The Beastkeeper's Redemption

Twenty-Nine

Twenty-Nine 

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Once they had reached the stables at the back of her townhouse, Kaede assisted her from the horse. His large hands spanned her waist as he hoisted her effortlessly from the saddle, settling her gently on the ground before him.

Izzy tipped her head back, studying the handsome contours of his face even more prominent in the gloom of the stables. The searing mark on her wrist gave a mild flare of pain that inflamed her blood as she gripped his forearms for support. His nearness, his support, threatened to overwhelm her right then. Perhaps she was still overwrought with surges of whatever had compelled her to seek out Lord Grant, but she felt too inclined to lean into him, to press every inch of her body against his and hope that his arms wrapped around her and pressed her to him with a fervour that set a fire in her soul.

Little did he know how much he had endeared himself to her by unquestionably accepting her, quirks and all, for all that she was- even if it included occasionally putting a self-important, pompous toad in his rightful place every now and again.

"Stop looking at me like that, Iz," Kaede grumbled, his voice a deep tenor that washed over every inch of her, "or we'll never make it inside."

She couldn't help the way the corners of her lips quirked up. "Why do I like the sound of that far more than I should?"

A short moment of hesitation was all it took before he pulled her against him, every soft part of her meeting every hard slab of him. Izzy gasped, her arms settling on his huge shoulders, delighted when he dipped his head. A roguish smile twisted his lips that were inching closer to hers, his intent clear. "Because you were made for me," he murmured. "You were made for me- the most perfect, impetuous, stubborn female there ever was." At her indignant look, he added, "You are my perfect fit. If the gods designed each male with their own counterpart, a missing piece of their soul that needs to find a match that fits just right- then you're mine. Without a doubt in my mind, you're mine."

He ended his poignant words by swooping lower, capturing her lips in a kiss she felt straight to her core. Everything about him was wholly endearing and she felt her mind and soul soar for it, the mark at her wrist burning brighter than ever as those feelings took root and blossomed.

It was easy to lose herself in his kiss, especially when he allowed his tongue to slide along the seam, urging her to part for him. She did, willingly, wantonly, and Kaede released a groan that thrilled her. A shudder rocked his huge frame and she revelled in it, in the knowledge that she made this maddening, towering male so affected.

But Kaede straightened suddenly, severing their connection, and she could have pouted for it. But her world tilted as he lifted her against him, higher against his body. Her legs parted the silken skirts of her gown as they wrapped around his waist, her arms clinging to his neck.

His grin was unapologetic as he took in her wide eyes of surprise. "You're such a short little thing," he told her. "I'd rather have my way with you like this than have an ache in my spine since you're so easy to hoist about."

"Easy?" Her voice was a squeak of indignation since he made it sound as if she was a vulnerable slip of a woman- which wasn't the case. Izzy may have been on the short side, but she had an abundance of flesh and curves. She had never considered herself very little, but those protests fled her mind the moment Kaede moved swiftly across the stable and she was pinned against the wall, his rigid body pressing into hers with a delicious heat that sent her wayward musings spiralling.

"Don't complain," he teased, his tail coiling about her waist and holding her in place. His head dipped to the side, lips stroking heated paths against the column of her neck. "I enjoy moving you about." His hips pressed into hers, the evidence of his arousal pushing against the apex of her thighs with an eloquence that made the breath rush from her lungs. "Positioning you where I need you."