Merrick dismissed the others from the room. The door clicked shut behind them, leaving us alone in the glow of the sun stabbing through the curtains to make the world sparkle. He strode forward, stopping in front of me.
“You . . . I don't believe I have the right words to describe how beautiful you are.” Emotion gutted his voice and made my belly twitch and spasm in a good way.
He leaned in to kiss me with care, as if he was afraid he'd ruin my delicate hairstyle or smudge the light paint on my face. The contact was tender, yet it sent a surge of heat spiraling through me.
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a slender black case, holding it out to me, his eyes filled with a touch of vulnerability.
“It belonged to my grandmother,” he said softly.
“Not your mother?”
He shook his head. “She prefers bright things, but I think this suits you best.”
I opened the case, and my breath got stuck in my throat. A beautiful silver chain was nestled inside, its delicate links holding a golden pendant shaped like a dragonfly. A solitary, deep-red stone centered on the creature’s back.
I looked up at Merrick, awe and wonder washing over me.
“It's beautiful,” I whispered. “You remembered.”
Merrick's posture loosened, as did his smile. Had he worried I wouldn't like it? “How could I forget? This is a promise. One day soon, we’ll go on an adventure together.”
“Thank you. I love it,” I said.
He gently removed it from the case and stepped around behind me, his warm breath tickling my skin as he secured the chain in place. As the cool golden dragonfly settled against my skin, he leaned forward to kiss my nape. I shivered, a thrill dancing through me as if he was forging a path no one else ever had or ever would travel, as if he was marking me as his alone with a brand that would remain until my dying day.
Coming around to face me, he lifted the pendant, his fingers warm on my skin and his face pensive. He stroked his thumb down the dragonfly’s spine.
“It’s yours now, though it’ll never be as pretty or sweet as you, my queen,” he rasped. Something in his eyes . . . I sensed he ached for me in a way no one else ever had. “I hope it leads you on a great adventure.”
“With you, every journey feels like the destination.” Could he hear my heart in my words?
“Reyla,” he breathed, sliding his arm around my waist and sweeping me against his frame. “If I touch you, I’ll muss your dress. I don’t want to ruin your ladies’ hard work.”
“Who else can mess me up but you?”
He flashed a smile. “You’re right. It’s my duty and honor to mess you up completely.”
“You do that just by existing.”
His arms tightened around me until the warmth of his breath drifted across my face and the pounding of his heart beat against mine. A storm of desire and promise swirled in his green depths. I could taste the anticipation in the air, thick and sweet, as his fingers gently glided along the line of my jaw. My spine quivered, and heat flooded my body. He'd barely touchedme, and I craved him already. I could only imagine how wonderful it would be when we were naked in bed together.
His lips brushed against mine, soft at first, a whisper of what was to come. A gasp escaped me, an invitation, and he deepened the kiss. His hot, hungry mouth explored mine, and the tension in his body told me he could barely hold himself back. His tongue teased mine in a way that both staked his claim on my soul and sent my heart flying in every direction.
His hands slid down, and he pulled me fully against his aroused length. A groan echoed in his throat, vibrating against my mouth, and I answered with one of my own. The world around us blurred, fading away until there was nothing but the two of us, bound together by this kiss that insisted it was time I came to a decision.
When he lifted his head, I saw so much in his eyes. Need. A hint of restraint. And a desire to match my own.
“You look even prettier now, Wildfire,” he rasped. “One day soon . . .”
I nodded. “Soon.”
After tracing his fingertips across my cheek, he lifted the matching gold and red earrings from the case to help me put them on. They felt light, barely there, and they sparkled in the sunlight. I watched him in the mirror, his hands gentle and sure as he secured them in place.
“This can remain.” He tapped the gold and red bracelet he’d left for me on the ship.
It matched the pendant and earrings.
Guilt twinged through my heart. I'd worn the bracelet to cover the mark that appeared on my skin when I first touchedLore, and it was a constant reminder of whatever he and I might share. But as I looked up at Merrick, I shoved aside the worry, determined to focus on the new life that waited for me bythisman’s side.
