“Before we what?”
“Before we…” She stared down at the nonexistent space between them. “Before we do this.”
A corner of his mouth flicked up. “This? What exactly isthisyou speak of?”
She gave him a withering look. “You know what I’m talking about.”
His eyes narrowed. “Did you think I was going to take you here and now? That our first time would be on a dresser?”
The way he said that paired with the visuals in her head made her wish she hadn’t said a word. She had no qualms about being taken here and now on a dresser.
“You did, didn’t you? What a dirty mind you have.”
She scoffed. “Me?”
He arched a brow, and she suddenly noticed the placement of her hands. One was still pressed to his chest, but the other…
Her gaze dipped to the thumb and forefinger that were frozen over the button of his trousers. She’d been in the process of loosening it when she’d broken their kiss.
He wasn’t the one who’d tried to take things further,shewas.
She yanked her hand away, but he caught it in his and brought it to his lips. “I’m teasing,” he said, then released her, taking a full step back, breaking the circle of her thighs around his waist. “You’re right. We should talk first.”
She opened her mouth, but how the hell could she speak from the heart and say all the things she wanted to say if her heart wasn’t currently in charge?
The flash of heat burning between her thighs reminded her exactly which part of herwasin charge, and it wasn’t interested in conversation. She bit her lip, eyes skating over the sheen of sweat that had just begun to glisten on his chest. Would it really be so bad to just pull him back to her and…save talk for later? She wasn’t chaste by any means. She’d enjoyed a few short trysts when she’d lived with the Forest People, experiments devoid of love.
And yet, it was different with Teryn. Therewaslove between them, and she needed him to know that. Needed him to know exactly what she wanted from their union. It was more than desire. More than attraction. More than a political alliance for the sake of their kingdoms.
Cora had practiced putting all of this into words, but her lust was chasing it away. She needed to gather her bearings. Reassess. Come back with a clear head.
She swallowed hard and leveled her voice. “Let’s talk later.”
He grinned. “After dinner then? Come to my room.” When she said nothing, he added, “I promise I’ll be fully clothed.”
A shy smile lifted her lips. “All right. For now, I should go.”
With a nod, he held out his hand and helped her down from the dresser. She could barely meet his eyes as she smoothed down her wrinkled skirts. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Tonight,” he whispered back, his knuckles briefly brushing her forearm.
Everything inside her wanted to fold into his arms with a parting kiss, but she knew better. A parting kiss would turn into so much more. So instead, she turned her back on him. Then, letting her desire fuel her magic, she closed her eyes, pictured her bedroom, and disappeared.
4
The room immediately felt colder after Cora was gone. Teryn stared at the empty space where his fiancée had been just a moment before, awed at how suddenly she’d disappeared. It was the first time she’d used her traveling magic while he was watching her. She’d first used it at the battle at Centerpointe Rock. Then again last summer to escape Morkai’s clutches while he’d possessed Teryn’s body. Finally, she’d used it to lock a strange magic-suppressing collar around his neck to momentarily free Teryn’s body from the mage’s control.
It hadn’t been until he’d gotten well enough to write to Cora that he’d learned the whole story of what had happened that night. About Cora’s newest power. Its strengths and limitations. Where Cora had been before she’d arrived at the meadow. How she’d gotten there. What the collar was and how it had been used against her when she’d unintentionally crossed worlds to enter the fae realm.
Just when he thought she couldn’t impress him more, she was always proving just how incredible she was. And now that they’d finally seen each other for the first time in seven months, he was reminded how good she felt. How good she smelled. The sound of her voice. The rhythm of her sighs. Kissing her, touching her, had made him feel so alive. So immersed in his body.
He still had nightmares of what it felt like to be trapped in Morkai’s crystal. A disembodied spirit. At night, he often startled awake, panting, shouting into the dark just to hear a voice that was his own, clawing at his skin to ensure he could feel it. During the day, he did whatever he could to feel alive. Walking. Moving. Talking. Writing. Three months ago, he’d been given the go-ahead by his physicians to take up strenuous activity, so he’d thrown himself into training. Sword. Spear. Glaive. Halberd. Anything that would ignite a fire in his muscles and remind him he was the sole operator of his body.
But none of that had made him feel as whole as when his lips had met Cora’s, as desire coursed through him like a raging fire when he’d pressed closer to her on that dresser. He smirked at that piece of furniture now. He’d probably come on a touch too strong, but he’d been unable to help himself. He hadn’t expected her to show up in his room out of nowhere. It had thrown all his polite, respectful plans out the window. He’d meant to greet her formally, reunite with her softly, and ease them both into the marriage they were about to embark upon.
He barked a laugh. How naive he’d been. There’d been nothing soft, formal, or polite about the way he’d kissed her, nor she him. There certainly hadn’t been any of that in the way her hands had roved his chest. The fingertips she’d tucked under his waistband, absently working to free the button of his trousers.
Clenching his jaw, he curled his fists. It was all he could do to keep from taking himself in hand and releasing the aching tension she’d built inside him. Instead, his only release was a heavy exhale, for now was not the time to act on his baser instincts. Not when he had an audience.
