“I’m still getting used to that,” she admits.
“You will.”
“And you’re certain it won’t burn down the inn if I get distracted?”
A faint smile touches my mouth.
“I would recommend avoiding dramatic emotional revelations near wooden structures.”
“That sounds like experience speaking.”
“Extensive experience.”
Her laughter fades into something quieter as she studies my face again. The teasing warmth between us slowly deepens into something else, something softer and more charged all at once.
The candle beside the bed shines gently, throwing slow shadows across the small room as the silence stretches between us. Elowen takes a slow breath.
Her hand, which still rests lightly against my chest, drifts upward until her fingers curl loosely at the collar of my shirt. The movement is absentminded at first, almost thoughtful, as if she is tracing the shape of the moment rather than deciding what to do with it.
Her gaze lifts to mine. For a heartbeat she simply looks at me.
Then her fingers tighten slightly in the fabric. The shift is subtle, but through the bond it lands with unmistakable clarity.
I reach up without thinking, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her cheek where the evening wind had left it tangled. My knuckles skim lightly along her jaw as I tuck it behind her ear.
Elowen leans into the touch before she seems to realize she is doing it.
Her eyes close briefly.
When they open again they are softer.
“You’re very warm,” she murmurs quietly.
“Infernal side effect.”
“That must make winter convenient.”
“It has advantages. Want to feel them?”
Her lips twitch faintly. The color in her cheeks deepens just slightly.
“Then you should probably stop thinking so much.”
“And what would you suggest instead?”
Her gaze flicks briefly to my mouth before returning to my eyes.
“Maybe less talking.”
The bond flares warmly with the shift in her thoughts. That is all the invitation I need. I lean down and kiss her.
The moment our lips meet, the quiet tension that had been building between us dissolves completely. She exhales softly against my mouth, her hands sliding up to grip the front of myshirt as she pulls closer. The kiss deepens slowly, unhurried but full of warmth.
“Threx,” she murmurs softly when we finally break for breath.
“Yes, princess?”
“That was definitely less talking.”
