Then she’s collecting more stardust. My heart trips, and I wonder if I didn’t succeed in protecting her.
“Lor?”
“Yeah,” she says absently.
“Did it work?”
Lor pauses sifting through the dirt and leaves to look up at me, her brows scrunched. “Did what work?”
“My fire. Are you still working for that man?” I don’t know why I’m so nervous, but it kind of feels like I’ve done something wrong and am about to get in trouble for it.
Lor stands and walks over to me, dusting her hands off on her pants.
“Ro,” she says, her words slow and deliberate. “Thank you for protecting me, but if you ever pull something like that again, I’m going to chop. Off. Your hands.”
My eyes go wide as she speaks, then I sag with relief at her last words.
“Why the hell do you look relieved?” she exclaims.
“I thought you were going to say my dick!”
Lor snorts a laugh as she turns away. “Nah, I enjoy that too much to chop it off.”
A manic grin spreads over my face as I skip after her. “Oh yeah? You like my cock, do you?”
“Are you fishing for compliments, Ro?”
“From you? Always.”
Lor stops and turns to me again. “Yes, you’ve got a great cock, and you know how to use it. I certainly like that. But what I like more isyou, Ro.”
She places her hand on my chest, and it feels like she’s the one with fire. My smile drops as I take note of her serious tone.
“When I got that phone call…” she trails off, then swallows hard. “I’ve lost everyone in my life that I’ve ever cared for, Ro. Everyone.”
Her eyes bore into mine, like she’s trying to will my understanding. My stomach plummets when I realize what she’s saying. She thought she lost me too.
I drop to my knees and scoop her toward me, banding my arms around her thighs. Lor’s body is rigid with tension, and I press my forehead to her bare stomach.
“I’m so sorry, Lor. I wasn’t thinking about getting caught. I just needed you to be safe, and when I saw him threatening you… I’m sorry.”
“I know, I understand,” she says. Her fingers thread through my hair, then she sinks to her knees in front of me. Her dark grey eyes meet mine, and I hate how heavy they are.
“I would never abandon you. Never, Lor.”
I take in her wary posture, the way she seems to be fighting against her own instincts. Her hard swallow and jerky nod. The glassy sheen to her eyes.
“Starfire,” I whisper, cupping her cheek. “I would sell myself to hell to keep you safe. I’d burn down the world for you.”
“Please don’t,” she whispers, her words choked. “Just stay with me. That’s all I want.”
I press a soft kiss to her forehead, then pull back with a tender smile. “Don’t you know? I’m yours. I’m hopelessly in love with you, Lor.”
Her glassy eyes round and she starts to pull back, but I scoop her up and cross my legs, then plop her into my lap.
“And neither of us is going anywhere. I don’t expect you to say it back, not ever if you don’t want to. But Lor…” I trail off, waiting for her to gather the courage to meet my eyes again.
When she does, I grin extra wide, showing way too many teeth, and her eyes turn the slightest bit wary.
