“Everyone has hope. Everyone has the promise of being happy, Larkin.” Her voice was gentle. I didn’t know what else to say, didn’t know if I could say anything at all.
We stood there for long moments, the gentle quietness of nature the only background noise we needed.
Before I realized it, our hour had passed and we were heading back to the estate. We stopped by her car and she gave me another soft smile. “I’d love to see you again, if you’d like that.”
I was nodding before she even finished.
“I’d like to start with a couple days a week, just so we can acclimate ourselves to each other and become familiar with how things are between us. I want you to be able to trust me wholeheartedly. I want you to be able to look at me and know that you can trust me with your pain.”
Before I realized what I was doing, I hugged her, whispering my thanks, feeling like I was doing the right thing.
“It’ll be okay,” she said softly, and tightened her arms around me before pulling back. “We are stronger than we think, than anyone else can ever give us credit for.”
With one more parting smile, she headed back to her car, climbed in, and drove off. I stood there for a second just watching her leave, standing still as the gates opened up for her, then closed back securely after she passed through them.
I looked over my shoulder to see Odhran standing by the front door, his hands in the pockets of his jeans, a concerned look on his face. I exhaled and felt so much pressure and weight lift off me.
It was now my job to make sure I followed through on the right path that would lead to healing, happiness, and a fulfilled life.
I was not only going to help myself, but I was going to learn how to help others, as well.
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
Larkin
I was gasping for air as my orgasm peaked for long seconds before finally tapering down. With one more slow drag of his tongue through my sensitive pussy, Odhran gave my clit a kiss, growling, abasing it so the vibrations had me gasping, and then he moved up my body to lie behind me.
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back so I was snuggled against his chest. A sigh of pleasure spilled out of me at the contact.
“What about you?” I murmured sleepily, sexually sated and content in the protective arms of my mate.
He kissed the side of my throat, right where his mark was, and I shivered in response.
“What about me?” His voice was muffled against my skin, deep and rough and filled with all the pleasure and love he had for me.
I could feel his massive erection digging into my bottom and squirmed, grinding myself against him until he growled and gently bit my earlobe.
“What about that?” I popped my ass out and felt his cock slip between the crease of my bottom.
“Mmm, this was about ye. I wanted tae get ye off. Ye know how good it makes me feel when I taste my female’s orgasm.”
I closed my eyes and made an embarrassing noise of pleasure, one that had a very satisfied male chuckle leaving him.
We sat there in silence for a little bit, with Odhran running the pads of his fingers up and down my arm. Goose bumps formed along my flesh and I snuggled in closer to him, loving that his big, warm body was like my own personal heated blanket.
He had one of his thighs thrown over both of mine, his bicep hanging over my chest. He was big and warm, a solid wall of hard flesh. And he was mine.
I still had nightmares, ones that occasionally tore me open and had me gasping for breath as I woke with a start.
But I was learning to work through them on my own. I was learning to deal with them and center myself to bring reality back and push out the fear.
And only when I gathered myself did Odhran hold me. I knew he needed it as much as I did.
“Do you ever think about your family?” My words were low and it took him a second to answer, but when he did, his voice was soft.
“I haven’t for a verra long time.” He was silent before he continued. “But when they first passed… Yes. I thought about them a lot. I missed them a lot.”