*Ember*I felt a flicker of fear earlier but Kieran had promised me we wouldn't go all the way until I was ready. I could see the spark of arousal in his eyes when he walked into the bathroom grabbing a sash from his bathrobe. But my curiosity got the better of me when he walked back over to the couch we had been sitting on in front of the fire. The glow of the fire accented the muscles on his arms as he came around the couch and knelt down in front of me."I have an idea," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at me. "What is it?" I said curiously, licking my lips and watching the passion in his eyes heighten as he looked into mine. "If we bind your hands behind your back, you won't have to worry about hurting me with them. And we can still have a good time." Kieran answered with a mischievous look. "Anyways, you might find you enjoy it. There's no harm in exploring."I bit my lip as I contemplated the idea, "All right. What happens if I don't want to continue?""Then tell m
*Kieran*I brushed my teeth thinking about touching Ember. I found a way to get past the whole glowing hands thing… at least for now. And I had been able to give Ember a pleasurable moment without her worrying that she'd hurt me. I felt accomplished and couldn't help grinning at myself in the mirror thinking about how her thighs had felt around my head. Mmm… yum… I spit the toothpaste in the sink and ran my mouth under the water washing the rest of the toothpaste out of my mouth. The more I got to know Ember, the more I liked her and wanted to be with her at all times. I couldn't help but wonder if she had power over me or if it was just how my mind was working the more time I spent with her. Fuck, I splashed some cold water on my face trying to regain my composure. If my thoughts were filled with Ember one hundred percent of the time, I'd never be able to focus or get things done. I turned off the light in the restroom and padded across the carpet toward my large bed with r
*Ember*"You seriously think that's something you would crave if you were pregnant?" I said as I laughed so hard I clutched my chest and squinted my eyes shut."Yes! Jalapenos and ice cream! I mean both are amazing, why not pair them together?" Nola answered my judgemental toned question laughing along with me. Nola had taken me to the game room which was just around the bend from my favorite room which was the library. She said that taking a mental health break was just as important as taking time to study and practice. We ended up eating popcorn, playing board games, and currently we stood around a pool table trying to figure out how to play. "I'm not sure I understand. I hate spicy food. No jalapenos for me!" I said scowling at the thought of adding extra spice to my favorite dishes. "Okay okay, but when you become pregnant what do you think you'll want to eat?" Nola asked me with a pointed look as she brushed her hair behind an ear. "Um… I haven't really thought abo
*Ember*I surveyed the ingredients I had laid out before me hoping I had everything I needed for the homemade beef lo mein dish I wanted to make. I had been craving it and desiring some Chinese food lately. Back in my old life, I couldn't afford to be seen frequenting fast food restaurants so I had made my own beef lo mein and crab rangoon recipes. At the risk of sounding arrogant, I had done a mighty fine job.I was looking forward to spending some time on the recipes I had come to love. It had been a while since I had cooked them, and it made me think of home. I blinked the tears away thinking about home and wondering how Rowena was doing. I owed her a long phone call and chat. We had texted back and forth but I still wanted to hear her voice.Shaking my head to dissipate any feelings of homesickness I started writing down a few instructions on a sheet of paper so I could stay focused while making the meal. There was plenty of ingredients to make a meal fit for an army. Making
Chapter 21: Time Away*Ember*I woke up to the chiming of a text message coming in for Keiran asking which brand of baby crib I preferred.I blinked twice, not sure what to say. I had never thought much about it. I sent a question mark in response and waited for his answer. As I waited for Keiran's reply, I couldn't help but think about how my life had changed so drastically in a short amount of time. Keiran's response came in quickly, *Sorry, I know it's early, but I couldn't help but start looking at cribs. I found a few that I like, but I want your input too.*I smiled at his eagerness and replied, *I trust your judgment. Just pick one that's safe and sturdy.*As I lay back in bed, my mind began to wander. I thought about all the things we needed to do to prepare for the baby's arrival. We needed to buy a crib, a changing table, and a dresser. We needed to pick out a theme for the nursery. We needed to stock up on diapers and baby clothes. Moments later a knock
Chapter 22: Distractions *Ember*Every morning I woke up and until I fell asleep at night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the embryo trying to nestle inside me like a seed trying to take root, its presence impossible to ignore. I placed a hand on my belly, anxiety twisting my insides into knots. What if something went wrong with the pregnancy? What if Kieran regretted his decision to have a child with me? My phone buzzed, startling me from my worries. Rowena's name flashed across the screen. I answered immediately, a spike of panic shooting through me. "Rowena, is everything okay?" "Just calling to check in on my favorite surrogacy mama," she said brightly. "How are you feeling?" I exhaled in relief, sinking into the cushions of one of the castle’s window seats where I’d taken up space to read."Nervous. Excited and terrified all at once," I admitted as I gazed out at the castle landscape stretching toward the horizon, sunlight dappling it in shades of emerald and go
*Kieran*It had been a busy day filled with meetings. Thorne and Zephyr had kept me busy while we discussed political standings and tactics preparing our kingdom for any attacks or ambushes. I didn't want to think about outcomes like that, but preparing for the worst was always an important tactful move when ruling a kingdom. Plus, I had more important things to protect now.Ember. She was always on my mind even during these meetings, I swiveled around in my chair thinking about how I needed to continue to keep her safe here in the castle with me. If I was being honest, I was noticing how important her presence was becoming to me. I often thought about her naked body, but her wits were also piquing my curiosity. Ember was an intelligent woman and that was a bonus I had not expected. "You are thinking about her again," Zephyr's voice came from the door. He held a stack of papers and gave me a sly grin after I looked over at him."Who am I thinking about? And when did you get he
*Ember*I sat outside in the gardens on one of the wooden benches sipping a cup of decaffeinated tea. Nola had been pushing me hard with training this morning and I just wanted to enjoy some afternoon solace on my own. I choked on my tea having a flashback to the bathroom last night after we discovered I hadn't hurt Kieran with my hands. In fact, finding out I could touch him with my bare hands was what started the whole wet and sticky situation in the shower. I had nothing to complain about though, Kieran always made sure I orgasmed too. I had heard men weren't always this attentive to their partners, and it was amazing to find that Kieran reciprocated in that department.I shook my head, trying to stop thinking about how amazing it had been last night. I stood and stretched, having enjoyed the sunshine outside. I had been getting into a routine, waking up early, studying with Nola, and practicing some fire magic. The afternoon was the perfect time for me to snuggle in the libr