I shook my head, unable to form words, barely able to think anything beyond the echo of hearing him say he loved me.
He stepped closer and this time his hand made it all the way to my face, tracing over my cheekbone. “How did you think you gained a tie to the node?”
“You said...” I stopped. Tried again. “I had carried you around and petted you.”
He closed his eyes, pained amusement washing over him. Then he opened them again, and I couldn’t look away from that brilliant green. “What about the curse, Isa? What was the wording Cecily included that allowed me to transform back into a human?”
“If someone admitted their love for you,” I said, not understanding where he was going with this.
“No.” His hand moved around to my nape. “The curse required me to fall in love, too.”
“You really love me?”
His thumb brushed the edge of my jaw. “Can’t you hear the truth of my words? I love you, Isabel Cardh. Thorns and all.”
I could hear it, the beautiful melody of truth, but I was too shocked to accept it. Not that I didn’t believe... but hearing the words felt like a dream. I needed to reassure myself that I was awake. Felix’s head dipped lower, and my hands landed on his shoulders without thought. Yes. This was what I needed.
“Since I only remember bits and pieces after the transformation, I’d like to refresh one memory in particular.” He moved slowly, hesitantly, stopping with an inch still between our lips. “Isa, may I kiss you?”
I went up on tiptoe, closing that last bit of distance between us, and kissed him. His lips moved against mine, and he pulled me flush against his body. It was everything I remembered, and this time when his tongue met mine, I thought I was the one who mightfall. My legs went weak, and I curled my fingers into his doublet, letting him hold me upright.
He pulled back, a familiar, mischievous glint in his eyes. “If I recall correctly, something about this kiss doesn’t match the one I’m trying to remember.”
“You knocking your head on the floor and getting a concussion?”
He startled. “What?”
“Well, it almost happened.”
“That was not what I was talking about.” He shook his head, then leaned so he could whisper in my ear. “I seem to recall fewer clothes being involved.”
I shivered, and I knew he didn’t miss the reaction. He smirked, but waited for a response.
I licked my lips, tried to speak. Nothing came out. I tried again, not quite daring to look above his shoulders. “I’ve never done this before.”
He stilled. “Do you not want to? I’m sorry, Isa. I shouldn’t have pushed.”
My hands still rested on his shoulders, and I didn’t let him step back. “I never understood the appeal before, but it’s different with you. Kissing you is . . . I can’t even describe it, but I know I like it. I want more. I want it all. But I don’t know what to do—not really.”
He wrapped his arms back around me, pressing me against the heat of his body, and rested his chin on the top of my head. “There isn’t a script to follow. We do what feels right. What feels good. And only when the time is right.”
I remained in his arms for a moment, absorbing their strength. Then I stepped back, tugging Felix along with me to the stairs. I didn’t want him to hesitate or worry that I wasn’t as eager as him. “I mean it. I want this. You just need to take the lead.”
He grinned, letting me tow him along. “You seem to be doing pretty well taking charge.”
Forty-Three
Felix
???
Isa glared atme, and I surged forward, kissing her once more. She stopped walking, her entire being devoted to kissing me back. I ran my hands down her sides, stopping on her hips, and squeezed, urging her to step back. Step by step we made it up the stairs, our lips not parting. I paused when Isa stood on the landing, a step above me, putting her at the perfect height.
I grinned against her lips, reveling in the fact that I was human again. Taller than her, able to hold her, kiss her, love her. I could hardly believe this wasn’t all a dream. But my dreams were nothing compared to the feel of Isa under my fingers.
She loved me. It wasn’t some trick to break the curse, or a way to twist the truth I hadn’t understood. Days of doubts melted away and weeks of desire took their place. Every touch took on unexpected weight, as the need to make this perfect washed over me. It was Isa’s first time, but more than that, it wasourfirst time. It couldn’t compare to any of my previous experiences. Kissing her was already more intimate, more passionate—just more—than anything else.
Isa urged us back into motion, and I followed her down the hall. She opened a door, pulled me through, and closed it once more. A distant part of me wanted to look around, to take in the room, to seeIsa’s private space, but I couldn’t spare any attention for my surroundings. My mind was full of Isa. Only Isa. My hands slid up to the laces of her bodice, and she didn’t hesitate to unlace my doublet. Clothes fell to the ground, accompanied by fleeting touches and whispers of “yes.”
