“You’re doing great,” he murmurs, his lips close enough that they graze the curve of my ear.
My pulse flutters, and I wonder if he can feel it where my back is pressed against him. “You’re... good at this.”
He laughs quietly, the sound vibrating through my spine. “I’ve had a bit of practice.”
I tilt my head just enough to meet his gaze, and it hits me how close we are, how he could lean down and kiss me if hewanted to. The crowd cheers as the fire crackles and sends up a burst of sparks, but it all feels far away, muted.
Right now, it feels like Aric and I are the only two people left in the world, or like we accidentally slipped through the veil and are lost on the other side.
But at least we’d be together.
Aric turns me slowly in his arms until I’m facing him again. His hands settle at my waist, thumbs brushing my ribs in small circles. It’s nothing—barely a touch—yet it feels like I’m going to go up in flames at the contact.
“I was right earlier,” he says softly.
I tip my head. “About what?”
He leans in just enough that his breath ghosts across my cheek. “About how dangerous you are.”
Now the heat that’s been building in my belly slips lower, to the place between my thighs, a place only I and Aric have touched.
A place I’d like him to touch again.
The drums slow to a deep, steady rhythm, the fiddles dropping into something low and sweet. Around us, the dance mellows, partners drawing closer. Aric’s forehead rests against mine, and we sway together. But despite the slower pace, my heart is still pounding at the same frantic rhythm.
“Having fun?” Aric asks, his voice a whisper against my skin.
“Yes,” I breathe. And it’s true. I never knew dancing could be this fun. I’m usually the one lingering at the fringes, not participating. This is different. And with Aric, it’s better.
I’m so glad I’m here and not curled up in bed reading a book right now.
His thumb drifts higher, brushing along my ribs before settling again at my waist. I don’t think he even realizes he’s doing it, but I do, and every nerve in my body does.
“Good,” he murmurs, his mouth curving into a smile. Then his hand slides up to cradle my jaw, and my breath catches. The space between us vanishes as he leans in, and the firelight flickers over us as he kisses me—slowly at first, like he’s asking permission, then deeper, surer, until everything else dissolves.
He tastes of mead and apples, and the smell of woodsmoke clings to him. My hands find his vest, gripping it as if to anchor me to this moment. Right now, I feel like I could float away.
When he finally pulls back, we’re both breathing hard. His forehead rests against mine, and he’s smiling in a way that could probably make me forget how to speak.
“Wanna get out of here for a bit?” he asks.
My heart is racing again. I nod once. “Okay.”
He takes my hand, fingers threading through mine, and leads me away from the firelight. The crowd parts for him, the music fading as we leave the fire and its dancers behind. The floating candles guide our path, though I’m not sure yet where Aric is leading me. And in this moment, I’m not sure I care. I’d probably follow him anywhere, as long as he’s still holding my hand.
When I glance back—just once—I see Morgan again, still watching us, her lips set in a firm line. But then Aric’s hand tightens around mine, and I forget about her entirely as he pulls me into the dark.
Chapter 37
Aric
I’M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE I intended to take Poppy—I just wanted to get away to someplace quiet with her—so when we pass the Whim and she slows to look over at it, I figure it’s as good a place as any to spend some more time with her.
“Wanna go in?” I ask, gesturing toward the entrance, where two stone pillars loom in the dark, wrapped in withering ivy.
Beside me, wearing that beautiful black dress, Poppy nods. She moves forward without hesitation, fingers twined through mine, her grip sure and warm as she tugs me along.
“You know where you’re going?” I ask, following her through the space between the pillars, my gaze tracing the dark hedges that rise up along either side of us. I’ve been in here before, but the Whim has a mind of its own and changes at will, so no two visits are ever the same.
