Pyetar’s lips parted, his brow tugged up in a look of hope.
Iryana clenched her hands tightly. “Now, everything is stacked against us, and if we try this and I lose you again, I will know exactly what I’m missing. What if we’re found out and we ruin the alliance?”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“What? Why not?”
Pyetar shook his head at her, pale blue eyes dripping with desperation. “You never gave up on your family. Every time things grew impossible, you figured it out. You are far too stubborn to not give something your all. If you decide I’m yours, even just in this room, I don’t believe any force in the world could stop you.”
“And you’d be satisfied with that?” she asked weakly. “Not seeing me for weeks, maybe months at a time? Having to pretend in front of your soldiers? Who’s saying we’ll be able to find time alone very often?
Pyetar stood. “Iryana, I wasn’t able to fight for what I wanted for years. I stopped trying. It wasn’t until you that I realized I couldn’t keep living like that. If you tell me to fight for you, I will never stop.”
Iryana shuddered as her fears dimmed under the strength of his words.
It was such a terrible idea, would probably only hurt worse. Only cause trouble. But he didn’t want the brigade, didn’t want to be general. He only wantedher. And though she’d likely regret it, she wanted him, no matter how little she could have.
“Fight for me then, Pyetar.”
A breath shot out of him, his eyes fluttering shut in relief.Fight for me then; it was like those words released something in him.
With long strides, Pyetar was in front of her, pulling her against him. Leaning down to press his mouth to hers.
Her fingers trailed over his strong jaw and into his soft brown hair, holding him tighter to her. She could feel the strength in his muscles around her—warm and safe and hers.
She moved her mouth against his urgently. Her whole body nearly trembled as all the want she’d locked away poured out at once. She had never kissed him like this, without some part of her begging her to stop. It was intoxicating.
Pyetar lifted her up easily, and she wrapped her legs around him, groaning as she felt him pressed against her.
“I’ve missed you,” he said against her neck, dragging fervent kisses along her skin. “Oh gods, how I’ve dreamed about this.”
Iryana tilted her head to the side so he could continue his path under her jaw.
“I’ve been trying really hard not to think about you,” she admitted.
“How has that been going for you?” he teased, nipping her ear.
“Very. Very. Bad.”
“Good.” Pyetar sat down on the couch, Iryana in his lap, and chuckled. She felt free.
She pulled his mouth back to hers, smiling against his lips. Feeling lighter than she could ever remember feeling.
Pyetar pulled back enough to look at her, his hands cupping her head. “The entire time my brother held us captive, I knew you would come for us. I was so scared you were going to get yourself killed. I had nightmares about it, ones that didn’t stop when I was awake. Your desire to save your family had made you reckless before, and I—I was terrified.”
Iryana smiled, cupping his hands with her own.
“Even if it were only you, I would have done anything to get you out.” She tugged his shirt over his head and ran her hands down his muscled chest. “I didn’t think he would hurt my family. Use them as bait or to negotiate, maybe. But you?” She shuddered at the memory of that fear.
“When I was dragged into that square and I saw you standing there, challenging him, I thought I was going to watch him kill you. And there was nothing I could do.” His whole body was tensing, and she could see the remnants of that horror slipping onto his face.
“It’s over now, and I’m okay,” she reminded him softly, pulling him in for another kiss.
His mouth moved slowly at first, crushing her against him, but it wasn’t long before his fingers were digging into her thighs and Iryana was rolling her hips against his.
Things would be different with him. Things had always been different with him. Now that they had given into this, she needed to give into all the things she had denied herself.
Pyetar’s hands were just as urgent, pulling her clothes off until he was holding her naked against him. The feeling was bliss. His chest was hot against her skin, and she tucked her legs against him so that as much of their skin was touching as possible. It was like slipping into a hot spring on a cold winter day.
