"As long as it's not permission to fuck other males, then yes."
She rolled her eyes. "Why would I do that when I have my own sexy, strong, and somewhat soft male as my own?"
"I'm not soft."
She smiled. "We can argue that point later." She sobered and leaned down so he focused on her face and not her naked torso. "Let me preface it all with this—I'm not trying to be cruel, or mean, or anything like that with my questions." She cupped his cheek. "I just need to know a little more about your past so I can work even harder to help erase every last awful memory you have."
He searched her gaze and asked slowly, "What do you want to know about my past?"
"How did you get the scars on your back, Stone?"
She had a feeling she knew but needed to hear it. There was still so much she didn't know about him, despite how she cared for him.
His eyes turned hard. "It's best if you don't know, love. Trust me."
She caressed his cheek with her thumb. "Tell me. I have a feeling this is super important, just like with your neck or even not being able to speak without permission." He didn't look convinced, so Reika added, "Let me just tell you now that nothing you say will scare me away." He remained silent, so she leaned down until her gaze was closer to his. "I mean it. Pasts help make us who we are, and from everything I know of you in the present, I can tell you overcame it all and became an awesome person." She brushed her lips against his. "Tell me."
After another second, he sighed. "All right, I will. But let me sit up and hold you in my lap whilst I do it."
Not about to argue, Reika climbed off him. Stone sat against the headboard, and she sat in his lap, looping her arms around his neck. As soon as his arm came around her waist, he started talking. "I'm sure you can guess, but they were from my time with the couple who owned me."
She bobbed her head and he continued, "Well, I wasn't very good at listening to orders in the beginning. And so when I refused to do things like suck the bastard's cock, or choke the female from behind while her husband fucked her, they started giving me lashes.
"They stung and didn't break the skin at first. After all, I was supposed to be their toy and they didn't like things blemished. But I was stubborn then too, and the only way they eventually got me to submit was to whip me until I bled, rubbed a special fae witch concoction into my wounds to ensure they'd never heal properly, and then threatened to do the same to every inch of my body if I didn't start following commands."
The thought of a young Stone being whipped, let alone being used and abused by two adults, made her throat choke up and tears come to her eyes.
However, she didn't want to start crying and have Stone mistake it for pity. So she cleared her throat a few times and finally replied, "The more I learn, the more I'm glad you did kill them and got away."
He traced her eyebrow, the bridge of her nose, and finally her lips. "I hope I don't turn you too bloodthirsty. I'd miss my happy, energetic, and occasionally amusing witch too much."
She raised a brow. "Occasionally amusing?" He smiled and shrugged, and the sight eased her a bit. She added, "Oh, I'm still me. But when it comes to hurting the male I love, then I want death and destruction to rain down on them."
Crap. She hadn't meant to mention love just yet.
Although as happiness glowed in Stone's eyes, his face the most relaxed she'd ever seen, hope flickered in her chest that he felt the same way.
He pulled her closer against him and he growled. "Tell me again."
Since the cat was out of the bag, she wasn't going to hold back. "I love you, Stone. Every growly, grunty, tall inch of you."
He smiled slowly. "Good because I love you too and I'm never letting you go."
Unable to resist teasing him, she cocked an eyebrow. "I haven't officially given you my answer yet, you know."
His hand moved from her hip to her stomach and then between her thighs. Reika sucked in a breath as he brushed her clit. "Maybe you need some more convincing about our compatibility."
As he eased a finger inside her, she bit her lip to keep from moaning. "Stop. We're trying to have a serious discussion here."
"Say yes, you'll be my wife, and we'll have our whole lives for you to pry stuff out of me."
Even as he stroked her, making her body hot and achy all over again, she somehow managed to concentrate. "Oh, all right then. I'll marry you."
His lips crushed against hers, claiming her mouth, letting her know how much he wanted her, wanted their future, and even his joy came through.
And as he finally laid her down and thrust into her pussy again, they never severed eye contact, both of them conveying the depth of love and emotion they had for each other.
Because it didn't matter if it had been a short while, or that they were from two very different time periods in history. Reika loved Stone. She couldn't imagine being anywhere else, and she knew he'd always be at her side to help make all her new plans and dreams come true.