Reaper: Devil's Rose MC #1

Chapter 16: Fiona Grace

Reaper doesn't say anything for a minute, gazing out at the rippling water.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything, baby. I just don't know if I will answer it."

"Would you ever want to have kids?"

"This might sound very weird, but none of my own. I actually got a vasectomy when I was twenty-three. Past woman. Ever since, I haven't been interested in sharing my DNA. Why do you ask?"

"I just wondered about the role of women in the Devil's Rose, and how they feel about..."

"Being infertile?"

"Yeah."

"No woman is forced to have children here. We aren't a cult. If you can't, it doesn't matter. Why would you have to think about that? Are you trying to tell me something?"

I stare down at my shaking hands in my lap. The only other person that knows is Beatrice, and that's because I know she would never judge me for it. I don't think he will either, but I also don't want him to feel uncomfortable.

"Maybe."

"Is it the way your body is or did something happen to you?"

"Just the way I am."

"How did you find out?"

"A past boyfriend from when I was living in James' house. I thought I accidentally got pregnant, but when I went to find out from the doctor, I was told that I couldn't be. I was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure which basically means my ovary no longer produces eggs."

"Do you get your period?"

"No. That's both a negative and positive of it."

"Have you ever wanted treatment?"

"I haven't. I'm not with anyone I want to have kids with, at least not yet. That might change if there's someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. And if not, I would love to adopt a child. I also just never felt like I wanted to be a mother, so I didn't want to take medicines or have treatments when that never clicked in me."

"That makes sense to me. Are you happy with the decision you have made so far in your life?"

"I am. I feel good about not thinking about kids in my future, ever."

"Then that's all that matters. As long as you are happy with your choices, no other opinion matters. Thank you for telling me that."

"I'm glad I did."

His rough hand lands on my leg, his thumb caresses the inside of my shin. He lays down beside me, and his hand moves up with him, now resting right below my breasts. And suddenly it hits me, I haven't had any clothes on - besides my bikini but that's barely anything. 

I didn't even realize until he touched me. I didn't feel at all uncomfortable with him seeing me almost bare in front of him. I've only known him for two days or something. What is wrong with me? I squeal in surprise as his hand ducks under the soft fabric of the top part bra thing, his fingers grazing the bottom of my breasts. 

He flashes a flawlessly mischievous smile at me, and the butterflies in my stomach flutter heavily. I rest my hand on his chest as he comes closer to me. His lips lean down towards my ear, his hot breath sending shivers along my spine. 

His name bursts quietly from between my own lips, and I watch his eyes darkened with lust. He closes his eyes briefly, and when they have opened back up again, they have returned to their normal state of gray.

"I'm still learning control."

"Control over what?"

"Myself. Around you."

"You clearly need to keep working on that."

"I will have you know that the amount of control that I have over my body right now might make me combust from the inside out."

"I highly doubt that."

Reaper snorts, dragging his fingers down the smooth surface of my stomach. They sweep across the top of my flimsy bottom section of the suit. I suck in a sharp breath, taken aback by the thickening of his scent in the air. His dominance creates an aura around the both of us, and it feels as though something is guiding me into his warmth. 

My eyes flutter closed at his light touch, my mind and body trusting him completely. It's been a long time since I've trusted a man this much. The last male I did was my father. But he betrayed that. James came into my life, and that was the end of that. 

I never thought this feeling of allowing myself to have full faith in a man would ever come again, but with the man next to me, I'm starting to change my mind. And no, I haven't known him for long, however, something in my gut...something in my soul is telling me that it's okay to feel this way. It's good that I feel this way. I trust myself.

He reaches next to him, gripping one of his own t-shirts in his hand. I stand on my feet and watch his movements (mostly his arm muscles) as he gives the shirt to me. Knowing that as of right now he isn't going to want me to put back on my dress with a still slightly wet bikini, I pull it over my head, letting it flow down to the top edge of my knees. 

It's hard not to miss the lust returning to his eyes or the wide smirk spread across his face as he glances over my body. I stare at him audaciously, and I find myself itching to peel the thin white towel off of his hips. I blush scarlet red, turning my head away from him. His low chuckle sends shivers down my spine as he gets to his feet and officially starts putting on clothes. 

His calloused hand brushes against my cheek, water droplets from his hair drip onto my shoulder. His lips hotly skim the bottom of my neck, and both of his hands now disappear under the shirt. I moan out, his canines nipping at my skin, most likely creating a mark.

Unexpectedly, a rumbling (almost) growl leaves his lips. He does that a lot. I wonder why. His grip tightens on me, his pelvis ultimately pressed on mine. He turns me, so I'm partly facing the forest instead of having my back to it.

And then, I see the shadow. His name leaves my lips as I bury myself deeper into his hold, craving the protection he provides. 

He says nothing to me, holding me impossibly closer, and I take soothing breaths of his scent to calm my racing heart. It's only when Poison comes out of the woods, hands up in the air in a surrender position, that I relax. 

I rub a hand down the middle of Reaper's back to help him as well, and I step away from his chivalrousness. Poison shakes his head and continues to step forward. An arm is wrapped back around my waist, me getting pulled back into his frame. I squeal in surprise, his nose dipping down into my neck.

"I apologize for the intrusion, but we are all going to have lunch. Figured you guys might want an invitation to join."

"Thank you. We'll be right there."

At that sign of dismissal, Poison runs back through the forest, definitely wanting to get away from the ferocious man wrapping his arms around me possessively. I giggle as he nuzzles his nose further into my neck, breathing in my strawberry scent just like I have subtly done to him - though he definitely has a more masculine fragrance. 

His thumb rubs circles on my hip as we carefully climb through the lake. He picks my clothes off the ground, holding them carefully in his hand. And I find myself aching for something that'll never exist in my life. Homesick for a place that hasn't existed. A happy home with both of my parents that I can see their love still flourishing, their lives being one another. 

But that will never happen and for good reason. Neither one of them should be in a relationship where adultery thrives. So, maybe I could find a love that lasts for me. I could find something like that for myself here. The only problem is, Reaper probably wouldn't want me staying in his house for longer than necessary.