FAOLAN
My hands came up, but there was nowhere to go. Not without touching her more.
“I’m sorry,” she said through full-body giggles, making her rub up against me.
I ground my teeth, ignoring the way her hair fell in her face as she laughed, ignoring the dimples on her cheeks, and the freckles dusted across her nose. She lit up, and it made her even more beautiful, and I didn’t even want to admit how sexy she was in just her underclothes. They were nearly see-through in the moonlight, and all I could do was pray for the Goddess to save my soul because if I laid a finger on this female, it would lead to my end.
She tried to get up again, but there was nowhere to go, and she fell over.
I caught her, but just barely.
“I’m so sorry.” Pink colored her cheeks.
“I’m going to be a dead male,” I muttered, not sure where I’d found the reserve to turn her down.
“Why?”
“You know why?” I looked her in the eyes, stroking back a strand of her hair.
“I’m not trying to push you. I don’t know how to get up. Not with as dizzy as I am.” She softened. “Will you help me, please?”
I stilled, trying to come up with a way to detangle us. “I’m going to lift you and stand up.”
“Okay.” Her lower lip trembled, and I bit mine to not kiss her.
“I’m going to have to touch you.”
“Obviously.”
“I mean around your waist.”
“It’s fine.”
My fingers brushed up her silky soft skin, finding just under her ribs while my heart pounded in my chest. I lifted her and stood carefully so as to not hit my head, ending in a half-hunched stance as I set her on her feet. She swayed and grabbed my arms while I kept hold of her to steady her.
Her breath blew warm across my chest, and the way she looked up at me nearly made me forget everything I’d sworn off. If only fate could be as perfect as this sliver of a moment. But we’d both be hit with reality, and I couldn’t ruin both our lives. If the heir was anything close to what his brother described, he might not stop with me. He might kill her, too, if I laid a finger on her. I couldn’t be the cause of her death.
Her hands slid up my biceps, and my flesh burned under the feel. “Is touching me really so bad?”
“Yes.” I skimmed my fingers up her sides, the feel of her through the thin fabric enough to take my breath away. Then I dropped my hands from her sides in defeat. “No…it’s not that it’s bad.” I didn’t know how to make her understand. “It’s that if I start, I won’t be able to stop.”
If I didn’t get away from her soon, I was going to explode. How did anyone handle this? We needed to get back to the First Kingdom as fast as possible.
“Let’s get you in bed before you hurt yourself,” I said, sorrow bleeding into my tone.
“No, let me go back to the window.” Caly didn’t seem to notice, thankfully.
“And let you fall out? I don’t think so. No way I’m explaining that to Nyx after letting you drink so much.”
She laughed. “I’ll sit. I’ll be fine.”
I helped her back to the window, and she sat on the sill. “That’s not going to work.”
“Just a few more moments.” The nerve of this female to sway as she said it and grab the frame.
I took hold of her arm with a hiss. My hold was meant to steady, and yet I felt myself stroking my thumb back and forth where it lay. “Three minutes, then you’re going to sleep.”
She reached up and cupped my cheek, staring into my eyes. My knees almost gave. I closed my eyes and growled. “Are you trying to test me?”I stepped back to escape her reach and somehow managed to bump my head again. Evading her was painful in every way.
