“Our actions will be a stone thrown in the lake. Ripples are the consequences we must consider.” Bonding with Jasper could free him and possibly combat the poison in her body, but what mischief could Ava cause before they could defeat her?
Jasper let out a sigh and his shoulders sagged. He dropped his arms and the Cor-vitis vanished. “You can replace Ava without having an emotional connection with me; that would keep her restrained. I won’t have you doing this for the wrong reasons, Dawn. It shouldn’t be because you want to weaken Ava or make a strike against her. Do it because you want the deep connection the Cor-vitis offers. Do it because you desire me, because your body craves to know me intimately, because there is a stirring in your heart.” Then at the end his voice dropped lower and he whispered, “Do it for me, not for her.”
She knew her heart, but he did not. Whatever her reservations about how long it should take to fall in love, she knew in her bones that she wanted to pursue her feelings for Jasper. The quiet spot had silenced the chaos in her mind, and now her path lay clear. “I had already made up my mind. I planned to give you my answer over our celebratory dinner, after we had breached the centre of the maze.”
He froze and his body turned to a statue but his eyes, heavy with expectation, fixed on her. At least he didn’t frown. “And if that dinner had happened, what answer would you have given me?”
She laid one hand on his chest and the other on his cheek. “That I want this. That I desire, crave, and need this connection with you. That I would give you all that I am to be able to care for this land and these people, at your side.”
Hunger and hope flared in his eyes. “You would accept the Cor-vitis and be my bonded mate?”
If she only had one day, she would spend it with him. “Yes.” One word and she gave him everything.
He held her gently as though she were a rare orchid placed in his hands that he was frightened he would break. Then he inhaled and regained his taller posture.
How exactly did one tell a magical grapevine that you accepted its mad offer – sign a contract or dance under a full moon? Another part of her sighed at the thought of being drunk on love for Jasper. “What do we do now?”
A smile spread over his face. “We give the Cor-vitis free and unfettered access to every inch of our skin so it can weave us together.”
Heat surged through her torso. There was one thing that bothered her. He had spent years at the beck and call of Ava, having to provide the seed for her to spread her poison over the land. Would he want to do such a thing with Dawn? Not that she had any plans for monstrous life-sucking vines.
“Can you do this, after what Ava has inflicted upon you? Will it make you…uncomfortable? I don’t want to compel you, like she does.” Dawn dropped her hands to her sides.
Jasper reached for her and wrapped her hands in his. “To think I worried that you would feel forced by events, and you are concerned if I can go through with the act.”
“She made you do something against your will, I would not have you revisit that memory.”
“You will wipe those memories clean. I only ever go to her in my stone form, and I grit my teeth and endure. With you, I would be me – the man – and I intend to take my time to learn everything about you. This is something I willingly embrace, there is no force or coercion.” He raised one hand and kissed her knuckles.
Heat spread through Dawn’s arm even as her stomach roiled. As much as she wanted this, a nervous energy took hold of her. She was rather lacking in experience and hoped enthusiasm would suffice.
“Take me to the cottage, please,” she whispered.
Jasper picked her up and jumped toward the sky. It only took a few massive wing strokes and he landed outside the cottage door. He lowered her to the ground and then took a step backward. Mouse sat on the doorstep, and his tail wagged back and forth as he waited.
Jasper shook like a dog that had climbed out of water. Chips and pebbles cracked and crumbled off his form and were tossed about but they never touched her or the ground. They vanished into the air like the Cor-vitis when they broke apart.
Within the span of two heartbeats, he stood before her as the man. A ruggedly handsome man who made blood thrum in her veins. He wore trousers tucked into tall boots and a linen shirt that was half unbuttoned. Where had he hidden his clothes – under his stone form? These were more questions she wanted answered, later. Much, much later.
“Come in,” she whispered and pushed the door open.
Mouse trotted in first and threw himself down by the cold hearth with a heavy sigh. Then Jasper followed her into the darkened cottage, closed the door, and drew the bolt across.
Dawn stood in the small parlour as her nerves rose to the surface. To calm herself, she walked to the map painted on the kitchen wall. She traced a line with a fingertip, marvelling at the unseen hand that transposed events outside the door onto the drawing. “The path we cut through the maze has been cleared.”
“I imagine the unseen artist will be busy over the next few months as the estate is cleared,” his voice said from behind her.
She turned to find him an arm’s reach away, as though he waited for her to go to him.
Jasper stretched out a hand and stroked a short curl of hair over his finger. “I like short hair on you.”
Dawn managed a small nervous smile. Now that he was here in the cottage, the riot inside her body and mind threatened to overwhelm her. “Marjory said I might spark a new trend, but I doubt short hair on women will ever become popular.”
His hand dropped away. “Nothing has to happen tonight, Dawn. We could make cocoa and play chess if you prefer. It is enough that you do not hold events against me.”
The ache in her chest had dissipated, and now she felt more foolish that she had so wrongly interpreted what she saw. The way Ava bound him with her vines should have been evidence enough that he was unwilling. She had allowed a tiny voice of uncertainly to convince her it was some game they played. “I was angry because I didn’t understand, and that hurt.”
Her heart swelled as she contemplated her gentleman gargoyle. What activity did her heart desire – chess, or an entirely different game? Dawn took a step to close the distance between them and placed her arms around his neck.
He stroked the side of her face and then moved his hand to rest on her nape. “Let us work together to ensure there are no more misunderstandings between us.”
She reached up on her toes to kiss his lips and he returned the kiss gently, teasing her until she forgot her concerns and worries and leaned into him, seeking more.
As the kiss deepened, Dawn sighed, not wanting it to end. She could kiss him forever. His lips against hers made blood pound through her body, and a clean heat fought the burn from Ava’s scratches. Like a seedling that had been deprived of sun, new feelings unfurled inside her at his touch. Her hands pulled at his shirt and found a way under so her fingertips could glide over his flesh.
He nipped at her bottom lip and then released her. Dawn’s disappointment bloomed into a hotter excitement as he grabbed the back of his collar and pulled the shirt up and over his head. Jasper tossed the shirt over a kitchen chair and then opened his arms to her.
Her hungry gaze roamed over his torso. His human form was finely sculpted compared to his gargoyle shape, but they were both works of art in different ways. One was a piece by a master sculptor, the other a rougher work of nature, and she longed to be familiar with the contours of both.
Dawn returned to his embrace, her hands exploring his body as he claimed her lips again. She parted her lips to stroke his tongue with hers as the fire flared inside her. If he stoked her hot enough, would cleansing fire burn away all trace of Ava’s vine?
“I don’t want to play chess,” she murmured. She reached down and undid the knot in her robe.
Jasper pushed the dressing gown from her shoulders and she stood before him in just the light nightgown. He gathered her to him and kissed his way down her neck.
“Are you sure?” he asked.