BooksBarbecue
Back For Ever
Chapters (63)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Map of the Willowhaven
  4. Map of Rosehill City
  5. Foreword
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. Epilogue
  62. Map of Rosehill City
  63. Also by Jenny Hickman

Heavens, it was unexpected. I anticipated my first time being awkward and painful, but right now I’m smiling so wide my face hurts and I’m so happy I could burst.

Specks of blood paint his hand and my thighs. Beautiful evidence of our joining.

From the bed, Ever reaches into one of the kitchen drawers, withdrawing a cloth to clean me off before falling down beside me.

With an unsteady finger, he traces one of the marks he left on my skin. “Even in my wildest dreams, I never imagined that you would ever want to be mine.”

I melt deeper into his embrace, relaxing against him, content to stay in this spot for the rest of my days.

“I should have sent you back home,” he whispers even as he draws me closer, tucking my head between his collarbone and jaw.

A contented sigh falls from my lips. “You’re my home now, Ever.”

42

“Summer’s heat can burn the flesh of winter’s fiercest warrior.”

An Unseelie Fable, Author Unknown

My body is thoroughly wrung out and yet sleep eludes me.

How can I rest when Ever’s bare skin is molded to mine, his arm tucked beneath my neck as the most perfect pillow? He traces one of the more amorous marks left by his teeth at the swell of my hip as I run my fingers up and down the ridges of his abdomen.

“If you leave these much longer, they will scar,” he says quietly, his words drifting into the curtain of night falling around us.

“At least when I look at them, they make me happy.” Blissfully so. Unlike the mottled skin covering my legs. Thank heavens the sheets are keeping them out of sight.

“I wish you would let me heal you.”

And waste all his water from the well on me? I don’t think so. If we are to live together on this side of The Divide, then we must be frugal with what little resources we have. “I wish to wear your marks for everyone to see.” For this world to know who I’ve chosen for myself.

“Do you plan on walking around without clothes, then?” he murmurs against my ear, cupping my breast and skimming his thumb over the mark alongside my nipple.

My back arches, pushing myself further into his grasp. “Would you like that?”

“Mmmm…” He replaces his hand with his mouth, his tongue dancing across the stiff peak. “Although if any wayward hunter were to stumble upon you, I would be forced to kill him, so perhaps you should wear clothes.”

Wearing clothes is the last thing on my mind as a familiar ache gathers between my thighs. Surely it is too soon for a repeat of our lovemaking. We’ve only been laying here for half an hour.