His very obvious erection stood at perfect attention, and I clamped a hand over my mouth to muffle the startled laugh that bubbled up uninvited.
“What a way to make an entrance,” I said, voice muffled behind my fingers. “Hello to you too.”
“Always happy to make an impression,” he murmured, and then in one fluid motion, he slid off the railing.
His bare feet hit the stone with barely a sound, and he didn’t pause before crossing the small distance between us. His body moved with that same predator-smooth grace he had in his wyvern form, all lazy power and sharp focus—except now there was heat in his gaze that simmered.
The stars above blurred behind him as he stepped into my space, and I didn’t move. Not even as he caged me gently against the railing, one hand lifting to cup my cheek while the other slid to rest at my waist.
His mouth hovered just inches above mine as he spoke roughly.
“I can absolutely talk back if you’d like a verbal sparring match,” he muttered before raising an eyebrow. “But right now…” He leaned in, his breath warm against my cheek, “…I’d rather do something else to occupy both of our minds.”
A breath caught in my throat. The energy between us had shifted so quickly it took me off guard. The tension wrapped itself around us in full, spurring heat low in my stomach.
My heart fluttered wildly behind my ribs as he stood there with his body curved around mine, the heat of his skin bleeding through the space between us. I swallowed as his gaze swept slowly over my features like he was memorizing every one of them for later.
I exhaled carefully, my fingers twitching at my sides, wanting to reach for him but not quite trusting myself to start something I wasn’t sure I could finish. Not with the way my nerves were already scraped raw from the day and from the weight of what tomorrow would demand.
But his presence—solid, warm, wholly focused—grounded me. Exactly what I needed.
“You think this’ll help?” I asked, my voice soft, teasing—but beneath it, real curiosity threaded the question. “Taking my mind off everything?”
A small smile curved his mouth.
“I think,” he murmured, “your mind has been at war all day. And I think…” His hand rose to brush a stray strand away from my face, the pad of his thumb barely skimming my skin before tucking it behind my ear. “…you deserve a moment that’s just yours. No prophecy. No planning. No pretending you don’t want to let go for once.”
He was right. Of course he was.
When my throat had knitted itself back together with the energy of the Star Keepers, I’d sworn to myself to not take any moment for granted. To remember to appreciate and love to the fullest, and spend time with those that I held dear to me.
It was too easy to slip into the strategic mindset and become paralyzed after everything stacking up against us. This was the exact reminder I needed.
Without speaking, I lifted my hands and let them rest on his chest, fingers splaying against warm skin. His heart beat steadilybeneath my palm, unbothered and sure, and when I looked up at him again, a small smile tugged at my lips.
“You’re annoyingly correct,” I whispered.
His grin widened. “And yet, you keep me around.”
My body shook as a laugh erupted from me. “Maybe I keep you around because you’re the only one arrogant enough to stand on my balcony naked and try to seduce me with emotional stability.”
His eyes glittered as he batted his eyelashes. “Is it working?”
I let my fingers trail slowly downward, dragging my palms along the dip of his waist. I felt his muscles bunching beneath my touch and reveled at the way my touch unraveled him just as his did for me. Slowly I shifted to grab the hem of my silk pajama top. His gaze dropped to the motion, the heat in his eyes deepening as I tugged it over my head and let the fabric fall to the ground next to my discarded blanket.
The cool air kissed my skin, and his hands found my waist as he leaned in and let his mouth brush the side of my throat. He kissed a trail down and over my sternum as his hands gently tugged my shorts down to join its matching top on the ground.
“Trust me,” he whispered quietly, one hand already sliding behind my thigh. My mouth opened to ask what he meant, but was cut off with his movement.
I let out a small gasp as his arms slid under me and lifted me off the ground in one clean motion. The night tilted slightly, wind raking over my pebbled nipples as Niz stepped forward and set me carefully on the stone railing of the balcony.
The ledge was far too narrow and I wobbled instinctively, fingers flying to grip the carved stone for balance.
But Niz was already there to steady me with his hands pressed gently to my thighs. The dark gleam in his eyes sharpened.
“Niz—” I began to warn as my hands tightened on the balcony.
His thumbs slid across the tops of my thighs. “Let go over the railing, My Fire. You’re not allowed to hold onto anything but me,” he said softly.
