My thoughts scatter as his mouth meshes repeatedly with mine. Heat floods through me, sudden and dizzying as his warm, mint breath mingles with my own as I lean in, desperate for more.
“Vivienne,” he breathes my name between kisses, growling again as I touch his sensitive ears.
The forest disappears, leaving behind only the press of his mouth, the strength of his hands on my body, the pounding of my heart, and the terrifying realization that I wanted this long before I admitted it.
I pull back abruptly, as if burned by the very thought.
His eyes are raven-black with desire. “Vivienne.” He cups my cheek. “I—”
“I shouldn’t have done that.” I take a small step back and avert my gaze. “I just—I was… relieved you’re safe. That’s all.”
“Look at me, Vivienne.”
I shake my head and turn away before clearing my throat. “So what was out there?” I ask, changing the subject, trying to keep my voice even despite the heat scorching my cheeks. “Did you find anything?”
He hesitates before replying. “It was only a fox.”
“Good.” I walk toward the bed and lie down. Pulling the blankets over my body, I turn onto my side, away from him. “Goodnight, Auren.”
The silence between us hums with unspoken tension. After a moment, he sighs heavily and crawls back under the furs beside me.
My heart is still racing, lips tingling with the memory of our kiss.Gods above, what was I thinking?
The space between us feels impossibly charged. Closing my eyes, I pretend to sleep, but I’m wide awake, and acutely aware of him, his breathing, his warmth, the fact that I kissed him…
And of the frightening truth that I would do it again.
CHAPTER 24
AUREN
Icannot sleep. Lying on my back, I stare up at the faint curve of canvas above us while my pulse refuses to settle.
She’s turned away from me, and we’re no longer touching, but it matters not, because I can still feel the lingering heat of her body against mine as I held her, and the warmth of her breath that has not yet faded from my lips.
Closing my eyes, I try to sleep, but it’s useless as my mind keeps recalling the moment she surged toward me, pressing her mouth to mine.
When I entered the tent, there was fear in her eyes. And despite her anger when I asked about the knife, I could see her worry for me, even before she said the words aloud, followed by her relief that I’d returned.
A smile tugs at my lips. My mate is brave. She was coming to save me.
And when she saw I was well, it unleashed something inside her. She kissed me as though she worried I might vanish.
Hope unfurls deep within. The kiss was her choice.Sheis the one who reached for me, and I am both in awe and humbled.
I’ve seen humans kiss, and I’ll admit I’ve been curious about it. I’ve imagined tasting her mouth more times than I care to admit. But I did not expect the warmth or the way she leaned closer, as though she could not help herself… the sweet scent of her arousal thick in the air.
A low purring sound vibrates in my chest before I can stop it, and I turn my head slightly toward her.
Moonlight filters through a seam in the canvas, tracing the elegant line of her shoulder beneath the blanket. Her hair is a dark cascade across the furs, catching silver where the light touches it.
She lies very still. Her breathing is careful and measured, and I know she’s awake.
I long to pull her into my arms again, to slide my hands along her waist, to press my mouth to hers…
Gods help me, I want her more than I’ve ever wanted anything before.
Something dark and primal stirs deep within. It wants to gather her close. To roll her beneath me. To sink my fangs into the curve of her neck and shoulder, giving her my claiming mark so that any male who sees her will know that she is mine.
