“Exactly.” He pulled a knife from his belt and sliced through the moonblood. Dark juice ran down his fingers. He licked his knife clean, which did strange, burning things to my stomach.
My thighs tightened around the branch.
He must’ve noticed, because he smiled as he stowed his knife. “Close your eyes.”
My heart trilled a warning, but I obeyed.
A breeze wafted through the tree branches, carrying the scent of wet grass and something deeply sweet. The leaves around us shivered as the crickets sang. It felt like peace.
Aiden pulled my hand toward him and placed something soft in it. A piece of fruit. “Don’t look at it. Just taste it,” he said softly.
I put the moonblood to my lips and nibbled at the sticky flesh. Gods, it was... it was... the sweetest thing I’d ever tasted. Like dark berries mixed with the lightest sparkling wine.The juices ran down my throat, quenching my thirst more than the water had. It made me hungry for more.
I opened my eyes, and my stomach swooped low and hard. If I was hungry, Aiden looked painfully ravenous. The rest of the fruit continued to drip through his fingers, but his gaze was fastened to my wet mouth.
Was it stained?
I wiped it with the back of my sleeve, my tongue darting out to sweep my lips clean. His nostrils flared as his eyebrows slammed together.
Oh.Oh.
Ifinished my piece of fruit and dropped the empty peel to the ground. Then I slid forward, hesitating when I couldn’t get closer without?—
He placed the rest of the moonblood beside him and lifted my legs over his, nestling me in his lap.
My heart pounded like I was in the heat of battle. But there was no fear. Only excitement. And something deeper, warmer, as I gazed into Aiden’s eyes. Something I’d felt with him in Aquinon. In The Hollow. In stolen moments like this.
Something I thought had died a swift death the moment I realized he’d killed my mother.
But the feeling persisted.
“You should... you should have some moonblood,” I whispered raggedly. “It’s delicious.”
Eyes burning with intention, he grasped my sticky fingers and slid the first one into his mouth.
I gasped, a bolt of heat shooting straight to my core.
His other hand tightened around my knee, pulling me closer. He sucked hard on my finger. My body shuddered and rocked against him involuntarily, loving every hardened ridge.
A low growl rumbled in his chest as he released my finger. “You’re right. Absolutely delicious.” Then he stole another finger, working his lips around the tip.
Heat stacked in my belly, ember by ember.
His tongue swirled around my finger. My control snapped.
I yanked my finger out of his mouth and crushed my lips against his.
His responding groan poured into me as he kissed me back like his next breath depended on it.
He clenched his arm around my waist and seized the nape of my neck. As if I would go anywhere.
All I tasted was sweetness and heat. I was drunk on it. Craving more. His lips coaxed mine into a dance that felt perfect and familiar, new and dangerous all at once.
I plunged my fingers into his long, raven-wing hair, tugging him closer. His tongue curled into my mouth, deepening the kiss.
I wished it would go deeper. I wanted to feel him everywhere. His stubble rasped over my lips. I wanted it to burn over my aching breasts and between my thighs.
He dragged his mouth away and trailed searing kisses down my throat to my collarbone and behind my ear.
