“Yes,” I breathed, meeting his eyes, tilting my head back against the wood of the door, hoping I appeared calm and collected and not like I wanted to come out of my skin and crawl into his.
“You’ve had my mind in knots all morning,” he confessed to me, his breath a caress against the side of my cheek as he leaned down. The tip of his nose trailed along my jaw. I felt the bite of his teeth on my neck as his words made warmth bloom.
I’d done that to him? It relieved me to know that he felt the same, then.
“Have you been replaying it in your mind?” I teased gently.My hands came to his chest, and I curled my fingers so that my nails dragged against the material of his vest as I trailed them down. And down. And down…
Alaryk’s breath hitched, a Hartan curse whispered against my skin, before his teeth squeezed harder. I teased my nail across the leather laces of his trews, hearing a ragged sound drop from his lips. I could feel the heat of his cock just below the material, perfectly hard, and my hand nearly curled on instinct, wanting him in my grasp.
He tore my hand away, wrapping his palms around my wrists, giving them a warning squeeze.
I nearly grinned in satisfaction, seeing his frustration on display. The only thing that had it dying on my face was that I was denyingmyselftoo.
It was fascinating to watch Daylight Alaryk regain his brief slip of control. And I was only mildly disappointed when he moved away. It was for the best. Another moment more and he might’ve been deep inside me, his thrusts banging me against the door, alerting the entire hatchery to what we were up to.
The burn of embarrassment made my cheeks heat, thinking about how I would never be able to look Tarkosh in the eye again.
“Did you bring me in here just to kiss me a little?” I asked.
“No,” he rasped, once he was back in control. “Your guard stays with you at all times.”
“Ahh, so you came to reprimand me,” I said, my heart still throbbing in my throat as I rubbed my finger against my slightly swollen lips. “Your favorite thing. Well…one of them.”
“That’s our deal,” Alaryk said sternly, eyes rapt on my lips.
I didn’t know what made me do it. Maybe it was the indifferent stiffness with which he held himself, when he’d been passion and tremblingneedjust moments before.
I was getting better at calling my magic forward, especially when Alaryk was near. I felt it drift up, all around me like a veil,simmering in the air between us, making Alaryk cut me a sharp look when he could feel it too.
“Amaia,” he warned.
I envisioned it trailing against his skin, like my own touch, stroking him in all the places I wanted to, to see if I could scrub away some of his coldness.
Alaryk closed his eyes, his jaw twitching, and I nearly smiled in accomplishment.
“If you’re trying to distract me?—”
“It’s working?” I finished for him, a tendril of smugness entering my tone.
His eyes opened. I thought I spied a little amusement in them.
“Amaia,” he murmured. And I finally let it drop.
“I’m getting better at it, don’t you think?” I asked.
“You are,” Alaryk agreed softly. He sighed, a little of his sternness shaking away, when he tipped my chin up to his. “Promise me you won’t try to convince your guards to leave you be. They’re there for a reason.”
“It’s sweet how much you worry about me.”
Alaryk blew out a sharp sigh.
“Fine.” Then I remembered something. “Did you know that Brune was sent away from the croplands?”
His lips pressed. “Myzalla informed me this morning.”
“And Nevin?”
He drew himself up to his full height. “Myzalla thought it might be best for him to stay away from the other acolytes while we settle things in Grymia. Temporarily.”
