I turned onto my side so quickly that it knocked my books and Nuvri right off me in the process. “Hey,” I whispered, carefully stroking his hair.
As I did, I saw his scales retreating elsewhere too. So quickly.
In moments, they were gone from view everywhere.
“Darling little Ifrit,” he croaked again, his soft sleepy smile widening.
“Do you need water? Is your throat dry?” I asked, pushing up into a sitting position, then conjuring a glass before he even answered.
A strained chuckle escaped him and he went to reach out for it.
“No, here, sit up first, or you’ll choke,” I told him. I went to wrap my arms around him to help him up, but then I stopped myself. “Wait. Are you fully healed? The organ damage? Broken bones?”
I mean, I figured that was how he’d woken up—he’d recovered. But what if it had just been a partial job, like he’d forced himself out of it sooner than he should have?
I needed to be sure. I wasn’t gonna risk touching him with any pressure beyond a careful caress and end up causing him damage. It had been bad enough in the Crown Palace right after that brutality he’d endured when I’d caught him as he’d collapsed, while he’d had so many broken bones and everything. At least the pain had been dulled because of that spell, but that would have worn off by now.
“Healed fully, merely a little parched.”
He sat up then. Yeah, a little wearily, but in a just-woken-up way, not showing any signs of pain. He smiled at me and I handed him the glass of water.
He took a couple of slow sips, then downed the entire thing. “Much better.”
I dematerialized the empty glass, and then I couldn’t wait any longer, and threw my arms around him.
“I’m so very sorry you had to endure that,” he breathed, as I clutched at him.
“Me?” I asked, pulling back a little to see his face.
There was so much regret and pain marring his expression.
“You’re the one who went through that insane hell.”
“I know it was an ordeal for you also… to witness that being inflicted upon someone you love.”
“Don’t even say that. I only care about you.”
He brushed his lips over my cheek. “Shh, it’s all okay now. It’s done with. I’m well. Better and right here with you.”
Emotion threatened to get the best of me and I buried my face in his shoulder.
He stroked my back up and down, my hair, my nape, sending soothing sparks through me that had a peaceful moan escaping me.
Then I was startling—and grinning into his shoulder—as his free hand fondled my ass. “I do relish these on you. These tight little shimmering things and you forgoing a shirt were certainly a titillating view to wake up to.”
A thrill went through me and I had to stop myself from rocking against him.
He’d just woken up.
And given the timing and my reactions, I knew he was doing this to take my mind off the rest.
I eased back to see mirth shining in his eyes.
“Well, you in just a pair of black leather-like boxer briefs isn’t an easy thing to just swallow down either.” Especially given that the view and him now hardening a little under my gaze, had me wanting to swallow down something else entirely.
Damn fucking seductive Basilisk prince.
If Evira walked in here right now in her silver negligee and Win in that skin-tight cobalt-blue tee, I’d melt into a fucking puddle right here on the bed.
