Page 17 of Dreams Of Fate

“I like to think I live in a painting,” I laugh, but I’m slightly nervous.

I love color and don’t care if they aren’t supposed to match. There's a bright blue couch with several red, orange, and yellow throw pillows. The large recliner is gray, and the footstool is burgundy. Many people wouldn’t be comfortable here. Against the wall to the left is a large rock fireplace. The kitchen table sits between the kitchen and the living room, and is a chunk of wood.

“Your energy fills the house,” Archer says, turning to face me. “It’s powerful.”

I move forward. “I can be myself here. I don’t have to hide or worry.” I tilt my head. “Can I show you my favorite place?”

“Yeah, Savy,” he says softly, and I point at the stairs.

“The house that was here when I moved in didn’t suit me, so I modified it.” I glance over my shoulder as we ascend. “I may have used a bit of magic. My bedroom is underneath the stairs. There's a bathroom attached, and another small one on the other side of the stairs for guests.” I stop at the top, turn slightly, and smile. “This room is for my hobbies. I’ve been attempting to crochet. It’s not going well.” I laugh and keep walking past the many failed attempts at making a symmetrical blanket. The desk and lumpy chair are covered with them. “This is my favorite.” I open the double doors on the back wall and step onto the deck. “I can sit here for hours.”

I grip the rail and gaze out. There's nothing but trees beyond my property. The backyard is filled with flowers. I spent weeks planting, installing a little waterfall, benches, and a fire pit. The tall fence surrounding the yard was a pain, and I ended up sweet-talking Mateo to help.

“Shit, Wild One.” He looks at me. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thanks. It took a bit of work. I had to use healing salves on my hands for weeks.” I chuckle. “But now, if I've a bad day, I can sit outside, and it disappears.”

“I can see that.” He leans his forearms on the railing. “You’ve built an oasis.”

“My life has never been stable. I’ve been on edge. My granny has been the one constant I can rely on. Her house is covered in flowers and plants. It gave me a sense of peace, so when I moved here, I wanted the same feeling.” I sigh. “She taught me only to use my magic for good things. This is good. I bought the materials, but I’m not strong enough to move all the rock and wood. Levitating the books in the store was nothing compared to these things.”

“I don’t think you have it in you to do bad,” he says gruffly, turning toward me.

“We don’t know each other well,” I smirk. “I’ve had many urges to cause pain.” I sober up and move close to him. “It can be your oasis, too,” I say softly, and spread my fingers across his jaw. “I can be.”

We stare at each other, and my heart beats hard. He lifts his hand and covers mine. I slip even closer. My clothes brush his, and the wind begins to blow. His hair brushes across his forehead, and even though I want to feel it with my fingers, I don’t move. Electricity sparks between us, his is black, mine is white.

“You don’t know me,” he rasps.

“I don’t need to,” I whisper. “My magic tells me everything I need to know.”

He drags our joined fingers down, and my arm drops. His jaw flexes, and I wait.

Our lips and spells collide. His arm bands around my waist, his other hand grips the back of my neck. I grasp either side of his waist, tangling my hands in his shirt, and hang on. The kiss begins hungry, hard, and fast. My mind spins with his aggression, need, and taste. His hard chest presses against mine, and I want to be closer.

I glide a hand up his side, over his shoulder, and spread my fingers around his neck. Standing on my toes, I whimper, and he lifts me. The kiss eases, becoming slow, yet still powerful. I distantly hear thunder, but it could be the pounding in my head. I flex my fingers, my nails scraping across his skin. I’ve never felt the need to mark a man in my life, yet I want everyone to know he's mine. My spells wrap around him, eager to give him everything, including the shelter I can sense he desperately needs.

“Fuck,” he rumbles, breaking our kiss. He presses his forehead to mine, and I realize I’m dangling above the ground, his arm holding me steady. “Wild One, they’re outside your door.”