All thought vanishes when his mouth crashes into mine.
Our kiss in the forest was sweet.
This one, though—
This one is a force.
Like he can say through lips alone,Believe how much I want you.
As his arms come around me to hold me up under the onslaught of more feelings than I can stand, I admit this is very persuasive, even if I still can’t quite believe that this is somehow happening. Not inmylife.
But it is beyond me to stop him. To try to convince him that no, really, he doesn’t like me, he’s just in a midlife crisis and I happened to be here and he’ll surely get fed up with me, just give it time—
As though he can feel my doubts, though, Kovan breaks off our kiss as I strain toward him, embarrassing myself.
But he doesn’t draw away. He kisses me again, and again, softer now, as his arms tighten around me.
And when he finally pulls away again it is only to murmur, “I more than simply like you, Tasa,” Kovan says. “Allow me to show you how much.”
Oh gods.
He’s going to destroy me. I’m already practically in love with him, and he’s going to ruin me for anyone else—
“Tasa.” He kisses me again. “Yes?”
There’s only one answer I have it in me to give. “Yes,” I whisper.
Pressed close to him like this, Ifeelhim shudder with my verbal consent.
And despite it all, that makes me feel a little more powerful.
Then Kovan scoops me up in his arms like carrying me is absolutely trivial and stalks toward the bedroom.
“How are you this strong when you spend your days doing magic?!” I demand.
Kovan huffs his amusement as he settles onto my bed with me in his lap. “Sages train every day. Our forms are physical, because the work we do is in the physical world.”
Then he smirks at me and says, “Let me show you what I can do.”
Oh gods, like I needed to bemoreimpressed—
But Kovan picks me up and maneuvers me so I’m straddling him, and I gasp at the feel of his length against me, already half-hard.
I rock against him, reflexively, and his smirk drops off with a groan of satisfaction.
“Are we really doing this?” I whisper.
This time, for once, I think we’re having the same conversation, because Kovan just takes my face in his hands and says, “Yes. For as long as you want me, yes.”
Hisconsent, this time.
And it makes me just bold enough to whisper, “Then touch me?”
The gold of his eyes actually flashes, I definitely did not make that up, and then his mouth is on mine again.
But his hands—his handsmove.
One arm circles behind me, holding me against him.
