscles of his long, tanned legs. Bare-chested, he was firm all over withmuscle.

All over. She shivered at the memory of exactly how his body had felt againsthers.

She had faith in his diligence to find answers to saving her. For now, she simply wanted to enjoy every moment of her life, while she still hadit.

Last night had been stunning and fiery, followed by a leisurely morning. She could almost forget the Book of Shadows and its destructivepower.

Almost.

Far too pragmatic, she could not. It hovered, a dark cloud blotting out the sun’s warm rays, overshadowing everything. For now, she pushed it into the back of hermind.

Yet something Drust had said over breakfast this morning gave her pause as she combed the sands forshells.

Sandpipers scurried away from her and gulls squawked their annoyance at having their nearly deserted beach disrupted. Ignoring them, she pondered over Drust’s oddwords.

Lacey, did your foster mother ever demonstrate a mother’s love to you? Not to Evie, but toyou?

She’d been unable to answer that question. Even now, as she waded barefoot through the foamy surf, Lacey failed to recall much of her foster mother’s affections. Or even her actions. The more time that passed, the more she focused on her real mother’s love and how her real mother showered her and Evie with everything they’d longed for in aparent.

Did it really matter, anyway? Living for the moment had taught her to forget the past, and all its pain and sorrow. Regrets were a waste oftime.

Especially when she had little time towaste.

The sun felt delicious on her bare arms and legs. Suddenly she craved a swim. Maybe Drust would take a break and joinher.

“I’m going back to the house to change into my suit. Care to go swimming withme?”

He glanced up with a slow smile. “For you, ofcourse.”

The flare of desire in his blue eyes hinted he wanted more than a swim. Shivering with anticipation, she went to the house. As she had for the past three days, she used the outdoor shower to rinse sand off her feet andlegs.

Suddenly beneath her, the ground rumbled, much like a bridge shook slightly when a truck roared over it. Frowning, she looked around. Florida never hadearthquakes.

Had a dragon landednearby?

But she saw no Others in sight, certainly not any of her people. Lacey looked around. The ground had no cracks, no distortions. The only slight abnormality seemed to be the sandbox, where there was a depression in the sand, as if it were slowly sinking downward. She leaned over, touchedit.

Something stung her hand like an angrybee.

“Yeow!” Lacey yanked her hand away. Probably fire ants. Now they were common in the area and they liked to build nests in thesand.