He glanced at my breasts but then closed his eyes and shook his head. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s get you some clothes.”
He stepped through the snow, but desire still built within me, the pressure raging against the power I had inherited from Ganora. Anger, lust, and fear of the unknown all clashed in my body, begging for a release.
Traitorous Daigen had said he would wait for me on the other side of the pass. The peak of the mountain was our only sanctuary before my bargain demanded payment.
I did not want to corrupt what Riyan and I had with that bargain, not yet. For the small amount of time I was still free, still completely his, I wanted to surrender every bit of myself to him.
I kissed Riyan’s neck and he stopped in his tracks. His pulse quickened underneath my lips as he shivered.
“Serafina Helia,” he tried to tease, but his voice was tense, “still so damn impatient.”
A low-burning fire warmed the bottom of my stomach. I did not care if we were on top of a mountain with nothing around us but snow and rocks, I wanted something pure, somethingours.
I pulled away from his throat and looked into his eyes. “Could we?”
He scanned our sparse surroundings until his eyes settled on a tall rune ahead of us.
Heat spread through my body. Yes, the rune would do.
But a crease formed between Riyan’s brows. “Sera, you deserve a bed—”
I grabbed his strong jaw so his eyes met mine. “You told me before we separated that you would have me theinstantyou were the size of a normal man.” My eyes flicked down to his chest. “And here you are.”
His cheek pitted like he bit it. He sighed. “I want you…so badly, but I want to make this easy.”
“I never wantedeasy.” My heart pounded against his. The white, pure light of our bond flared, aching to join together. “I wanted what was real. I wantedyou.”
I kissed him—tasting him,savoringhim. He kissed me back for a heartbeat before pulling away.
His breath warmed my flushed lips. “Are you sure? After what happened on the Darkest Night?”
“Please.” I sounded vulnerable, but I did not care. I was vulnerable. I was hurt. I was confused. All that was certain was that I loved him and he loved me. “I…I need you too.”
His mouth formed a fine line and he let out a tense breath. His eyes flicked up toward the pass and he leaned forward, about to take a step, when his eyes met mine again.
“Fuck it.” His lips crashed into mine and all my worry melted away. He broke the kiss only to press his forehead against mine. “Anything you want, sweetheart. Today and always.”
I could have said a thousand words to fill the small gap of air between us, but one unspoken word weighed on my tongue.
Finally.
Riyan held me close to his chest as he stepped through the snow. My heartbeat quickened as the heat in my hips intensified.
His warm body against mine shielded me from the sting of the wind. My eyes flitted from the strained muscles in his neck, the focus of his eyes, and the light from the full moon filtering through his eyelashes.
“I hope this will work,” Riyan said with a soft smile. He released my legs and pressed my back against a wall of ice.
I gasped and jumped forward. My legs wrapped around his waist and my arms locked around his neck.
“Riyan!” My back must have grazed one of the tall runes. “Cold!”
“Sorry.” He laughed and the hard muscles of his abdomen shook against me. The sensation sent heat to my core—the friction feltgood.
Riyan’s eyes flicked down, like he also felt that sudden rush of heat against him. Suddenly I felt a nudge against my thigh. My cheeks blazed and my heart pounded. Even though Riyan was no longer a horrifying size, he still feltverylarge.
Would I even be able to wrap my hand around it?
His eyes dragged from my heaving chest to glance over my shoulder. “You think you could…?”
