It seems unfair for him to sleep outside on the ground when he’s just come back from a harrowing experience. If it were me, I’d want to seek shelter within a safe space, tucked away behind strong walls. “Manuel, take the bed.”
“It wouldn’t be appropriate.” But there’s clear longing in his voice. His gaze sweeps the room, missing none of the little details that make the place cozy and warm. The sweet-smelling breeze, tart and floral, drifts in from the open window.
“We’ve slept near each other for days now,” I say archly. “When’s the last time youtrulyslept well? Comfortable, without fear of an attack?”
He hesitates, glancing toward the door. “I have to keep watch.”
“You’re allowed a night off,” I say quietly. “No one would fault you.”
The pallet is covered in the thick fur blanket, soft and inviting. He seems to think so too, because he sinks down on top of it. The bamboo cot creaks as he stretches out his long legs. I freeze, unsure of what to do or say. I didn’t actually think he’d accept. He must beextremelytired. I blow out all the candles, intending to pick up my telescope and seek Luna, but his voice stops me.
“Catalina,” he whispers.
I startle at the sound of my name. “¿Qué?”
He doesn’t say anything for a long, long time. Just as I’m about to reach for the telescope again, his voice cuts through the dark again. “Up here with me.”
Thank Luna the room is pitch black so he can’t see my huge grin. I stumble toward him, reaching out with my hands until my fingers bump against the cot. My hand glides along the soft animal fur, until he clasps onto my arm and slowly pulls me on top, straddling him. He reaches up to my face, softly tracing the curve of my cheek, then brushes the hair from out of my eyes.
“Manuel,” I whisper. “I thought we ended this.”
“We did,” he murmurs back. “But I can’t escape you no matter how far away I am. Why is that?”
I don’t have an answer for him.
My eyes have adjusted to the shadows, and I can make out the warm glint in his eyes. I pinch his side, and he chuckles. Then he becomes serious, because it’s Manuel, and he can’t help but be responsible and dutiful. “I’m completely wrong for you.”
“You’ve said,” I mutter. Sonco’s words rush into my mind. I ought to tell Manuel what we talked about. That I might have a chance of acquiring the army—through the possibility of marriage, if I were to only prove myself as a seer. Manuel would help me in a heartbeat. Because he wants me to fulfill my destiny as much as I do. That’s who he is: Even if it broke his heart, he’d want me to be who our people need me to be.
But I keep silent.
The moment I say any of it, Manuel will back away for good. Here in the dark, with his hands on me, his raw vulnerability, I don’t have the strength to end what’s happening.
“I’m tired of trying to block out what I feel,” Manuel whispers.
“Me too,” I confess.
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking all day.”
“What about?”
“This,” he growls, and pulls my head down, pressing his lips against mine, hard. He curves a strong arm around my waist, holding me flush as he deepens the kiss. Every thought I have escapes, until the only thing I can think about is the way he’s holding on to me for dear life—how his mouth works like a drug. I slip my hands into his hair, curl a strand tightly around my finger.
Each of his kisses detonates my senses. As he slides his hand up my back, heat flares between us, potent and obliterating, and for a moment I forget where we are entirely. We kiss and kiss and kiss. He brushes the side of my breast, and we both freeze, lips whisking against each other, breaths ragged. Slow awareness creeps in. The sound of frogs croaking outside. The gentle breeze that sweeps inside, cooling my back, teasing my hair. His hard chest underneath my ribs.
“What am I doing?” he mutters to himself.
“Don’t,” I say. “Stopthinking.”
“Clearly I already have, Catalina.” He presses his hot mouth against the side of my neck and I shiver. Then he positions me against his side, my head tucked under his chin, and I drape my leg over him. I tell myself it’s only for a few minutes. Just until he falls asleep. We lie quietly, the animal fur tickling the back of my neck and Manuel’s steady breathing slowly lulling me to sleep.
During the night, I dream of monsters.
CAPÍTULO
Veintisiete
I wake sometime in the middle of the night with a jerk, pressed tight against Manuel’s side. His body is hot underneath mine, and I shift out of his arms. He mumbles softly, his hand curling into his hair. He looks so young while he sleeps. I blink into the dark, trying to rid the nightmare from my mind, and focus on untangling myself from the fur covering. I can’tbelieveI fell asleep.
