The Darke King

The Waterfall

Peeking around the midwife's door, Daniel smiled at Rosemary as she turned her head on the white down pillow to face him. "May I come in?"

She motioned with her hand and nodded with her sweet face. "Please. She was just starting."

Daniel eased back in the chair beside Rosemary's bed, then placed her hand in his as the old midwife smiled at them. The kindly, plump matron clicked her tongue while she measured Rosemary's abdomen with the long, metered ribbon. "Now, Rosemary, you're far too thin for someone at your term."

Blowing stray hair from her face, Rosemary nodded in agreement. "I know that. The morning sickness is just brutal; I can barely eat now."

The midwife took her hand from Daniel, then pinched the skin on its back and twisted her lips as she shook her head with thick disapproval. "This won't do, Rosemary. You must force yourself to drink at least, or I will confine you to bed right where you lay for the rest of your pregnancy."

While wiping his hands along his pants, Daniel gave Rosemary a stern eye while he listened nervously. "What can be done? Whatever it is, I'll make sure she does it."

She wound her tape around her fingers and shrugged at him. Nearly everyone who came across him feared Daniel, but the ancient nurse could see the colors arising from him. She knew his reputation well by now and figured if anyone could make Rosemary obey, it would be him. "She needs fresh air and plenty of sunshine."

While she patted his shoulder as she walked away, the midwife leaned down to his ear. "And some young man to love all over her as often as possible. And that's an order."

Daniel smiled, then pressed his lips to Rosemary's hand. "Yes, ma'am. That will be no trouble at all." He nodded toward the door as he tugged at her. "Come on. We're going for a walk."

"Where to?" Rosemary twisted her face as she pulled against Daniel's arm and lifted herself from the bed.

He pulled her to his side and slid his arm around her back. "It's a surprise."

Hand in hand, he led her through the halls until they came to the stairs that exited into the forest. Carefully helping her down the hilly path and across the rickety bridge, Daniel led Rosemary to the pool by the waterfall, where he liked to come when he wanted privacy.

He stretched his arms over his head to pull off his shirt and threw it to the forest floor. "Get in."

Rosemary bit her lip and looked away. "You can't be serious."

Standing before her, Daniel kicked off his boots as he unclasped his belt. "When am I not serious?" He pushed his pants down over his ass, and she laughed like a schoolgirl instead of a seasoned Healer.

Tossing his pants aside, he stood in front of her with not a stitch of clothing, and he leaned down into her face. "I promise I won't watch you get undressed unless you want me to. Not yet, anyway."

While he walked to the hot pool, Rosemary's eyes fell to his muscular ass, and she shuddered at its beauty as it jerked and pulled when he moved. He jumped into the hot pool and stood with his back to Rosemary. "That's not fair. I promised I wouldn't look."

Rosemary smiled and shook her head. "I never said that I wouldn't, though."

Daniel glided his arms back and forth across the water as the warmth wrapped around him. "You have to the count of ten to join me before I turn around. One."

"Fine." She was so thin now that she barely needed to unbutton her dress; it could easily be pushed off her with a strong wind. The tight skin across her belly looked like it was ready to burst at any moment, the way the outline of Sigrid's foot pressed against it, showing every perfect toe.

She crouched on the edge of the pool, then carefully slid in. The forest was thick, and some beams of sunlight poked through the canopy onto the water, making it shimmer like a diamond as she moved toward Daniel.

When he heard her splash, Daniel turned around and waded toward her.

She crossed her arms as if anything could have hidden her pregnant breasts from him now. Daniel shook his head as he pulled her hand away and slid her onto his lap.

With her arms around his neck, Rosemary sucked in her bottom lip as she panted against his face. "I'm afraid."

He rubbed his wet hand over her hair and nodded. "I know."

Her mouth pressed against the skin of his neck, and she spun his chest hair around her finger. "Why did you bring me here?"

The water rushed over her hips as he pulled her back into the deep end. "Because you needed this, and we need to be alone. Every time we get close, someone interrupts us, or you run away from me."

Rosemary slid her fingers into his hair and gently rubbed through as she snuggled into his skin. "Well, I can hardly run away now."

Daniel shook his head, ran his fingertip up and down her bony back, and cursed himself for allowing things to get this far. "No, you can't."

He wrapped her hair around her fingers and tugged back until she lifted her face to meet his. "You are mine now, both of you. You understand that, don't you?"

His breath was hot against her face as he pressed his soft, wet lips to hers. Using his tongue to convince her lips to open, Daniel gently fondled them before persuading her tongue to play along. She'd been so overwhelmed by the horrors of her recent life that Rosemary forgot she was young and in love. Daniel meant to make her remember.

Leaving her sweet lips, Daniel kissed his way to her neck as he lifted her in the water. Her swollen breasts rubbed against his chest, asking to be kissed, and Daniel was kind enough to say yes. Rosemary closed her eyes and shivered when he used his tongue to guide her nipple into his mouth.

While she whimpered softly into the air, Daniel dragged her arm into the water and wrapped her hand around him. He continued to pleasure her with his mouth as he showed her how he wanted to be handled. "Just like that."

The heat rose through her with each brush of his lips and flick of his tongue against her. He could have brought her crashing over the edge using only his mouth, but he was saving that for their wedding night.

He realized that if they didn't stop now, there would be no way to, and he pressed his face between her breasts as he panted for breath. "I love you, Daniel."

When he heard it fall from her lips for the first time without forcing her to, Daniel peeked up at her with a broad smile that looked like it hurt, and the tear at the corner of his eye proved it might. "I love you, too. Forever."

Daniel's lips brushed against hers as he spoke to her. "In a hundred years, a thousand, all the things that have happened until now won't matter, Rosemary. It will just be us—you, me, and Sigrid, and whoever else comes along someday. Everything else will be ancient history. What I feel for you now, I'll always feel this way."

His dark eyes moved back and forth between hers. "This is not our first life together. You know this, don't you?"

"Yes." Rosemary smiled and nodded. "I know. I knew the moment you called out to me in your mind that first night, and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to come around."

His nose wrinkled, and he shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. We'll be married soon, and it will be the last one. We'll never be apart again. You have my word."

Rosemary looked down at herself and laughed as the ripples slapped against her big belly. "I don't expect it will be much of a honeymoon."

Her ass cheeks were nearly nothing now, but he squished them under his palms as he brought her closer to him. "It's going to be great. Better than that. I promise you, I will kiss away every bit of doubt that remains, and you will remember I am your king."