Stone Destiny (Stone Passion #3) (14 page)

He nipped at her thumb and she jerked her hand away, laughing in sheer pleasure
. She had been right all along. “Oh, Armand, I do love you.”

“I know,” he grinned, abruptly shifting their positions until she was on her back and he was looming over her. The smile faded from his lips as he gazed d
own at her and she felt it, too: the ticking of the clock as time sped through their fingers.

“I hate Katrina for making you think you had to encase your heart in ice,” she murmured, moistening her lips with the tip of her tongue. In the candle light his skin glowed warmly and his muscles were clearly defined and she wanted the moment to last forever. The dark, masculine scent of him filled her head and she wished she could bottle the scent.

“Everything worked out the way it had to in order to bring me to you,” he whispered, lightly brushing his lips against hers, teasing her with a kiss that was barely there. “Had Katrina accepted my gift then I would never have discovered the sweetest, most kissable, most delectable Ferris and that truly would have been a tragedy.”

“You
are
a romantic.” Her smile trembled as she looked up into the face of the man she had loved since she was sixteen, the man she would always love. He was her destiny, if only for another week.

“No,” he denied again, a smile teasing his lips even though his green eyes were troubled. “I am a man who adores a beautiful, courageous woman and I don’t know how I am going to adjust to a life I no longer know without you there to guide me.

“I should have had faith in you, Ferris,” he lamented as his mouth slanted over hers and he gave nourishment to her soul. She just prayed it was enough to last for the rest of her life. He settled his weight between her thighs, thrusting his heavy erection into the depths of her body. Framing her face between his large hands, he stared intently into her eyes, the green depths glowing with determination, “Ferris, I want you to promise me that you won’t mourn me for the rest of your life.”

“Armand,” she rasped, unable to bear talking about the future when her future didn’t include him. “Don’t….”

“Promise me,” he growled, punctuating his words with a powerful thrust. “I want you to find someone who can love you the way you deserve to be loved.”

“Armand, please….”

“Someone who will be brave,” he uttered, plunging deeper into her body. “Who will be bold.”
Thrust
. “Someone who will be courageous.”
Thrust
. “And accept your love without doubt or hesitation.”

“Armand,” she cried, tangling her arms around his neck and holding him tight, wanting him to stop talking. “If you hadn’t given up your nights we never would have had this time together, we never would have known for sure.”

He enfolded her into his arms, taking her into his body as his breath fanned against her neck, warming the sensitive skin. Ignoring her words, he whispered in her ear, “I’ll hate the bastard that wins your heart because it won’t be me that will get to see your smile; it won’t be me that will share your bed; it won’t be me that will grow old with you.”

“You’ll never grow old,” she managed to choke out, her throat tight with misery. Suddenly she knew with absolute conviction that had he not foolishly given his nights to another woman he never would have been so open with her. There wasn’t a risk to love someone for a month, not really. A lifetime of love was far scarier and infinitely more wonderful. A month just wasn't enough time.

“But I would give up immortality and magic in a heartbeat if it meant I got to grow old with you,” he whispered, the words breaking her heart because she knew them for the lie they were. After that, no more words were spoken because she could no longer bear to dwell on regrets. Giving into passion, feeling him in the depths of her body, her soul, she let the lies go. He pushed her higher and higher, kissing her, stroking her, until she broke.

After she came down from a sweltering orgasm, he gathered her up in his arms and held her close. His heart pounded against her ear, the most blessedly beautiful sound and in less than a week she wouldn’t hear it again. Squeezing her eyes closed, she tried to ignore the sorrow that was threatening to engulf her as she tightened her hold on him.

She couldn’t stop the bleak thoughts even as he combed his fingers through her hair, as he whispered words of love and eternity against the shell of her ear, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin and embedding the words in her heart. In the years ahead all she was going to have of Armand was a stolen moment in time.

Already she could picture the future as it spread out before her, a desolate world void of laughter and light. She knew that there would be times when she would smile once more and there may even be moments when she would forget but she also knew that the world was going
to be a much colder, crueler place without Armand in it.

Abruptly, he stood up and dragged her to her feet, keeping an arm around her waist to hold her steady,
“Come with me, Ferris. I have a gift for you.”

She simply stared at him as if he had gone mad because she was sexually sated in body and mortally aching in spirit. She had no need for gifts that didn’t involve him remaining with her. Without her cooperation, he dressed her in a silky robe, loosely tying it at her waist, before he put his own robe on. Holding her eyes instead of watching where he was going, he led her from the studio, through the maze of rooms and back to his room. He paused outside of the door and took a breath.

This was the first time she had been invited to his room and her pulse thudded madly in her throat at the significance of his actions. He was finally letting her even further in, into his inner sanctum, when it was too late.

She had to wrench her eyes away from his as he turned the knob and the door swung open, revealing the dark opulence of Armand’s private world. Breathing in the rich, spicy scent of Armand, she slowly made her way into his chambers, taking in the massive bed that was the centerpiece of the entire room. It was an old fashioned bed that took up half of the huge room, with heavy curtains that made the bed a secondary chamber onto itself.

Slowly, she made her way around the area, her eyes drawn constantly back to Armand who stood just inside the door watching her with astonishing intensity, as if her opinion mattered. It was a heady feeling, one that ripped through her with its claws of what would no longer be. Lightly running her fingers over the ornately carved dresser, the art deco lamps, she could feel Armand’s stamp on the room.

Glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes, she gave him a teasing smile, “It’s very you, Armand
, dark and brooding on the surface but incredibly luxurious and comfortable to its core.”

The corner of his lips quirked upwards in a half smile as he finally stepped into the room, closing the door behind him without a sound. Instead of joining her immediately, he went to the other side of the room and disappeared into a set of doors she hadn’t even realized were there. They blended in seamlessly with the wall and she had to smile
. Even in his inner sanctum he had a secret room. Her smile faded because he still kept it from her….

He popped his head out and arched an imperious eyebrow at her, “Well? Aren’t you coming?”

Her smile split her face, making her cheeks ache with perfect pleasure and glee. With a little excited hop, she hurried across the room and joined him, sliding her hand into his in a gesture that was already second nature. Resting her chin against his upper arm, she looked up at him with her heart in her eyes, “What did you want to show me?”

He looked at her with a hint of wonder, a slight smile on his beautifully sculpted lips, “Aren’t you curious about this room? It’s where I p
erform my more complicated and intricate rituals.”

Making a face at him, she glanced around and felt her jaw drop to the floor. The walls were lined with shelves and the shelves were filled with precious stones, vials of sparkling liquids,
jars of strange herbs or whatever. There was an elaborate design on the floor, ancient symbols set with colorful stones accentuating certain parts. Surrounded by this reminder of Armand’s power, she tightened her hold on his arm and pressed her body even closer to his. In a hushed voice filled with awe, she whispered, “It’s incredible, Armand, simply incredible. You’re amazing, my love.”

His smile grew as he led her over to a table where a large, golden sphere sat, a heater lamp shining down on it. Resting his free hand on the strange and beautiful object, he beamed down at her, “This is what I want to give you, love.”

“What is it?” she asked in a soft voice, slowly reaching her hand out and touching the smooth surface, feeling the heat that came off of it in waves. Something moved beneath her hand and she jerked her arm away, laughing a little nervously.

“It’s an egg.”

She arched an eyebrow at that. “What kind of egg?”

“I picked this little guy up when I went to London. When I saw him I knew that it would be the perfect gift for you,” he explained instead of answering. Armand extracted his arm from hers and lifted the heavy sphere up, a self-satisfied grin curving his lips. Holding it close to his body, he motioned for her to look closer, to put her hand back on the golden sphere. In a hushed voice, he whispered, “It’s a pocket dragon.”

Ferris’s eyes lit up and she let out a delighted giggle, “I thought those were just a myth.”

“Not at all,” he grinned, putting a broad palm over her hand, letting her feel the excitement in his body. “They’re just very rare and particular who they bond with
. This little guy has chosen you.”

Ferris gave him a look of disbelief though her smile didn’t falter. “I think you’re teasing me.”

“I’m not teasing,” he murmured. At her look of disbelief he chuckled, the sound wrapping around her heart and squeezing. Bending his head, he kissed the tip of her nose and continued grinning, “I told him about you and he agreed to be yours.”

“Is this to get back at me for getting you a puppy?” she teased, narrowing her eyes in feigned suspicion as she lightly ran her fingers over the warm egg.

“Yes,” he laughed before shaking his head. “No. I just wanted to give you something to remember me.”

Tears filled her eyes and she had to blink a few times to keep from crying. It didn’t
help as a tear slid down her cheek and she bent her head and rasped, “Thank you, Armand.”

“When it
ha….” He cleared his throat before he continued, the emotion getting to him as well. “When it hatches it will imprint on the first thing it sees and we’re going to make sure that’s you. And then this little guy will be by your side for the rest of your life.”

Ferris swallowed harshly, “How long do pocket dragons live?” Her eyes widened in sudden terror of her own mortality and the rest of her life without Armand. “He’ll still be alive after I’m long gone, won’t he?”

“I’ll watch over him when I wake up,” he answered softly. “He’ll become my reminder of you.”

“God, Armand,” she cried softly. “You’re killing me.”

“That was never my intention,” he rasped, brushing his thumb along her cheek, over her lips. “I just want you to have something of your own that will watch over you when I can’t.”

“I have
Ajreis.”

His jaw clenched and a muscle worked furiously in his cheek. If Ferris didn’t know any better she would almost think Armand was jealous of the steadfast imp. “I’m talking about something that will always protect you because it wants to not because it has to.”

Ferris smirked at his words, “Sweetheart, Ajreis does protect me because he wants to, because we're friends. The other imps have long since abandoned their duties.”

He glared imperiously for a moment and Ferris had the urge to laugh at him but the dragon egg cracked and her attention returned to the golden orb. It was hatching, just as Armand must have known it would! Her eyes flew to his and the dourness was gone from his expression as he looked at her with warmth and a bit of nervousness. “You knew it would be hatching now, didn’t you?”

“I had hoped,” he admitted, running his finger over the hatching golden egg, holding her eyes with his. His eyes were never cold anymore and the warmth made her forget for a little while. He was such a romantic, giving her a dragon to keep her company in the empty years ahead.

Her heart started to pick up speed in her chest and goose bumps covered her flesh in excitement. With sparkling eyes, she looked at Armand once more before returning her attention to the cracks that were rapidly emerging, “What if he looks at you first?”

“I’ll hide,” he said wryly, making her laugh. Moving behind her, he settled his hands on her shoulders, surrounding her with his warmth. His breath was hot against her ear as he talked, “He promised me that he wouldn’t open his eyes until he was sure he would see your eyes first.”

She giggled more, “How on earth do you know any of this?”

Pressing a soft kiss against the side of her neck, he whispered, “It’s part of the gargoyle’s nature to be able to talk telepathically with other supernatural creatures. Some are just more receptive to it than others. Also, hatchling pocket dragons are unique in that they can choose to whom they will listen and once this little guy heard my story he was captivated.”

“You are so weird, Armand,” she grinned, leaning into his embrace as the dragon fought its way out of its shell. A brilliant blue talon poked through and she gasped in delight, the excitement swelling with each moment. She could almost forget that she only had a few days left with Armand.