Free Sensuous Summoning by Bronwyn Green Page A

his kiss, but she also couldn’t stop the tears from falling.
    She shoved at his chest, pushing free from his embrace. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this.”
    Concern clouded his eyes, and he took a step toward her but seemed to think better of it and stopped moving. “What is it?”
    “I can’t just fall back into your arms—not when—” She broke off and swiped at her eyes.
    “Not when what?”
    She thought about letting it go, brushing it off. But what difference would it make if she told him the truth? Who knew if she’d ever see him after this? After all, he was a god and likely had plenty of god-type things to do.
    Wiping away her remaining tears, she met his gaze before quickly looking away. “I understand that you’re busy doing whatever it is that you do.” She held up her hand when he opened his mouth. “And I know I was nothing more to you than a quick lay, but when I woke up alone…” She whirled to face him again. “Seriously? You couldn’t be bothered to say goodbye?”
    His eyes widened, and there was no way she could miss the pain flaring in the bright green depths. He reached out as if to touch her but let his hand fall to the side before he made contact. “I wouldn’t have left you if I’d been able to prevent it. The spell took more energy than I realized—especially combined with the pollutants that had weakened my abilities. I promise, I never would have left you if given the choice.”
    She wanted to believe him more than she’d ever wanted anything, but five days with no contact at all made it a little difficult.
    “And you have never been a ‘quick lay’.” He scanned her length of her body appreciatively before traveling upward to meet her gaze. “I thought we’d established that I wanted to take my time with you.”
    She ignored the heat rising to her cheeks. Gwydion made her blush more than any man she’d ever known.
    “So…you’ve recovered?” she asked, ignoring his comment as well.
    “Enough.”
    “Enough?” She frowned, concern starting to break down the barrier of her anger and hurt. “Are you okay?”
    “My abilities are, for the most part, gone.”
    Concern won out, and she moved to his side, grasping his hands. “What happened?”
    “I had a choice to make.” He smiled tenderly at her. “I could either stay there and recover completely. Or I could come back here.”
    She lifted her hand to his face. “Why wouldn’t you stay until you were better?”
    “Because I would have missed my chance to be with you.”
    “What?”
    “Remember when I said that time passes differently in my realm?”
    She nodded.
    “If I’d waited until my abilities returned, your life might have long since ended.”
    She stared at him as that sank in.
    “But your powers—”
    “Don’t matter,” he cut in. “The only thing that matters is right here,” he said, cupping her face and brushing his thumb across her lower lip. “And spending the rest of my life with you…if you’ll have me?”
    A wave of emotion swamped her. When she opened her mouth, words wouldn’t come.
    “I love you, Rowan.” Intensity brightened his gaze. “All the power in the world means nothing without you.”
    Happiness, stronger than anything she’d ever experienced, filled up all of the dark and lonely places inside her. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. “I know it seems crazy. It’s so soon,” she murmured into his shirt. “But I love you, too.”
    “Look at me when you say that.” The quietly uttered words enveloped her, wrapping her in warmth and desire. But there was no spell to blame this time. Just the two of them in the empty kitchen.
    She titled back her head and looked up at him. “I love you.”
    The most beautiful smile she’d ever seen curved his lips. Lowering his head, he captured her mouth again. This time, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she helped him undress as quickly as possible. She was about to show him that love was the most