By the time we land at Samara just before nightfall, Iโm a jittery, frantic mess. I canโt bring myself to care about whatever retribution waits for
me at Basgiath. Iโll handle whatever punishment Varrish wants to dish out.
Iโve spent every minute of the eight-hour flight trying to separate my feelings from Tairnโs, but I canโt, and heโs definitively in primal mode.
He has to be the reason thereโs a hollow pit in my stomach threatening to devour all logical thought if I donโt set eyes on Xaden in the next minute. Itโs Tairnโs desperation to see Sgaeyl unharmed making my heart pound, not my own concern for Xaden. After all, if he was at deathโs door, Sgaeyl would have told us once we flew close enough for them to communicate. At least thatโs what the barely functioning logical part of my brain is telling me.
This is all Tairn. But what if it isnโt? How seriously has Xaden been wounded?
Sgaeyl may have told Tairn that Xaden lives and I could see how bad it was for myself, but Iโm still counting every second it takes the guards to raise the portcullis. The increased security is protocol and completely reasonable given yesterdayโs attack, but every moment that ticks by grates on my last nerve.
Just because I logically know Tairn is still flooding my emotions doesnโt mean I can control them.
The second the portcullis is high enough for me to duck under, I do so. For once, my size works to my advantage. Iโm inside the outpost before itโs even a quarter of the way open.
Organized chaos reigns within. Chunks of masonry ranging from half my size to double it lay scattered around the courtyard, and a quick glance upward is all it takes to see where they fell from. There are scorch marks on the northern wall, too. The fliers must have breached the perimeter.
The healers work a triage station on the southern end of the fortress, the area around them thick with wounded infantry. But there are no black uniforms among the blue. No cream, either.
โViolet?โ Mira calls out, emerging from the northwestern staircase I know leads to their operations room. No limp, no slings, no blood that I can see. Sheโs all right. Just like Devera said, only one has been wounded, and itโs not Mira.
โWhere is he?โ I yank my flight goggles from the top of my head and shove them into my bag without breaking my stride.
โWhat are you doing here?โ She grabs hold of my shoulders, looking me over with her customary inspection. โYouโre not supposed to arrive until Saturday.โ
โAre you unharmed?โ
โYes.โ She nods. โI wasnโt here. I was out on patrol.โ
โGood, then tell me where he is.โ My tone sharpens as my gaze swings wildly, looking for him. Fuck, I canโt even sense him with Tairn overriding everything.
โYou donโt have leave, do you? Gods, youโre going to be so fucked when you get back.โ She sighs. Have to give it to Mira, she doesnโt fight battles she canโt win. โHeโs in the sparring gym. From what I hear, your man is the reason we still have an outpost.โ
Heโs not mine. Not really.
โThank you.โ I turn away from her without another word and head for the sparring gym. I love her, Iโm thankful sheโs all right, but all of that is buried underneath the desperation clawing at my soul to lay eyes on Xaden.
The fortress is busy with recovery efforts, but the hall to the gym is deserted. Why would they have taken him to the gym for recovery? Is he unable to climb the steps to his room? That pit in my stomach deepens. How badly is he hurt?
The mage lights more than make up for the dying evening light outside the three oversize windows when I enter the gym. But thereโs certainly no makeshift infirmary in here.
Wait. What? I blink.
Xaden is on the mat in his short-sleeved, muscle-hugging sparring uniform.
He has both his heavy swords out, metal clanging against metal as he spars with Garrick.
โYouโre slow today,โ Xaden lectures, advancing mercilessly. He moves like he always does, with lethal expertise and complete concentration. Thereโs zero chance heโs evenย closeย to seriously wounded. The burst of relief lets me draw my first full breath since leaving Basgiath, but it quickly fades.
Hands on him. I need my hands on him.
โNot. Much. I can do. About. That!โ Garrick argues, blocking Xadenโs advances.
โGet faster.โ Xaden lands blow after deliberate blow, deftly avoiding taking any himself. Each swing of those swords shifts the worry, the abject terror that heโd beenย hurt, into rage.
Heโs unharmed, and Iโm a fucking fool for letting my emotions run amok, for letting my love for him overrule my common sense. Thatโs on me, not Tairn.
But the wildness I canโt breathe through? Thatโs a hundred percent black morningstartail, and I canโt break free, canโt raise my shields enough to own myself.
I step into Xadenโs line of sight, my toes hitting the edge of the mat.
Xaden glances toward me, and his eyes widen for all of a heartbeat before he nails Garrick in the face with his elbow, sending him tumbling to the ground.
Ouch.
Garrick sprawls across the mat, his swords slipping from his hands. โDamn!โ
โWeโre done,โ Xaden says without even looking back, already headed toward me, eating up the half dozen feet that separate us with those long, prowling strides of his. โI had my shields up. What are you doing here?โ His eyes widen, like he can feel the chaos within me. โViolence, are you all right?โ
โWhat am I doing here?โ I bite out each word as my eyes rake over him, looking for the wounds Devera spoke of. Did I misinterpret her gesture? Did I really just fly here forย nothing? My hands begin to shake. โI have no fucking clue!โ
โThis isnโt you.โ His gaze sweeps over me.
โI know that!โ I shout, torn between weeping with gratitude that heโs alive and seemingly unhurt and destroying this entire gymโthis entire fortressโ because he was ever put in danger. โI canโt get him out!โ
โHold on.โ He shoves my pack off my shoulders, and it falls to the gym floor before he sweeps me up against his chest.
I wrap my arms around him and shove my face into his neck, breathing in deep. He smells like mint and leather and mineโ For fuckโs sake, am I scenting him?
Xaden walks us straight into the gymโs bathing chamber, and I get a quick glimpse of polished stone walls; high, glazed windows partially cracked open; and a row of wide benches under the center of three lines of spouts, not dissimilar to the ones at Basgiath. With a flick of his fingers, the door slams shut, and then he works a lever on the wall. Water streams from the spout in the aqueduct overhead, soaking us both in what feels likeย ice.
I gasp, my body tensing with the shock of the bitter cold, and for that heartbeat, itโs all Iโm capable of feeling.
โPut your shields up,โ Xaden orders. โNow, Violet!โ
I claw through the glacier of my mind and shove the bricks of my shields into place. Tairnโs emotions dull enough for me to claim some semblance of control. โFucking. Cold,โ I say, my teeth chattering.
โThere we go.โ Xaden flips another lever and the water warms. โWhat the hell happened that they gave you leave to come early?โ Concern lines the area between his brows as he sets me on my feet, water spraying down on us.
My mind is mine again, though I can feel the intensity of Tairnโs emotions beating at my shields.
โThey didnโt give me leaveโโ
โYou didnโt get leave?โ His voice lowers to that dangerous tone that terrifies everyone in the world besides me. โWhen you already know that Varrish is going toโโ His words die abruptly as his focus drops to my shoulder. โWho the fuckโs flight jacket are you wearing?โ
โReally?โ I throw my arms out, happily letting the warmth soak into me. โIt has third-year rank, Fourth Wing insignia, and a section leader designation. Who the hellโs jacket do youย thinkย Iโm wearing?โ
His jaw ticks, water streaming down his face. โItโs Bodhiโs, you territorial asshole!โ
That answer doesnโt seem to help.
โAre you serious right now?โ I unbutton the fucking jacket and tug at the sleeves, but leather is a bitch when wet, and it takes a moment to yank it free. โI ran out of Battle Brief the second Devera clued me in that youโd beenย wounded. Yes, I left without leave. Then I flew eight hours at breakneck speed with an absolutely irrational Tairn, who thought if youโd been hurt, then Sgaeyl could have been, too. And now you pull some possessive, jealous,ย whose-jacket-is-thatย bullshit just because your cousin knew I was so panicked that I wouldnโt stop for my own flight leathers?โ I flat-out glare at his nonsensical ass and drop the jacket to the floor. โYou can fuck right off!โ
A corner of his mouth turns up. โYou were worried about me?โ
โNot anymore, Iโm not.โ I seeย red. How can he find this amusing?
โBut you were.โ A slow smile spreads across his face, and his eyes light up. โYou were worried about me.โ He reaches for me.
โDo you think this is funny?โ I step back out of his reach only to find the water-slick wall at my back.
โNo.โ He cocks his head to the side, his smile slipping. โYou seem a little angry that Iโm not at Malekโs doorstep. Would you rather I be bleeding to death in the infirmary?โ
โNo!โ Of course he doesnโt get it. His life might depend on mine, but he doesnโt feel the way I do about him. He wants me, even said he fell for me, but heโs never said he loves me. โIโm not mad at you for not being hurt. I wouldย neverย want you hurt. Iโm pissed at myself for being so reckless, so wrapped up in you, having such little control over my emotions that I just ran after you likeโฆ likeโฆโ Like a lovesick little fool. โAnd you, youโreย alwaysย calm, collected, and in control. You would have waited for all the information, and you sure as hell never, ever would have let Sgaeylโs emotions take overโโ
My words die as Xaden wrenches up the wet sleeve on his right arm, exposing a puckered, angry red line that stretches from the top of his shoulder to halfway down his biceps. Itโs an inch thick at the top and triple that where it ends. Heโs obviously been mended, and if the scar is stillย thatย raised, he must have almost lost his arm.
โYou really were wounded,โ I whisper, all the anger falling out of my body. My chest clenches; it must have hurt like hell. โAre you all right?โ The question tumbles out even though Iโve just seen him demolish an opponent.
โIโm fine. The scribeโs report must have gone out before the mender arrived from the Eastern Wing.โ The scar disappears as he tugs the sleeve back down. โAnd youโre wrong about me. I wouldnโt have waited for all the informationโor even proofโif Iโd heard youโd been hurt.โ This time, I donโt step away when he reaches for me. His arm winds around my waist, and his hand splays on the small of my back to guide us out of the waterโs direct spray. The inches between us are both a gift and a curse as he leans in. โIโm not always calm or collected, and Iโmย neverย in control when it comes to you.โ
My heart leaps at his words, at the ever-present tension that rises between us, at the awareness that spreads through me from that single touch. Itโs not just the water warming me.
โEven now, Iโm not doing what I should.โ His words come out clipped. โWhich is?โ
โHauling your ass to the mat until youโre a hot, sweaty, aching mess from a dozen rounds of sparring.โ His jaw ticks. โBecause I warned you never to put your life at risk over something as trivial as talking to me, and yet you did just that. Again.โ
โIโm down with everything but the sparring.โ Shit. That comes out breathless. โAnd itโs not up to you to punish me anymore. Iโm no longer in your chain of command.โ
โOh, I know. And somehow it was a hell of a lot easier on us both when you were. You want full disclosure when it comes to me, right? How is this for open?โ His gaze drops to my mouth. โI would have done the same thing you did because Iโm just as reckless for you as you are for me.โ
A sharp, sweet ache consumes my chest. Gods, I want to believe that. But I also want more. I want the same three words he demands from me. I run my tongue over my bottom lip, and his eyes flare as steam fills the room.
โYou were worried forย me.โ The first time he said it came out amused. The second sounded happy. But this time, his tone shifts as if itโs a revelation.
โOf course I was worried for you.โ
He draws me forward slowly, giving me every chance to object before bringing our bodies flush. The heat of him soaks into every chilled part of me, and all the burning worry Iโd felt on the flight here and the searing anger that followed transforms into an entirely differentโand far more dangerousโform of heat.
Fuck, I want him. I want to touch every inch of his skin, feel his heartbeat against mine in assurance that heโs really all right. I want his body over me, inside me, as close as humanly possible. I want him to make me forget thereโs anything beyond this room or the two of us.
โAnd you flew here without even stopping to get your leathers.โ He lowers his head inch by torturously slow inch.
I nod.
โBecause you still love me,โ he whispers against my lips a heartbeat before he kisses me. Thank gods he doesnโt wait for my denial, because Iโm not sure I have it in me to give one, not with the way he toys with my bottom lip, nipping it gently, then stroking his tongue over the curve. It feels too good, too right, tooโฆeverything.
Itโs the first time since Aretia that he hasnโt waited for me to ask. The first time his infamous self-control has slipped. The first time heโs gambled with possible rejection, kissed me simply because he wanted to, and fuck, thatโs exactly what I needโfor him to needย me.
I part my lips in invitation not just because I want him, but because heโs acting on a confession I didnโt have to pry out of him or even ask for. He groans, his arms surrounding me, and the kiss becomes exactly what he called himselfโ reckless. The feel of his tongue flicking against mine, then claiming, stroking, is a flame to a tinderbox, and I catch fire.
Need, lust, desireโwhatever it isโdances down my spine and gathers, becoming an insistent ache between my thighs. Rising on my toes to get closer, I loop my arms around his neck, but weโre still not close enough.
His hands work the buttons of my uniform, and I reluctantly relinquish my grip so he can slide it off. It smacks onto the floor somewhere to the left. I tug on his shirt, desperate for the feel of him, and he obliges, grabbing hold of it behind his neck and dragging it overhead, revealing miles and miles of warm, wet skin.
I kiss the scar right above his heart and stroke my hands down his sides,
There is nothing in this world that compares to him. He is complete, utter perfection, his body carved from years of sparring and flight.
โViolet.โ He tilts my head and kisses me hard and deep, then slow and soft, changing the pace, keeping me straining for more.
My hands trace the lines of his back as he spears his fingers through the wet, loosened strands of my braid, then tugs, arching my neck before setting his mouth to it.
He knows exactly where Iโm sensitive andย damnย does he use every bit of that knowledge, sucking and laving that spot at the side of my throat that
melts my knees and makes my fingers curl against his skin.
โXaden,โ I whimper, my hands sliding over the curve of his ass. Mine. This man is mineโat least for right now. Even if itโs just these next few minutes.
He nips at the delicate skin of my ear, sending a shudder of sensation down my spine, and then his mouth is on mine again, stealing my sanity and replacing it with pure need. This kiss isnโt as patient, as controlled as the others. Thereโs a wild, carnal edge to it that makes my mouth curve against his, makes me bolder. I sweep my hand between us, then sigh.
Heโs hard for me, the length of him straining against his waistband as I squeeze.
โFuck,โ he growls, ripping his mouth from mine, his breaths as ragged as mine as I stroke him through the fabric. โIf you keep doing thatโฆโ He slams his eyes shut and lets his head fall back.
โIโll actually get you?โ My core clenches.
His gaze snaps to mine, and the conflict I see in those dark depths makes me pause.
โDonโt make me fight for this. Not again.โ I retreat from the warmth of his arms, and every nerve in my body screams in protest. โI canโt always be the one fighting for this while you invent new ways to hesitate or tell me no, Xaden. You either want me or you donโt.โ
โYou just had your hand wrapped around my cock, Violet. Iโm pretty sure you felt how fucking badly I want you.โ He rips his hand through his wet hair. โGods, Iย amย the one fighting for this!โ he argues, gesturing between us. โI told you, Iโm not using sex as a weapon to get you back.โ
โYouโll just weaponize it with your little rule to make me say the three words Iโm not ready to give you.โ And that edge of maddening need he has me riding is just sharp enough that I might cave, I crave him that fucking much.
โWeaponize it against you?โ He shakes his head. โYou told me that you canโt separate emotion from sex. Remember?โ
I open, then shut my mouth. Heโs right. I did say that.ย Shit.ย โMaybe Iโm learning how.โ
โMaybe I donโt want you to.โ He takes a step forward and cups the back of my neck. โI want you exactly how you are, emotions and all. I want the woman I fell for. It kills me every time I have to keep my hands off you, every night I lie awake next to you, both blessed and damned with the memory of how hot, how wet, how fuckingย perfectย you feel when Iโm losing myself in you.โ
My lips part and heat flushes my skin as if his words are an actual caress.
โWhen I do sleep, I dream of the sounds you make right before you come and the way the blue in your eyes outshines the amber right after, all sated and hazy. I wake up starving for youโonly youโeven on the mornings youโre halfway across the kingdom. This isnโt me denying you or manipulating you. This is me fighting for you.โ He palms my hip, and his thumb strokes the bare strip of skin between my pants and my armor.
โYou want to fight for me?โ I reach up into my hair and pull the pins loose one by one, letting them fall to the stone floor. โThen take a chanceย withoutย knowing how I feel. You want my heart back? Risk yours first this time.โ
โIf I tell you how I feel right now, youโd never trust that Iโm not just desperate for your body.โ His brow furrows.
โExactly my point.โ The last pin falls from my hair. โChoose, Xaden. You can let me walk out that door, or you can be the one who takes what Iโm willing to give this time.โ I shake my hair loose and run my fingers through the wet mass to unravel the braid.
โAre you trying to bring me to my knees? Or win the argument?โ His hand flexes at my hip as his heated gaze sweeps over me.
โYes,โ I answer, reaching for the ties at the small of my back that secure my armor. โI just spent eight hours terrified of what condition Iโd find you in, and Iโm telling you that I donโt just want you. Iย needย you. There are your three words.โ I tug the wet string, and it gives. โThatโs all you get. Take me or leave me.โ
The fight within him is palpable, the tension between us sharp enough to pierce dragon scale. And for a second, I think he might just be stubborn
enough to walk away and keep us at this impasse.
But thenโthank godsโhe breaks, fusing his mouth to mine, and the fire that had banked during our argument flares back to life even hotter than before. He kisses me like Iโm the answer to every question. Like everything weโve been and will be hinges on this moment. And maybe it does.
His hands work the laces at my back while I undo the buttons of his pants. I win the race, sliding my hand beneath the fabric to stroke him from root to tip.
The guttural groan he gives me feels like a reward and hits straight between my thighs, the ache intensifying to a throb.
โLet go so I can get you naked.โ He punctuates that last word with a nip of my lower lip.
Yes, please.ย I free him, and he pulls my armor loose enough to tug it over my head. It smacks the ground, and a second later the sensitive peak of my breast is surrounded by his mouth, flicked by his tongue. I moan, my fingers tunneling through his hair to hold him right there. โThat feels so damned good.โ
Wrapping an arm around my back and the other behind my knees, he lifts, then lays me onto a water-warmed stone bench in one smooth motion. โYou sure you want this here,ย now?โ he asks, rising above me, blocking the spray of water from my breasts, his eyes hooded and his hair mussed from my hands. โIn five minutes, I can have you comfortable in my bed.โ
Heโs so beautiful that my heart actually hurts from just looking at him.
โNow.โ My hands stroke his wide shoulders and down the relic that winds from his jaw to his forearm.
โNow,โ he agrees. Thereโs nothing practiced or polished about the next kissโ itโs all need sweetened with a desperation that matches my own, and all the hotter for it. This is exactly what I need, to be pressed between his hard body and stone, devoured with the same urgency I feel for him.
His hand skims down my curves, following the dip of my waist before skimming my waistband and undoing the buttons of my pants one by one. Thereโs no hesitation in his touch when his fingers delve and stroke from my entrance to my clit.
My back arches and I gasp with white-hot pleasure.
โEven hotter than I remember.โ His mouth moves down my neck, overwhelming me with sensation as his fingers tease with featherlight touches. โFuck, you feel like silk. Hot, slick silk.โ His voice has that rough rasp to it that Iโve missed.
He moves lower to worship my breasts with his mouth, his teeth raking lightly over my nipple with the perfect amount of friction to build the pleasure coiling tight within me. Of course he knows what I like. This isnโt our first time. Itโs not going to be our last, either.
Power swells under my skin and builds as he circles my swollen clit, denying me the pressure I need.
โXaden,โ I beg, my nails biting into the tops of his shoulders, but Iโm careful not to brush his new scar. Every stroke of his fingers and flick of his tongue feels like a jolt of lightning through my system, electrifying every nerve until Iโm a hypersensitive bowstring drawn too tight but not tight enough.
โI know exactly what you wantโโhe skims my clitโโand what you need.โ Two fingers slide inside me.
Deeper. Closer. More. Thatโs what I need.
โThen give it to me,โ I demand, my hips rolling. โIโve waited forever to touch you.โ
My breaths come in ragged pants and moans, and my skin flushes, heat prickling as he builds the aching pressure with tighter, faster strokes.
โGods, look at you. You are all Iโm ever going to want. Just you. Just this. Just us.โย His voice curls around my mind until heโs all I see, all I hear, all I feel and think. Heโs everything, watching me like he thinks the same about me.
โI need you.โ Maybe need isnโt the right word, but thereโs no other term that captures how essential he is to my existence. I shove my thumbs into the waistband of my pants and push. I need them off,ย now.
โSame.โ Weโre a frenzy of questing hands and mouths as we struggle out of the rest of our wet clothes. I have a whole new reason to curse these boots, but Xaden makes quick work of them, stripping me bare.
I ghost my lips over the new scar on his arm, more than aware of how close I came to losing him, and then heโs over me again, bracing his weight on his forearms, his eyes studying mine with an intensity that makes me shiver with anticipation as he settles between my thighs.
Reaching between our bodies, I wrap my fingers around him, bringing the head of his cock to my entrance. Iโll die if he makes me wait any longer. I wonโt survive another breath without him inside me.
โI need you more, Violet.โ He cradles the side of my face and rolls his hips, pushing inside, stretching me as he consumes those first sensitive inches. โHowever much you think you need this, need meโI need youย more.โ He thrusts, filling me with one long drive, until heโs so deep that my eyes flutter closed, and I moan with the sublime pleasure.
Thereโs nothing like this in the world. Iโm sure of it.
โSo. Fucking. Good.โย He echoes my thoughts with a groan, and then heโs moving, withdrawing only to slam home again and again, stealing my stuttered breaths with kiss after kiss. The stone at my back gives me the leverage to arch into his thrusts, taking him deeper. Itโs too much, too good, and not enough all at the same time.
Each powerful stroke has me greedy for more. This is where I want to exist, with him above me, moving inside me, his focus totally, completely mine.ย โHarder. Deeper.โย Iโm breathing too hard to speak.ย โDonโt treat me like Iโm breakable.โ
โI know exactly how much you can take.โย He slides his hands under me, then holds me to his chest as he rises, pivoting to sit on the edge of the bench.
My cry echoes in the chamber as I sink onto him, my knees anchoring on either side of his hips, and he hits that sweeter, deeper angle that steals my breath.ย โYes. There. Gods, I feel you everywhere.โ
โRight where we left off.โย His hands shift to my ass.ย โWith you riding me.โ
I wind my arms around his neck and smile against his mouth. No one is coming through those doors to interrupt us this time. Thereโs only the sound of water hitting the bench beside us and our bodies coming together again
and again, our hearts pounding, breaths strained between long, drugging kisses.
Reality narrows to sensation, the exquisite feel of his chest against my breasts, his mouth worshipping mine, his cock filling every inch I have, stretching me for more. The pressure coiling in my core is so tight, the pleasure so sweet I can taste it. It vibrates through me as my power rises, transforming me into pure, rapturous energy, until Iโm the very lightning I wield, crackling in anticipation of the strike.
โMore,โ he growls. โI want everything, Violet.โ
โYou have it.โ His stubble scrapes my palms as I cup his face and kiss him. Lightning courses through me, building to a dangerous peak, and I donโt need to ask. I know he has me.
It releases with a snap, flaring bright outside the windows for a heartbeat before itโs swallowed by shadows that stream out to smother it. Nothing shatters. Nothing catches fire. He knows how my body reacts, knows exactly how to push me to the breaking point, and he has me covered when I explode.
I love him. I love him. I love him. Iโm not ready to give him the words, the power that comes with them, but I can keep them for myself, chant them like my own personal Codex, the only truth Iโm certain of.
His body tightens beneath mine, his thrusts coming harder as he curls an arm around me, hooking my shoulder and pulling me into every thrust.
That spiraling pressure arcs to a breaking point, and I fight, holding it at bay. Not yet. I want more. Fuck, I want to feel like this every minute of every day for the rest of my life.
โLet go.โ He shifts his angle, rubbing against my clit with the next thrust.
โI donโt want it to end.โ I can hear the note of panic in my voice, the sharp note of fear that this will be the only time I feel like this, the only time heโs mine. But the waves are coming closer with every roll of our hips, and my muscles tighten to the point of locking.
โViolet.โ His hand slides from my shoulder to the back of my neck, fisting in the long strands of my hair as he looks into my eyes like he can
see straight to my soul. โI canโt give this up. Iย wonโtย give you up. Now let go.โ
My thighs tremble, and at the next thrust, I fracture with a cry. Lightning flashes, power tearing through me with instant thunder as the waves crest over me again and again. All I can do is hold on to Xaden and ride them out, bliss flooding my body until Iโm too limp to rock back against him.
โPerfect.โย His restraint vanishes in an instant. Gone are the measured, precise thrusts. He growls into my neck and drives wildly with his hips, consuming me with abandon, and I realize that this is what I craved beyond anything else, even beyond his secretsโhis loss of control.
I want to be the only person he unravels for.
Holding on to his shoulders, I push back into every thrust, swiveling my hips and savoring the shout he lets loose when he finally shudders beneath me, his shadows blasting through the room. Rock cracks and water bursts from the aqueducts.
My heart races as I grin.
โFuck.โ His forehead rests against mine, our chests heaving as we fight to catch our breath. โJust when I think I can handle you, I completely fucking lose it.โ
โThatโs my favorite part.โ
โWhy does that not surprise me?โ He brushes his lips over mine, and he locks his arms around me, keeping me from melting off his lap. โDeath of me, I swear.โ
โWhat do we do now?โ The question slips out before I can stop it. After all, Iโm the one whoโs been fighting thisโwhatever this is.
โWe have options.โ He caresses the side of my face and studies my eyes. โFirst, we can stay right here and go again. Second, we can clean up, get dressed, and sneak up to my room, where we can go again. Or thirdโฆโ He pauses. โWe can clean up, find a water wielder to dry our clothes, get you into one of my flight jackets, and fly to the rendezvous to drop the daggers
โโ
Iโm up and running, grabbing for my clothes before he can even finish.
Of course Iโm going with him.
โIโm guessing thatโs a no to options one and two?โ he says with a disappointed sigh.