I trailed a finger down his chest. “I guess I changed my mind.”
“You want me to grovel?” He grabbed my panties and shoved them down to my ankles. “Elspeth, I can grovel.” He swiped a finger down my center, and I gasped, throwing my head back as his finger worked quick circles around that sensitive spot. “Please forgive me.” He plunged a finger inside of me, making me moan, and pumped it in and out. “I will never, ever let you leave again.” He added another finger. “You are mine, Elspeth. And I am yours.” His thumb brushed over my clit while his fingers hit a sensitive spot inside of me. “Wholly.”
My legs quivered, pleasure and heat mingling in my core.
“Completely.”
I clutched the edges of the table, rocking my pelvis up.
“Forever.” He stood back, undoing the belt on his trousers. “Now be a good girl and get on your knees.”
I thought about arguing, about teasing him just a little more, but then he let his cock loose, and I needed to feel it inside of me. I got up onto my knees on the table, back facing him.
He came up behind me and grabbed my skirts, lifting them andtracing his hands over the curve of my hips, my butt, my legs. He spread me wide and then thrust inside of me, both of us moaning.
Then he spent the rest of the afternoon showing me exactly how much he meant those words.
I satwith Draven at the bar, frowning at the cup of water in front of me.
“What’s wrong?” He leaned over and kissed my shoulder.
I turned to him. “How are you going to keep this from your grandmother? Are you comfortable lying to her?”
He grabbed the mug of ale in front of him and took a swig. “I don’t give a flying fuck about my grandmother. She’s implemented some of the harshest laws out of any Witch Superior in the last three centuries. She thinks it makes her formidable, but it just makes everyone fear her. It makes her alienated from other realms. The harsh laws she passes don’t make her strong. They make her weak. They make all of us weak.”
I stared at him. “So that’s a yes?”
He leaned forward and kissed me. “I’d do anything for you. I will never let her take you or your sisters from your home.”
“I just wish there was a way to break this curse without forcing all of us to get married.”
“There might be.” He steepled his fingers together. “There’s something you should know about me.”
I steeled myself, not sure I wanted to hear what he was about to say.
“It wasn’t just my parents who were cursebreakers. I was one too. And I think I may be able to help you break your curse.”
Forty-Three
ELSPETH
Ipaced back and forth in my cottage as Draven leaned over a piece of parchment and scribbled across it. He’d been at this for three hours. The first hour, he’d moved his hands over me, saying words I hadn’t recognized as he drew out a golden light from me. The curse, he’d said. The light had gathered into a ball with all kinds of symbols and words on them. Draven had grabbed the ball of light and set it on the counter. It was the makeup of our curse, he’d told us. All the pieces and parts of it that he’d have to untangle to undo it. I’d never seen anything like this. Had never seen a cursebreaker in action. It was fascinating.
After that, he’d hunched over the little island in our kitchen, muttering to himself the entire time, wholly focused on his task.
Cursebreakers were some of the most powerful witches. It required immense skill to be able to break a curse because unlike other witches, cursebreakers had to be able to think on the spot. They often didn’t have time to prepare elaborate spells or do trial and error. It made sense now how Draven had been able to so easily get me out of the mud. He’d had practice performing spells in dangerous situations where lives were on the line.
One day, I’d ask him to tell me some of his stories, but for now, I just wanted to know if he could do it. If he could break the curse.
“Don’t worry,” Georgie said. “He’s the best.”
Prue sat on the couch, and Mama paced back and forth, gaze darting to Draven every once in a while. Elm and Adelaide hadn’t been here when we’d arrived, and I was guessing they were somewhere making up, much like Draven and I had at his tavern. Auggie was gone, as usual, but I had no idea where she was. She’d just said she had something to check on.
“Oh, I can’t watch this anymore.” Edgar curled his wings around his eyes. “It’s too nerve-racking.”
“Do you need to take a walk?” Georgie asked.
Draven’s head snapped up, his eyes flashing.
