For the first time in long minutes, curiosity seemed to outweigh the worry in her eyes. Cautiously, she tilted her face up and placed a light kiss near the corner of his mouth. Then she sprang away, her wide, wary gaze meeting his.
Carver’s heart nearly broke through his chest. It was torture not to reach for her and draw her back, but Bel needed to be in control of this, or she’d run. And since he couldn’t touch, he’d talk. “I want to undress you little by little and kiss and lick every freckle I find.” Her magic-bright eyes flared—bigger, blazing—and her hand rose to her chest. “Yes, there.” His gaze dipped over her, lingering on her breasts. “And everywhere.”
Her breathing sped up, and Bel tugged at the neck of her tunic. Carver wondered if she realized she was opening it for him. “Why? Why do you…” She suddenly stopped talking and glanced down. Losing her burning gaze was like snuffing out a lamp.
Carver touched her enough to tilt her head back up. “Why do I want you?” It was even harder to draw his hand back once he’d given in.
She nodded, another flash of unsure heat dyeing her cheeks a deep pink. “There are so many more…alluring women.”
Carver frowned. What was she talking about? Bel was so blinding he’d been fixated on her since the day they met. He barely saw anyone else. “Why do you undervalue yourself?”
“I don’t. I excel at plenty of things. Beauty isn’t one of them.”
“First, I disagree.” His eyes roamed over her. She exceled at imperceptiveness, too, but there was no way she could miss the heat in his gaze. “Hair the color of a sunset. Eyes like sapphires with emeralds shining underneath. A body that’s strong and fit.”
“And straight.”
“I see curves that are just right. If you tell me I can touch you, I’ll show you where they are.”
Her eyes widened and seemed to spark. Her color stayed high, her skin hot. Voice husky, she asked, “And second? If there’s a first, there must be a second.”
“Second, beauty is nice—and I think you’re beautiful—but prettiness doesn’t matter if it’s just a shell. It’s everything you are underneath that makes my heart pound and my hands ache to touch you everywhere.”
She inhaled sharply. Was it possible for Bel’s breath to suck his soul straight from his body? Because that was how he felt. “My heart is pounding, too,” she whispered, inching closer.
Hope swelled in Carver’s chest. “Then kiss me. Come closer and kiss me here.” He touched his mouth. “But if you kiss me, my hands will be on you. Iwilltouch you. And we’ll both like it.”
A sun-flare glow built on her skin. She tamed it quickly, but still, she hesitated. “What about your back?”
Carver quirked a brow. “You can kiss my back another time. I’m sure we’ll both like that, too.”
Bel loosed a reluctant smile, which felt like another victory. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“The only torture is not touching you, holding you, kissing you. Please.” Gods, he’d beg for her. It wasn’t even hard. Never reaching for wine anymore was hard. Leaving his family was hard. Begging for Bel to choosethemcame as naturally as breathing.
White-hot magic swirled around her. “Carver…”
“Iknowthis is right. I know it in ways I can’t even begin to describe—like it was written inside me all along, but I couldn’t read the words. We’re always gravitating toward each other, even if it’s only to collide, ricochet off, then bounce back for more. You leave me wound so tight. Every day. Every night. We spar with weapons and words, but it’s not enough. Not anymore.” A need that was so much more than just physical desire blunted every other ache in his body. Low, sure, he said, “This has been in the making since the day we met. You must know that. What are you afraid of? Tell me, and we’ll figure it out. Or…tell me I’m wrong, and I won’t push you again.”
She clamped her mouth shut. Hesitation and obvious worry dampened her fire; then her words tumbled out in a rush. “I’m afraid I’ll be a terrible kisser. I’m afraid you’ll realize you made a horrible mistake. I’m afraid you’ll wish you never came here. I’m afraid you’ll regret everything—that you’ll regret…me.” She paled, distress in her eyes. Then she pressed her lips together again, swallowing hard.
“None of that will happen.” He gently shook his head. “I followed you here because I wanted to. I haven’t regretted it once. All I want now is to finish our mission so we can put it behind us and build a life.”
Her sliding step back in response struck him like a punch to thestomach. “What if I kiss like a donkey? What if I’m stiff as a board and awkward during…”—she went flame red—“intercourse.”
“I’d have to kiss a donkey to get a fair comparison, but why don’t we take it one step at a time and leave farm animals out of the bed?”
She stopped her slow glide away from him and scowled. “You’re laughing at me.”
“Barely.” Carver smiled because she made him happy, not because he wanted to mock her fears. “And I have no doubt you’ll be a natural once you try. You’re infuriatingly good at everything you do. It’s hard work keeping up with you. Look how fast you learned to use and control that new magic. Just days? I’ve been around enough Magoi to know it usually takes weeks.Months.Kissing—and lovemaking—will be no different. Practice makes perfect.” And all he wanted was to start.
A kaleidoscope of embarrassment, apprehension, and interest careened across her face. “You mean, you learn as you go?”
He nodded. “We’ll learn together.”
Her gaze turned wary even as what he hoped were eager flames raced through her hair. “But you already know.”
“I knew one person a long time ago.” Moving toward her, Carver gave in to the overwhelming urge to reach out and cup her cheeks. It wasn’t a seductive touch. It was comfort, reassurance. He needed it, too. “I want to learnyou.”
