“Sorry about that,” she said with a sheepish shrug, crawling toward me to grab the offending book. I averted my eyes and desperately tried to tame the erection I’d suddenly sported when I watched her ass sway in the air with each motion.
Her hand grazed my boot, and I made the mistake of looking down, only to see Faylinn on her knees, mouth level with my cock. Thankfully, she wasn’t looking at my crotch, more fascinated by the book in her hands.
“Huh. I thought I put this in the keep pile,” she muttered, tucking it under her arm as she scooted away from me, back toward the pile of books she was sorting.
“Faylinn, we cannot bringallof these with us,” I muttered, adjusting myself as soon as her back was turned. She waved a tattooed hand over her shoulder as if brushing off my perfectly reasonable argument.
“You still have access to this room, Faylinn. There’s no reason to bring more than the essentials?—”
“But this couldallbe essential, Rohak! What if I wake in the middle of the night with a thought, and Ineedmy book onPlants of Southern Elyria, but all I have isPlants of Northern Elyria. Then I have to walk down the stairs, through the hall, unlock my door, turn on these Mage Orbs, sort through my endless piles of books, and hope that I find what I’m looking for before I forget my thought completely.”
Her voice rose, hands gesturing wildly, as her pulse thumped in her neck and breath came in rapid pants.
“Whoa, hold on,” I said, moving without conscious thought until I was crowding her space, back folded over the top of her as if to shield her from the exterior stressors.
Immediately, Faylinn grew quiet, her hands falling back to her sides. Shechewed her bottom lip with an intensity I was sure would leave it chapped and bleeding.
Seemingly of their own accord, my fingers reached up and plucked her lip from between her teeth, soothing the abused skin with the pad of my thumb.
My cock twitched, my thumb between Faylinn’s pouty lips, those big hazel eyes staring up at me in adoration.
I blinked away the visual.
“You’re worried about not being able to research in the middle of the night,” I said, tone completely neutral.
She nodded once, and I moved so both of my hands cupped her elbows. Even with her thin tunic separating us, I could feel the heat of her skin as it seeped into my palms.
I liked it—more than I’d ever let her know, especially with her half of the Bond still firmly locked.
“Then you wake me,” I said simply with a shrug of my shoulders.
Incredulity passed over Faylinn’s face, her brows twitching in surprise, before she spoke.
“Wake . . . you?”
I nodded.
“We’re going to be sleeping in the same room, right? Most likely the same bed so that our physical touch will settle the Bond?”
She made a noise of affirmation.
“Then just wake me up and tell me what you need me to do. I’m happy to be your research assistant in the middle of the night.”
A cloud passed over Faylinn’s expression before it brightened significantly, warming me through with its earnestness.
“You mean that?”
“Of course I do, Faylinn. You, me”—I gestured between us—“we’re together for the rest of our lives now. Whatever you need, I’ll do.”
She shot me a tentative smile before nodding in thanks.
“Then, do you mind helping me stack and organize everything in here?” Faylinn’s voice still retained a hint of hesitation, one I squashed immediately.
“I would love to organize your books,” I admitted truthfully.
Hours later,we were curled up on opposite ends of the sofa in my sitting room, blankets tossed over our laps as Cotton nestled between us. The usually grumpy feline had taken to his new home immediately, wasting no time in pawing the couch until it was adequately comfortable and promptly falling asleep.
He naps more than any other animal I’d ever seen.
