Heat flared in her chest. At him calling her Love for the first time.Gods.“I want this. I wantyou.”
His mouth was on hers again. Taryn grabbed her thigh and hiked her leg up, then her dress, and pinned her upright against the balcony wall. He grazed his fingers against her inner thigh. Airess shuttered. Every part of her was on fyre.
“You know,” he whispered into her ear, fingers slowly creeping up her thigh, “I’ve thought about this moment since you opened that wicked mouth of yours.”
He grazed the sensitive flesh that was her core, and Airess’ head fell back. Taryn yanked her undergarment to the side and moaned as he began to stroke the most sensitive part of her. She sighed, breathless. The sensation was almost too much to bear. Never before had she experienced anything sexual, never before had she been so exposed to a male.
Every muscle in her body tightened at his touch, and a foreign pleasure budded within her and spread through her entire body. Her world spun, her body flushing and growing hot. Taryn began to trail kisses down her neck and sucked, claiming her as his. Airess gasped as he continued, taking matters further. She had not realized it could get any better than this.
Airess felt him smile against her neck as she shook, the feeling intensifying. Airess slid a hand under his tunic, her breaths quickening. Taryn moved faster, his touch both possessive and careful. She didn’t know how much longer she could last.
Taryn lifted his head and looked at her through his lashes. He tilted her chin up to look at him. The damn bastard was smirking.
“Look at me.”
Three words, and Airess was unraveling. She moaned as her pleasure reached its peak, but kept eye contact with him. Taryn drank her in, eyes roaming down her face with a devious half smile upon his lips. When her breaths evened, his grip on her waste loosened, and he withdrew.
Airess gasped for breath and reached for his belt, intending to go further, but Taryn seized her wrist.
“As much as I would love to take you right here on this patio, I prefer to be away from spectators, under the stars, only the Gods as our witness,” Taryn tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as he lowered his voice. “And if you tempt me now, I won’t be able to uphold that.”
The words sent shivers down her spine. Airess loosened a breath and slumped against the wall, wordless. She watched the corners of Taryn’s mouth upturn into a slight smile as he took a slight step back.
“What is it?”
Taryn didn’t hesitate. “I want you to know I didn’t leave the guest house today to avoid resolving our differences,” he explained as he fished in his pocket, and pulled out a small, wooden box. “I know I let my power get out of control on the beach, and for that I am so, so sorry. You must know I wouldneverendanger you. I am still learning the scope of my power. I wanted to make it up to you, in the way you deserve.”
Taryn opened the box, and inside it was a gilded piece of jewelry. Airess’ heart pounded as Taryn withdrew it from the box.
“I know your birthday is tomorrow, but I couldn’t wait. Happy twenty-first birthday, Love.”
It was a bracelet. The gilded chain was delicate, but it was the center of the jewelry that caught her eye. In the center was a small, delicate sun adorned with tiny, red rubies that glittered in the pale moonlight that cascaded down upon them from above. Airess’ mouth parted open as she looked back up at him.
“The sun is to represent your familial house. I spent the entire day crafting this with the blacksmith in town, along with this,” he said, laughing nervously. Taryn’s eyes were warm as he retrieved a second item out of the box. It was one copper earring, similar to the one Taryn wore, only it wasn’t a lightning bolt. It was a small, dangling star. Her breath hitched, and her eyes shot to his ear. He had replaced his elemental earring with a crescent moon symbol, the other half to hers.
Airess’ eyes brimmed with tears.
“Taryn,” Airess started, voice breaking slightly. She was overcome with emotion, at the thoughtfulness of his gift. Giftshehad made. The bracelet was breathtaking. The earring was stunning, entirely unique, and she was honored he was sharing a part of his culture with her.
“I’ve never been gifted anything like it. They are beautiful. Thank youso much,” she exclaimed and rose on her tiptoes. She cupped Taryn’s face with her hands and kissed him softly. Although they hadn’t solidified the mating bond, there was not a doubt in her mind that she wanted to, and soon. He wrapped his arm around her before pulling away, gripping her wrist lightly.
“Allow me,” he said, and fastened the bracelet onto her wrist. She looked at it in awe, twisting her wrist and watching the rubies glitter in the night. Taryn swept her hair back and fastened the earring onto her ear, the other half to his.
Taryn smiled and backed up a step. He held out his arm, as if he was about to ask her to dance. Then, Airess heard a whirring sound. Something landed and hit Taryn in the back. His eyes widened in surprise and he spun around to face their assailants. Upon turning, she saw a tiny arrow embedded in his shoulder.
Neither of them managed to react in time before another arrow zipped by and hit Airess in the thigh. She hissed as Taryn drew out a dagger she didn’t know he was wearing and stood defensively in front of her. Whatever drug the arrows had been injected with had made Airess’ body feel so heavy, she could barely keep her eyes open. She took a disorienting step forward to do something,anything, but it was no use.
They both faltered, falling to the ground together as the whole world went black.
Chapter 38
A stolen Death. A touch of Fyre.
An earth rebirthed to be made from desire.
— The book of Tevye
Taryn
