Kaz laughed. “You think we don’t notice? Em, you stare at her all day, and you completely shut down when we hear her having fun with Altair. Plus, the way you healed her after the bandit attack…biting your thumb like that? Boy, you had me all hot and bothered.” She fanned her face. “Altair was about two seconds away from murdering you. I think the only one whodoesn’tknow is Iyana.”
Groaning, Emmeric wiped a hand over his face. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. She’s with Altair.”
“There’s something about him that doesn’t smell right…”
“Well, he’s a star. I doubt you’ve encountered one before.”
Kaz smacked him lightly. “I just mean I don’t trust him. Not completely.”
“I don’t either.” Emmeric sighed. “I thought I was the only one, so I’m really glad you said that. But…heisteaching Iyana, and he seems to make her happy. So hopefully we’re worrying for no reason.”
“I hope so.” Kaz beamed up at him. “I’m still rooting for you crazy kids, though. If you two ever get together, let me know if you wanna have a good time, the three of us.”
Emmeric chuckled. “We’ll see. If that ever happens, and it’s a long shot, we’ll revisit it then.”
“You got a deal, grumps.”
He tucked the shifter in tighter to his body. “I’ve been wondering, what is Kaz short for?”
“Nothing. It’s just Kaz.”
Emmeric gave her an incredulous look. “It’s got to be short for something. Kazisa?”
Kaz let out a hearty laugh, her entire body shaking with the sound. “Tell you what, Em. You guess it correctly and I’ll owe you one sexual favor. Anything you want.”
He smiled. “Well, now I have to get it right. Pharkaz?”
“Pharkaz? Are you serious?”
He chuckled, and Kaz yawned widely.
“Let’s get some sleep.”
Emmeric blew out the candle and settled in, entwined with Kaz. He had missed the sensation of skin touching skin, the weight of her arm over his chest comforting. Iyana briefly forgotten, Emmeric drifted off quickly—there were no dreams.
Chapter 33
Iyana
Something burned in her chest as she watched Emmeric leave hand-in-hand with Kaz. It was too much like jealousy for Iyana’s liking. The emotion was forgotten as Altair leaned into her further, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear. Goosebumps erupted on her arms.
“Do you want to go sleep in the bed I promised you?” His voice was low, husky. Her throat suddenly dried, but she managed a nod. Throughout their journey, Altair had kept his promise about not taking her for the first time on the forest floor. However, that hadn’t stopped him from pleasuring her in other ways, all the while never allowing her to touch or explore his body. Iyana swore he used magic in his fingers. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this amazing simply from a man’s hands. A shiver raced through her when he nipped at her ear.
Altair led the way up to their room, Iyana tucked into his side. Her stomach flipped in anticipation. Altair unlocked the door and guided her inside with a hand on her lower back. The room was small, but adorable and warm. A bed stood in the center of the wall opposite to the door, and a hearth was off to the right, a fire already blazing. Two wingback chairs faced the fireplace. A bathing chamber was on the left side of the room, and Iyana noticed the edge of a bathtub. The walls and floor were all a dark wood, completing the picture of a cozy northern home. She hadn’t seen the bar cart to the side of the door, but clinking bottles caught her attention. Altair stood there, pouring himself a finger of bourbon and slinging it down. In a silent invitation, he held the glass out to her, but she shook her head.Cider and wine she could drink, but anything stronger at the moment would make her vomit. Especially with the acrobatics her stomach was performing.
Altair stalked towards her. He didn’t scare Iyana, but the intensity in his eyes drove her backwards, taking a step away for every one he took towards her. Suddenly, the wall was behind her and Altair was in her space, sparks flying between them. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, hand sliding behind her neck as he inched closer until their bodies were flush. The butterflies in her stomach took flight, anxiety rising to the surface. Why should she be anxious? She trusted Altair with her life, and she wanted him badly, but now the moment was here and real. Iyana worried what it would mean. Would it change anything between them? Maybe he only wanted to do this with her once. Or maybe it meant nothing to him, when it would mean everything to her. It was too late for her to separate her emotions from sex.
“I should probably bathe,” she said, breathless. “We’ve been on the road so long, I’m disgusting.”
“You could never be disgusting, my star.” His golden eyes flashed brightly, dipping to her lips. “And the things I’m planning to do with you? We’ll be better off bathing later.” Heat bloomed in Iyana’s stomach, quickly dropping to her core. Altair stood there, lips a hairbreadth away from hers, waiting for her to close the distance. If she told him she’d changed her mind, she knew he would stop, no questions asked. And just like that, her nerves were gone.
Rising onto her toes, she pressed her lips to his, softly. He kissed her back slowly, fingers tangled in her hair. Iyana smoothed her hands over his chest to behind his neck. The warmth in her core intensified. Pulling him towards her, she deepened their kiss, licking at his lower lip. Altair sighed and followed her lead. His tongue ran along hers while his grip on her hair tightened, tilting her head back to the exact right angle. Iyana moaned into his mouth.
Suddenly desperate, she broke away to tug his shirt off him, then removed her own before resuming their hungry kiss. They came together with primal desire—teeth clashing, tongues warring with each other. She nipped at his lower lip, and he growled in response. Altair picked her up, hands on her ass, and pressed her back against the wall. The cool wood was in direct contrast to the heat coming from Altair’s chest. Iyana wrapped her legs around him, feeling the hard length of his desire and rocking against it. Soft curves met hard muscle, and she relished the sensation of her skin against his. He trailed warm kisses down her neck and collarbone, sucking on the one spot that was simply divine, then lifting her enough to take her breast into his mouth. She threw her head back, moaning as he sucked on her nipple. Iyana threaded her fingers through his hair while he moved his mouth to her other breast. A hand left her ass to massage and pinch at her exposed nipple. The slight pain mixed with pleasure was heady. A primal need curled low in her stomach.
Soon she found herself thrown onto her back on the bed, Altair dragging her pants off. Fleetingly, she recognized the softness and comfort of the bed, but Altair had fully snared her attention. Sitting up, she reached for his pant laces, only for him to force her back down.
“Not yet, astalle,” he growled. He took her nipple into his mouth again, tongue swirling. Iyana’s back rose off the bed at the sensation. A firm hand kept her in place as he kissed and licked his way down her stomach. When he reached her core, he stopped, leering up at her with a wicked smile. Her breath caught at the sight. Then he was devouring her, his tongue licking up her center before sucking on her clit. A shock of pleasure ricocheted through her entire body. Iyana’s breathing grew erratic, and she tugged at Altair’s hair, keeping him right where she wanted him.
