“Thank you for saving Ryals.”
She turns and gives me a genuine smile—not a smirk, likeshe usually does when we verbally volley. “Thank you for saving me from being embarrassed at the ball.”
“Let me guess, your ex was one of those who dumped you because of the magic.”
Her moods shifts at the mention of her ex, and this won’t do. I bend my right leg and drop my arm onto my knee. “Now. You and I have things to discuss.”
Her face falls even more. “I know. You have to stop the joining; otherwise, your people will hate you. Did you see the way they looked at me? Like I’d made those horses go crazy on purpose.”
“Who cares about them?”
She frowns and sits up. “You care about them. You told me so. You said that you needed them.”
“I do, but everything’s not ruined. There are still two more ceremonies to go, along with the solstice ball.”
“Two more? So you’re not dumping me?”
“How can I? We’re still joined.”
“Right.”
Her gaze flicks to my mouth and I smile. Before she starts poking around with questions about breaking the joining, I lift my brows. “We need to discuss your magic.”
“I don’t have any.”
“That’s not true.”
She tips her head in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“You’ve got magic. It’s just buried deep inside you.”
Addison squints at me. “Have you lost your mind?”
“No.”
I lean over and press my hand to the base of her throat. Her skin flushes crimson, and her heart thrums beneath my palm. Underneath her flesh, deep in the center of her core, there’s a pulse. I could be wrong, but I don’t think so.
Her eyes flare from the spark that kindles between us. Ishake my head. “I haven’t lost my mind. It’s in there. It’s just never been unlocked.”
Heat creeps up her neck to her cheeks. Addison’s gaze trickles down my arm and to my face. Worry flickers in her eyes. She doesn’t think she can do this. But she can.
The worry in her gaze quickly melts into lust. I should let go before we forget ourselves. But I can’t. All I want to do is run my hands over her, claim her like I intended after the first moment we met.
Not real,I try to remind myself. But when she glances shyly at me, the last bits of ice encasing my heart shatter.
I am undone. There’s no use denying the feelings buried inside of me. The ones I’ve tried to tamp down and chase away are real. This isn’t the joining. It can’t be, because Addison is shattering me bit by bit, and for the first time in years I’m not afraid to bear the mantle of meaning something to a woman.
And in return, having her mean something to me.
“I’m going to help you find your magic.”
She laughs bitterly, the tilt of her head suggesting that I’m joking. When I don’t budge, she asks, “How?”
“First agree to let me help you.”
She huffs and pulls away from my hand. Her mouth quirks like she wants to say something sarcastic. It even shines in her eyes. But after a beat she drags her gaze from the blanket and pins it onto me.
“You believe in me?”
