Free Defending Destiny (The Warrior Chronicles) by Leigh Morgan

in one hand and her bum in the other, he stood. He held her to him, allowing her to wrap her legs around him before he put her where he’d wanted her since he pulled her from the pool. Flat on her back, knees high, with his pelvis crashing into hers.
    She gave a low groan as he took her down, although he’d done so with as much gentleness as he was capable of, ensuring that he sheltered her from most of his weight. He deepened the kiss and she matched his need, gripping him with strong fingers, pulling him closer.
    Magnus pulled away to run his lips across her face, to the shell of her ear, down her neck where she smelled of lavender and herbs and woman, back to her lips. Now that he had her where he wanted her, he took his time, learning the feel of her face, the curve of her cheek the sweetness of her lips all over again.
    She whispered her name for him in his ear, Gus. It was like coming home. He never wanted to stop touching and tasting her.
    He also wanted to fuck her senseless.
    She reached for his belt when he dropped his forehead to hers and willed his heart to slow down. Daisy opened her chocolate-colored eyes, almost black now with enlarged pupils, as he stilled her determined hand. “This is going to happen again, Daisy.”
    She made an umm sound in the back of her throat and lifted her hips, rubbing against his erection. “I sure hope so.” Her tone and her smile were light and teasing.
    He felt heavy as a stone.
    “Daisy, look at me.” Her smile dimmed a bit as she looked into his eyes. “I’m not going to stop touching you. I want you. No doubt about that.”
    She started to speak. Magnus cut her off. “I won’t let you burn hot then turn ice cold with me. I’m not a toy you can play with when the mood strikes you and put away when you’ve had enough. I won’t let you shut me out. What we have is real. This”—he rolled his lower body over her, pushing her deeper into the soft grass—“is real. It’s happening and it will continue happening as long as we breathe the same air.”
    Her eyes lost some of their shimmer at his seriousness. As much as he was sorry to see her lightheartedness flee, this was too important for there to be any misunderstandings between them.
    Daisy pushed against his chest and he rolled to the side to let her up. He stood as quickly as she did. Suddenly the sun wasn’t shining quite as brightly as it was seconds before. Daisy gestured toward his erection straining against his jeans. “This won’t change anything between us, Magnus.”
    Gus is still here, Daisy. Say you understand and little Gus can come out and play.
    Magnus pulled her to him again, holding her as she squirmed to get away. “Don’t kid yourself, lass. This changes everything.” Then he kissed her again, softly, persuasively. All tact, no force. She went absolutely stick-like in his arms. Magnus let her go, angry with her lack of response and his inability to make her want him the way he wanted her.
    “You will make love to me again.” You will love me again. “I care too much about this, about you , to be your fuck buddy.”
    Daisy jerked back at his vulgarity. Magnus squared his shoulders. All he’d done was called a spade a spade. She looked like she wanted to say something before she slammed her mouth shut. Her gaze bored into him, burning a hole through his heart. By the time his heart started beating again, she was gone.
    Magnus looked up into the robin’s-egg-blue sky dotted with white fluffy clouds and contemplated how he could have said all that without pissing her off. The day held so much promise seconds ago. He shook his head at his own folly. Looking down at his still-throbbing erection, he wondered if he should just go behind a tree and see to himself. He wasn’t likely to get Daisy naked anytime soon.
    He decided against it. Repositioning himself so it wasn’t so bloody painful, he addressed little Gus. “Well, laddie, I think it’s my head and not yours that got us in the