She looked into his eyes, mesmerized. A palpable energy thrummed between them. Her body ignited, her flesh sizzling with need as his gaze dropped to her lips. Taryn’s pupils darkened as he drank her in, and suddenly the energy shifted into something more primal.
Airess reached out her hand to his scarred temple, her fingers running along the side of his face and resting at his jaw, never breaking eye contact. She had never touched a male like this before.
Taryn groaned.
He wasted no time. He cupped her face, fingers running through her hair. Their bodies pressed together, legs intertwined. He angled her head up to look at him and ran his thumb over her lips. Subtly, she nodded.
He ran another hand alongside her face, drawing his touch down her neck and to her collarbones, leaving shocks of electricity in his wake. The heat within her burned hotter. She gripped the back of his neck, needing him closer.
Taryn’s nostrils flared, and his eyelids grew heavy. It was a look she had never seen before from him, and the sight of it made the need between her legsache. Airess thought she might burst if he didn’t touch her further–
Taryn pulled back, removing his hands from her body. He cupped her face possessively, and forced her head to look up at him. His arms shook, as if he was trying his best to control himself.
“Say it.” He growled.
The words sent head spreading through her body. Airess lost all breath. All words. Her heart pounded incessantly with a mixture of nerves and excitement. She was utterly enthralled by him.
“Yes–” she breathed out, but her permission was lost on his lips crashing into hers. Electricity ignited her entire body at the contact. Even herMagickresponded, rising to the forefront of her mind. The kiss was urgent, frantic, even. Taryn tasted like the ocean and earth as their lips moved together in perfect sync. She let out a breathless moan.
Airess hadn’t realized just how much she wanted–neededto kiss him until now.
Taryn shifted, his body hovering over hers in a matter of seconds. His tongue grazed over her lips. Instinctually, she opened for him, their tongues dancing together. Her heart fluttered, never had she ever kissed a male before until now. Her cheeks heated with his hands now weaving into her hair, as if he needed to feel every inch of her.
He broke the kiss, taking a moment to scan her face. His lips were red, hair disheveled. He ran a thumb along her cheekbone.
“Perfect.” He ground out, “You are so damned perfect.”
And then his lips were on her jaw. Her neck. He sucked and nipped the soft flesh between the crook of her neck. Liquid heat pooled between her thighs as she trailed her hands down his muscled chest–
Taryn abruptly pulled back and hissed in pain. Airess’ eyes flew open in shock, immediately drawn to the dragon tattoo on his shoulder now glowing. He rolled to the side, gripping his shoulder with his free hand as he bit down on the quilt to stifle his cries.
Airess sat up quickly, eyes wide as she watched him tremble in pain.
“What’s wrong? What’s happening?”
In between breaths Taryn breathed out, “It’s fine. It’ll –” He grimaced again like he was being flayed from the inside out. “It’ll pass.”
Airess got to her knees and pried Taryn’s hand off his tattoo, revealing the black glow that replaced the red ink. “Oh my gods! What is that?”
She pressed her palm onto the tattoo and gritted her teeth as she feltpain.
His pain.
She held her hand steady and felt it all–felt Taryn’s pain from his childhood, his teenagehood and every terrible moment in between all meshing together to one horrible feeling. In a moment of panic, her hand began to glow, the sparkling light coating her hand like a glove. Without a second thought, Airess pressed her illuminated hand into Taryn’s tattoo.
The black light began to fade.
At last, the pain ebbed away unwillingly. Resentfully. Taryn grabbed Airess' wrist lightly and moved it off his arm. “How did you do that?” He whispered coarsely.
“I don’t know.” Airess admitted, removing the quilt off Taryn and instinctively wiping the bead of sweat off his brow. “Are you okay? What just happened?”
Taryn closed his eyes and sat up slowly in the bed, shifting his body to face her. “There’s something you should know.”
Airess sat back, her knees touching his in a comfortable vicinity. Her brows drew together in response.
“I did more than swear a simple Oath to the Mrkynian Guild when I was a teenager. I swore my loyalty with the Oathmark.” Taryn raised his bicep and ran his fingers along the tattoo.
“I didn’t understand what it meant at the time. I thought I was getting a tattoo to prove my loyalty and willingness. Little did I know, I had made the biggest mistake of my life.
