“You scared the hell out of me.” I shove at his shoulder, my palm lingering a bit too long against the hard muscle there.
He doesn’t respond. In an instant, he’s wrapping his arms around me, enveloping my small body against his. His hand tangles through my hair as his other hand presses low against my back beneath my wings.
“I can’t believe you fucking did that,” he whispers against my hair.
It takes a moment for me to hug him back, my arms loosely wrapping around his narrow hips.
“I’m fine,” I mumble against his chest. “Just like a turtle.”
He pulls back to give me an incredulous look.
“Not exactly like a turtle,” I say with a smirk.
His fingers slip from my hair and push across the top of my black feathers. The fine structure shivers beneath his touch and the feeling tingles down my spine as I stare up at him.
“What does it feel like?” His palm is still splayed across my lower back, and my hands still hold his hips as he studies my wing closely. Our warmth mingles deliciously together.
A tightness consumes my chest, my heart feeling uncertain about how to beat. I clear my throat quietly before thinking about his question.
“Strange. It’s sensitive.”
His eyes flash to mine as his thumb brushes intentionally slow over the glossy feathers and my eyes flutter closed.
“It feels kind of intimate in a weird way. Like your running your palm down the curve of my neck or collar bone. The nerves there are heightened.”
His gaze lowers to me, his eyes trailing the column of my neck before his rough palm follows. His fingers skim down my jaw, down the curve of my neck before settling over my collar bone. Gently his thumb sweeps over the defined bone as he holds my gaze.
My heart stumbles as I stare up at him, my lips parted with heavy breaths. His attention falls to my lips.
Only a few inches separate the two of us. I find myself leaning in to close that space, to feel the heat of his body all over me.
“You two are some weird fucking siblings.” The sound of Mesa’s confused and disturbed voice has me slipping out of Ryder’s arms.
I turn to her and she cocks a brow at me.
What Mesa? So what if I have a thing for my supposed brother. Is that really so repulsing?
Yes.
Yes, it is.
Shit. How do I get myself in these weird situations?
I take a breath, folding my arms across my chest to try to cling to some form of normalcy.
“The turtle didn’t die,” she says quietly, a smile tilting her lips.
“It did not.” I smirk at her.
She was right. Mesa is the best thing that’s happened to me since I fell into this realm.
“Thank you.” I look up at her and her smile grows larger, revealing straight white teeth.
“How’s the wing look?” She nods to Ryder.
I hear the sound of his throat clearing as I turn to him once more.
“I actually hadn’t had a chance to check it out yet.” He pushes his hands into his pockets.
