Axoular slid into the bed on the other side of me and sat with his legs crossed. “Have you ever meditated?”
“Some. I've done yoga.”
“I'll pretend I know what that is and that you know how to meditate.” He placed his hands on his knees. “Breathe deeply and center your mind. Find your flame.”
I focused on my flame and quickly found it. We'd told the room on the first morning that we had to let our flames out daily or we'd burn out, and nobody had freaked out when we did it every morning since then. No gas entered the room, so we figured they were probably listening after all.
I'd noticed that my womb seemed to be the base for my fire, and even when it was calm and where it should be, my womb was constantly burning.
“Axo, when I focus on my fire, I've noticed it always surrounds the baby.”
He gave me a confused look. “You can see your fire? I feel mine; I can't see it.”
“Well, then you probably can't help me.”
“All I know is that Sárkány women have had babies since the beginning of time. I'm going to assume all those babies were grown in fire.”
He had a point. I nodded and mimicked his pose, wondering why he felt his fire and I saw mine.
We sat in silence for a few minutes while thoughts raced through my mind. I watched my flames grow, too busy worrying to realize I wasn't meditating and calming myself. I grew more and more agitated with each minute that passed.
Before I knew it, smoke rose from my skin in whispering tendrils. I watched it rise.Let them see. They know what I can do. They should fear me.
Axoular's nose twitched, and his eyes flew open. “Riley,” he hissed. “Do you want to get us separated? You're supposed to be calming yourself.”
“I don't know if I'm the sort of person that takes something like being kidnapped calmly. I don't know if I can do calm right now,” I snapped, irritated with his peaceful demeanor.
He grabbed my arms and jerked me toward him, slamming his mouth down on mine. I was so surprised I didn't even kiss him back. I just sat there, slack-jawed, while his lips caressed mine.
Once I realized what he was doing, I grinned against his mouth. “Are you trying to distract me?” I asked, his face muffling my words.
He turned his head and kissed my jaw. “Yes,” he mumbled against my cheek. “Is it working?”
I considered our predicament. They were definitely watching us. If I calmed down enough to really think it through, I needed to give my husbands more time to find us. We still had weeks before I would go into labor if my previous pregnancies were any indication. I'd gone a week overdue with both of my sons.
All I needed to do was be patient, but that seemed an impossible task, so a distraction was the smartest course. I'd been given permission to bring Axoular into the fold if I wanted, and especially after being kidnapped with him, I wanted. He complimented our relationship. I wanted to know him, more and more every day.
I worked through my hang-ups and doubts quickly in my mind while Axoular worked on my neck. Once I'd made up my mind, I pulled back and looked into his dark brown eyes. “How far are we willing to go when we're being watched?”
“There is much we can do under the covers,” he said, eyes twinkling.
I laughed and pulled the blankets back. “You're right. Come here.”
He joined me and I returned his kisses since I was no longer surprised by them. His mouth was hot, hotter than any other man I'd ever kissed.
He broke our kiss to pull the blankets over our heads. “It might get warm under here.”
“I haven't gotten truly hot since I went through the portal the first time. My body craves heat now. The winter was miserable, I pretty much stayed beside the fireplaces in the manor,” I whispered as he gazed down on me, a white blanket tenting over his head.
“You're beautiful, Riley. I never imagined I'd be in this position with you, in a bed, about to make love.”
“It took me by surprise, too. My feelings for you grew when I didn't even know they were there. I love you, Axoular, and I think I'm fallinginlove with you.”
He laughed; joy splashed across his face. “I'll make sure you keep falling,” he said before his eyes fell to the swell of my breasts, hidden in the pink pajama top.
I lifted my hands to the top button and slowly unbuttoned the top without letting the fabric separate, teasing him. Once the shirt was totally unbuttoned, I put my hands around him and ran my fingers over the short hair on the back of his head.
He hung his head, nostrils flaring. “You're a tease.” We'd been in a room together for three days, sending each other longing glances and lingering touches across hands and arms.
