Outside, the mountains vibrate the same harmony back, as if the world itself has joined the song.
Chapter
Twenty
JOSEPHINE
“Well?” Ash drawls, lifting up onto one elbow with a lazy grin.
“Well, what?” I ask, still basking in the warmth shuttling between us.
“Did the forbidden Wildblood resonance live up to your anthropology theories?”
My finger traces his tattoo, feeling the press against my own collarbone.
He chuckles at my wonder, eyes flashing heat. Mind churning over what I’m feeling. Pure delight at this bond.
“It was alright,” I tease, chasing shimmers across his tattoos. Not so bold now, but still permeable, almost like I can feel through them.
“Just alright?” he says with a glorious stretch, smug-faced because he knows I’m still shaking.
“A decent start.” I fight the grin that captures my mouth. “Though I’ll have to collect more research. Really dig into the data before I can come to any conclusions.”
His chest vibrates with a soft growl. Both a warning and a promise. “I’ll help youcometo a conclusion any time you like.”
I press my palm against his hot flesh, still so warm from the bond. Like me.
“Have to admit,” he says, eyes drifting to my breasts when I draw back the covers to let my body cool. “This is nothing like what they say.”
“How do you mean?” I ask, watching his head dip again, licking and sucking.
When my breath catches, pulse starting to climb behind my ribs, his eyes meet mine.
“The first Wildbloods warned of the resonance. Saw it as weakness and vulnerability. Avoided it like the plague.”
“Well, this isnotthat.”
“Nope.”
His hand slides through my hair, gently untangling the damp curls. “I like how your hair changes in the rain. Thought it was straight before.”
“That’s because I use a straightening iron.”
“A what?” He scrunches his nose.
“For an ancient man, you still have a lot to learn.”
His mouth drops to mine, murmuring against my mouth. “For a twenty-something, you have a lot to teach me.”
His hand comes up, sliding over the hollow where my waist meets my hip.
“Oh, don’t touch there,” I say too fast, trying to pull away. But his hand grips tighter.
“Shame. Insecurity. That’s what I felt.” His eyes narrow. “Tell me why.”
“Because…” I try to mince words, realizing emotions are already bleeding through. That actually this could be?—
“Frustrating? Complicated?” He waggles an eyebrow.
