“So are you going to tell me that my jealousy is irrational now?” Tiernan growled as we closed the bedroom door. Raye and Raza had been given rooms in the guest house with us, aggravating Tiernan even more.
“No, you have every right to be angry,” I sighed.
“I do?” He instantly lost his steam, flopping down on the end of the bed to gape at me.
“I'm attracted to him,” I held my hands out and shrugged. “I'm not going to lie to you; I think he's sexy.”
“You do?” Tiernan's face was falling fast.
“But there's a big difference between being attracted to someone and acting on that attraction,” I sat down beside him and took his hand. “I love you and as far as I know, we have a monogamous relationship.”
“We do,” Tiernan twisted towards me and squeezed my hand. “And I want to remain so.”
“I want that too,” I nodded and he closed his eyes in relief. “I can't help having a physical reaction to someone but I can make a conscious decision to not take things further.”
“Thank you,” he sighed.
“I wish you would have known that without me having to say it,” I laid a hand to his cheek and kissed him.
“I did know,” he leaned back to look at me. “I did. But when I saw the way you both... Seren, it's obvious how much you want each other. That does something to a man's ego and rationality goes right out the window.”
“I get it,” I slid my hand onto his thigh and rubbed at his tense muscles. “I'm sorry I had such a huge response to him. I didn't expect it and it was hard for me to control. I would have felt horribly betrayed if I'd seen you react like that to another woman and I'm so sorry to make you feel that way. I don't want to be with Raza, I want to be with you.”
“Are you sure?” He started to smile. “Is it the claws? Because I can grow my nails out.”
“Shut up,” I laughed.
“Or is it those damn wings again?” He growled as he tossed me back onto the bed. He followed, laying his body over me. “I don't need wings to fly.”
He started kissing me, his hands sliding beneath my back and kneading at my flesh. His mouth was demanding, a harsh testament to his fading anger, but it was kind of thrilling. I tore at his clothes and he did the same with mine, freeing us of anything that could separate our skin. When he finally pressed against me, solid curves against my softer ones, I sighed in satisfaction.
Then he was biting at my neck, pushing apart my hips with his own, so he could slide into me with a deep-throated growl. I gave a gasp as we started to levitate off the bed, Tiernan thrusting harder and harder as we rose. My hands clenched around him and I rolled us, taking me to the top. He looked up in surprise and I leaned down to whisper.
“Remember this the next time you wonder who I want,” I rolled again so that he was above me. “You're the only man, I've ever given up control to.”
And he took that control. Tiernan lifted us higher into the air, tangling our bodies in ways that would be impossible on solid ground, and our passion rose with us. We soared through ecstasy like acrobats and when I finally fell into screaming relief, he was there to catch me with hands and lips and magic. So much magic.
Chapter Eighteen
“If you cover that up, I'll spank you,” Tiernan came up behind me as I was looking over my reflection in the mirror. He'd left a love bite on my neck. Not a hickey but a definite mark. He leaned in and laid a kiss right over it.
“You realize that this is childish behavior?” I turned in his arms to give him a saucy look.
“I would hope that no child has ever done what we just did,” he teased.
“I guess I deserve to endure a little male marking after the way I behaved,” I sighed. “But don't do it again.”
“Don't pant after Raza again and I won't have to,” he grinned.
“Fair enough,” I sighed and pulled away from him. “Come on, we better go check on the dragon. I think we've left him alone too long; he may have eaten half the Tulsa Council by now.”
“He's probablyrunningthe Human Council by now,” Tiernan huffed as we left the room.
“You gotta admit that was kind of funny,” I shook my head. “The way he sat in Teagan's chair and took over the meeting.”
“I think your council friends would call it terrifying, not funny,” Tiernan grimaced.
“He's not going to hurt anyone,” I scoffed as we headed downstairs and then out to the backyard.
