But she had no idea how hard an emotion like this was for a man like me. The concentration needed to not hurt her by the overwhelming urge to crush her body to mine in a way that could somehow fuse our very souls together. It was like succumbing to the most dangerous drug and I was hopelessly and undeniably addicted. She was my beating heart, my life and my every breath that was needed for my body to function. But not only that, as it went far beyond the realms of the physical world. It was everything in my very creation as not only a man but as a child of the Gods. It was what I believed in my heart and not the organ that beat but the very core of your soul.
The essence of who you were.
And at my core, at my heart and what made up my essence, was Keira.
Keira
“Do you mean that?” I asked pulling back the tiny amount he would let me.
“That I will never leave you again?” I nodded not trusting myself to speak.
“Leaving you the first time tore my soul apart but leaving you the second would destroy every last part of it. I cannot, I will not and more importantly I outright refuse to leave you ever again, not even for one single day…do you hear me?” He said putting his forehead to mine.
“I…I can’t believe it…I just…I can’t stop shaking.” I said after laughing nervously at the end and he took my hands in his and held them to his heart between us.
“I know I haven’t always been truthful with you Keira and I will explain the reasons why…I will explain everything…”
“Okay.” I said waiting to hear it but Draven shook his head gently.
“But not now.”
“But why?” I said thinking nothing could be more important than the truth.
“Because sweetheart, as per usual these days, time is not on our side. But I promise you, I will explain after the Ball.” He said pushing back a stray curl behind my ear.
“Do we have to go?” I said fully admitting that I sounded desperate. He laughed without humour before saying,
“By the Gods you have no idea how much I wish we didn’t.” He said suddenly pulling me hard to him and kissing me once more. It ended as quickly as it had begun and he whispered down to me,
“All I want to do right now is pick you up and fly to the top of St Mark's Campanile to re-join our bodies by making love to you.”
“Oh God!” I said before grabbing his face with both hands and then being the one to force my kiss upon him. It took all of about two breaths taken before he took control of the kiss and soon our hands were all over each other.
“We have to go.” He said tearing his lips from mine before coming right back at me. I kissed him back and then pulled away myself saying,
“I know but…”
“Just one more kiss.” He said finishing off for me and finding my willing lips again. It was as though now our minds had finally let go of all the barriers we ourselves had put there, then now there was nothing stopping our bodies from celebrating the fact.
“Have…to…go…” He said as he now took to kissing my neck and my head fell back to look up at the ceiling in a dreamy haze.
“I know…uh, actually I don’t…why do we have to go again?” I asked and he pulled away from me to laugh.
“The Ball won’t start without me.”
“Seriously?!” I said and he shrugged before responding awkwardly,
“I’m their King.”
“Oh shit, then we really do have to go.” This made him laugh out the word,
“Yeah.”
“Okay then, let’s go.” I said pulling away from him but I found my hand quickly captured and as I was pulled back I fell into him.
“Not yet.”
“Draven?” I asked as he tilted my body backwards and just before he took what he wanted from me Draven said something very out of character but amazingly hot all the same.
“Let them fucking wait!”
And then he really kissed me.
“Can you run?” Draven asked and I shot him a cheeky grin before lifting up the front of my skirt with both hands.
“I don’t know, can you keep up old man?!” I said winking before turning round and running down the long gallery with a Demon King close on my heels laughing. Not surprisingly it didn’t take him long to catch up and he grabbed my hand as he went past, pulling me along with him. He looked back at me grinning and I wondered if the picture we painted was one of two lovers from the past on the run from the world?
“You guys are so late.” Sophia said shaking her head as we ran round the last corner together and down the steps. I went to answer her by stepping forward when Draven suddenly whipped me around and with a hand at the back of my head he kissed me in front of a speed boat full of his family and council. Then he let my lips go and pulled me towards the boat in a daze.