It’s not lost on me that this entire thing started because I was jealous, yet here he is, trying to mend my bond with someone else. Would I do the same for him? If how I felt seeing Starla just standing too close to him is any indication, then my answer would be a resounding no.
My kiss changes from a quick show of appreciation to something infinitely more meaningful the longer my lips are pressed against his. I was really worried about him and what could happen. The need to touch him, to ensure he’s here with me, has me pulling at his shirt in a bid to feel all of him.
Sunny proves to be just as greedy for my affection when he strips my clothes off while we’re still standing. When his arms go under my ass and he hoists me up, I wrap my legs around his waist. A hiss escapes me when he presses my back againstthe freezing cold wall, but the discomfort only lasts a heartbeat before his tongue and teeth are on my neck, overwhelming my senses.
The sound I make when he pushes inside me in a single stroke is part startled scream and part moan. I’m much more used to him preparing me with his hands and mouth, but the delicious stretch while my body spasms around him, trying to adjust to his size and invasion, is euphoric.
Sunny’s eyes, which are heavy-lidded and more beautiful than the sun, find mine. There’s desperation in his touch. He was just as apprehensive as I was, and it shows in the way he’s touching me. “Yes!” I moan the only word I’m capable of uttering in the moment. His eyes close in what I hope is surrender right before he reaches up with one arm and flattens his palm to the wall. From that moment on, the only thing I can do is hold on while he slams into me as if he wants to imprint himself on my skin.
When my first orgasm hits, it’s so sudden, my legs start shaking. If I had a shred of dignity, I would be embarrassed by the sounds I make, but Sunny erased any notion of awkwardness when he let me see that I affect him just as profoundly. I only realize the floating sensation I’m experiencing is real when I feel fur against my back after he carries me to the bed.
My arms flop to the sides now that I know I’m no longer responsible for holding myself up, and he takes that as his cue to kiss his way down my stomach until his head is between my legs. The greedy way he grabs my hips and jerks me closer to his mouth should have been a warning of what’s to come, but my brain is still foggy from the last orgasm. My back arches completely off the bed when he spears me with his tongue. There isn’t an inch of me that goes overlooked as Sunny teases, nips, and sucks until I’m a quivering mess, and only then does he climb up my body and stare down at me with rapt desire.
“Yes,” I murmur, giving him permission to continue, because I know he hasn’t had enough.
He lowers his body to mine, pinning me to the bed, and it dawns on me that there is nowhere else I would rather be.
ZIV
Since hearing back from Moros, the last week has been a new kind of hell. Somehow, knowing I may be one step closer to her is harder to deal with than being in the dark, or maybe it’s the deadline of the approaching meeting that is driving me insane. I pushed out the meeting date since I knew it would take a little time to gather the items needed and ensure their arrival at Frostburn. It could have been sooner if I was willing to go without laying eyes on Briar, but I need to see her, even if I won’t be able to touch her.
Kage has been my shadow for days. I think he’s worried he’s going to miss the chance to speak with her, or that I’m lying to him about the scheduled time. Either way, I don’t care. Strangelyenough, I find having him around makes me feel closer to Briar, or maybe it’s just knowing there is someone else who misses her almost as much as I do.
He’s currently pacing in my room, flickering in and out of his shadow form as if he can’t be bothered to control his ability. He’s kept his word and not killed anyone else, which is more than I can say for myself. I killed Briar’s father in a fit of rage weeks ago, but I haven’t admitted it to anyone. I hate that I let him die so easily, but I take solace in the fact that his torment will not end, even with death. His place in hell was secured long before I met him.
“Will she be there?” Kage has asked this question several times, and my answer is always the same, yet there’s irritation in my tone now.
“I do not know, demon. The only thing I do know is that he agreed to meet us.” I’ve tried to learn what I can about the shifter, but I have to be careful. It would be foolish to assume there wasn’t someone paying attention to my every move. I’ve taken every precaution I could just to set up this meeting, and it’s still too dangerous of a risk, but I have to know if she has any insight into who took her and why. That’s what I’m telling myself, anyway, to validate the gamble, but really, I need to see her to know she’s okay and meet the male who better be protecting her while we can’t.
“What time is it?” He moves on to his next question when I don’t answer the first one in a way that satisfies him.
“Are you going to be able to keep it together?”
Kage snaps his head in my direction and gives me a glower that says,You’re one to talk.
“I don’t know how long they will be able to keep the channel open,” I warn for both our sakes. I would love to be able to control everything, but it’s very apparent that isn’t in the cards.
“Yeah, I know. It’s more important that we will be able to use this method again undetected than it is to watch her every move,” he intones, pretty much repeating what we’ve already talked about. He drops his ass into the space next to me as if he’s exhausted all his other options.
The oval mirror we’re using isn’t particularly large, but both our faces are visible in the reflection. I can only hope its twin made it safely to Frostburn and into Briar’s hands, along with the tablet. It’s a pity that I won’t be able to hear her voice, but this is the best solution I could come up with.
I look at the clock, noting we have another twenty minutes before the channel will open, but I’m too edgy to move from this spot because I’m afraid I will somehow miss her. Kage makes it five minutes before he’s pacing again, and that’s how he remains until I trace a rune on the mirror with the tip of my finger at the predetermined time. The surface goes dark and appears to distort before the image of a male peers out at me.
In my quick assessment before scanning the frame for Briar, I notice his eyes are only a few shades lighter than Briar’s.
“Where is she?” Kage demands, ignoring the fact that the male can’t hear us. The male, who I’m assuming is Moros, looks to his left. His entire face changes right before my eyes, and I know for certain he’s looking at Briar. There’s a softness in his adoring gaze I never allowed myself to show.
I scribble on the tablet and hold it up to the screen.
Briar
It will be backwards in the reflection, but I’m certain he will be able to read it, or at least it will prompt him to look at the tablet he should have received along with the scrying mirror.
The male rises to scoot to the side, and his gaze never wavers as he watches Briar slowly lower herself into the seat next to him. Seeing her is like a punch to the gut. She’s wrapped in a heavy fur cloak that covers her body from the neck down. Her cheeks are a little sunken, proving she lost some of the hard-earned weight she gained while at the Ivy. I bite the inside of my lip instead of admonishing the male for not providing better. How many times has she gone without?
My tablet hits the floor when I kneel before the mirror and extend my hand as if I might actually be able to touch her.
Finally, she looks up, and my heart sinks. There’s pain in her pinched features, but what kills me is the wariness I see in her eyes. I knew she assumed the worst, thinking I abandoned her, but knowing it and seeing it are two very different things.
