Chapter 49
Enargite
TEO
Estela’s laughter follows us through the caves. Someone cleaned my suite while we were out, and I absently wonder who had shown us this kindness while we were at our meeting. The curiosity fades as I slam the door and cross the room to throw her onto the bed.
The shoulder of her dress goes askew, and she looks up at me with pure heat. It makes my own desire pique, and I admire the flush of her cheeks, the wildness of her hair, and the heave of her chest.
“I told you that you would never be taken from me again,” I say as I grab the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head.
Her eyes trace the movement, and I feel the flurry of emotions passing between us when she bites her lip.
”But I was taken,” she admits for the first time since we woke. “I died.”
I shake my head. “You were never going to be truly gone.”
Tears well up, and I decide that the time for tears has long since passed.
Tearing at the laces that hold my pants, I pull them off whilesimultaneously kicking off my shoes. Then I kneel by the bed, like a man prepared to meet his deity.
Estela props herself up on her forearms, watching me with hungry eyes.
I push up the cloth covering her ankles and then begin to remove her shoes. Each touch is possessive, but I feel how my pretty woman enjoys the attention I lavish upon her. I smile when her chest catches while taking a breath.
We have time,I say through the bond, and I mean it. Every second spent together will only be multiplied.
Estela bites her lip. “But?—”
I lean forward, pressing a finger to her mouth.
She sends me images of elves and darkness and every other harsh thing that swirls in the world outside.
Shaking my head, I begin to ease her out of her clothes. At the point of each undone fastening , I plant a soft kiss and whisper a promise through our bond.
At her shoulder, I say,I will protect you until the end of our days.
At her hip,I’ll hold you tight throughout the months to come.
At her knee,You need not fear for my life either.
A part of her lurks on the other end, wanting to contest each promise. So I grab each of her arms and put them above her head. She gasps at the sudden movement, but her heart races and her legs press together.
Harsh movements are not something I use often with my star, but perhaps I should move quickly more often.
For a second, I take her in.
Her skin glows in the dim room, and I memorize every curve of muscle and substance. My unoccupied hand skims across her skin, stopping to rub my thumb over her nipple.
She writhes beneath me.
“Teo,” she mews helplessly, grabbing my tail.
I shudder at her touch, but she pauses at the since shaven tip.
Her gasp is delicious.
I smile and brush my thumb over her lips.
