Chapter 60

Ayla protested, but in the end, she did as Milton asked. When Milton left her room, Ayla took off her cloak and messenger bag, put them on a chair, and lay on the bed.

Ayla closed her eyes, and her thoughts turned to Rhobart.

We will grow old together.

She held on to that thought, even when dark thoughts wanted to creep inside her and poison her heart and mind. She buried her nose in the pillow Rhobart used last night and inhaled deeply. It still smelled like snow–like him.

Minutes after Milton left, Ayla heard the door open, and she turned her head to see who entered without knocking. Ayla stopped breathing when she saw Rhobart standing in the doorway. She thought she felt her soul reaching for him. Only for him.

He stood there. Looking at her. Drinking her in.

When Ayla was starting to think she was looking at a statue, Rhobart finally moved. He walked slowly and closed the door with his foot.

Ayla rose from the bed and walked towards Rhobart. He was like a magnet, pulling her to him.

"Ayla," he said when he stood in front of her. He cupped her cheeks and wiped away tears she did not know had fallen from her eyes. "Why are you sad? I don't like seeing you like this," Rhobart said.

"Did you when to the Three Sisters?" she asked.

Her heart stopped beating as she waited for his answer.

"That was the plan. To go there and drink until I would forget about everything. But I never got inside. I ended up walking around and just thinking."

Ayla felt her heart beat again. He hasn't been with another woman.

"What did you think about?"

"You, Ayla. Because no matter what I do, you keep haunting my dreams and thoughts. You are like a thorn that got stuck in my heart, and the harder I try to pull you out, the more you get in. I am tired of fighting this. Of fighting you," Rhobart said as he put his hands on her waist and brought her body close to him.

"What do you mean?" Ayla asked.

"I mean that I love you, Ayla. I have been in love with you for a while."

Ayla sucked in a breath. Rhobart was in love with her. And she felt the same for him.

Ayla did not know when or how it happened, but she was in love with him. With Rhobart.

He bent his head, and before his lips touched her mouth, he asked, "This time, will you choose me? Or will you destroy me?"

Ayla wanted to ask what he meant by 'this time,' but his mouth was on hers. He pushed his tongue inside her mouth, and he tasted her. She forgot all about her question.

Rhobart fisted one hand in her braids while the other worked on the buttons of her jacket.

He broke the kiss for a moment, "I need you, Ayla. I need to feel you close. Will you share your body with me?"

"Yes," Ayla whispered.

Rhobart's mouth was back on her lips, and he was kissing her like he was a starved man. And only stopped to get her undressed.

He took a step back to look at her, and Ayla felt her cheeks burning with shame. She tried to cover herself with her hands, but Rhobart stopped her. Ayla closed her eyes. A fire was burning in the fireplace, and Ayla tried to concentrate on that.

"Look at me, Ayla," Rhobart said.

It took a few moments for Ayla to open her eyes and look at Rhobart.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? How perfect you are?"

"What about other women?" Ayla asked.

Rhobart frowned, "What women?"

"Women, you have been before. Where they–?"

Rhobart pulled her in for a kiss. His tongue danced inside her mouth, and he cupped her ass and lifted her in the air. He kissed her so much that she forgot what she had asked him.

"There haven't been other women, Ayla. Just you. Only you. Always you," Rhobart said before putting Ayla on top of the bed.

He kneeled before the bed and pulled Ayla's legs until her ass was half in the air.

"What are you doing?" Ayla asked.

"Put your feet on my shoulders," Rhobart instructed her.

"Why?"

"Because I want to taste you," he said.

"But your wound!" Ayla protested.

"All healed! Milton took care of it."

When Ayla hesitated, he put her legs over his shoulders. And then his mouth was on her. He licked and sucked her bundle of nerves and pleasure rose inside her body.

"Rhobart! Don't! Oh, gods!"

She couldn't believe he would put his mouth there. But, gods! It felt so good. When her hips bucked, Rhobart put a hand on her belly and another under her ass, stopping her from moving. And he kept licking her.

"Rhobart! Please! Oh, gods! Oh, gods! Oh, gods!"

His tongue circled her and gods! It felt so good. She tried to move, but Rhobart's hold on her was tight, and all she could do was lie there while he feasted on her.