“I’m not agreeing to any of that, because I want all of it.”
My jaw twitches as I clamp my mouth shut.
“Well you can’t have it!” I finally shout at him.
If he’s affected by me shouting at him, he doesn’t show it. “Elysande, listen,” he says, earnest. “I’m sorry if it feels like I was playing games with you. I know you’ve heard that I don’t exactly get serious with anyone, but that was before, and I promise you, playing games was never my intention. I was only ever trying to protect you.”
“From you?”
“Yes.”
“Why does it feel like you’re always apologizing to me?”
“Because I’m a giant asshole.”
I tilt my head, my expression telling him I don’t disagree. “I just don’t understand what you think you’re trying to protect me from.”
“Was,” he says.
“Huh?”
“I was trying to protect you. But I can’t do it anymore...” He shakes his head, taking a deep breath. His large chest sticks out. “I’m weak.”
“Protect me from what?” I ask with a raised voice again.
“It’s—”
“It’s complicated,” I guess, cutting him off.
He looks conflicted, his gaze pleading with me to understand something that I have no clue about. “It’s true, I am an asshole. I’ve spent my entire life hating the elves and everything they stand for. So when I first started noticinghow fucking incredible you are, I tried to ignore it. But I couldn’t. Everything in me wanted to fucking protect you, to be near you at all times, to be enveloped in that scent of yours that makes me feel like I’m standing in a salty breeze on the coast without a care in the world. I’ve never felt this way before. Even though I don’t deserve you. I know that…” he trails off, his eyes meeting mine, heat flickering in his gaze. His eyes flick down to my lips, and my stupid, traitorous heart leaps.
“I can’t stop thinking about the taste of your lips on my mouth,” he whispers.
My breath hitches and my heart starts to beat faster. I look him up and down, taking my time as I take in every curve of his body. Putting aside my pride at him rejecting me, I start thinking about what I haven’t allowed myself to fantasize about for days—how much I want to feel his hard body against mine again, his lips on mine…
“Maybe if we just get it out of our system for one night we can go back to… normal.” My body hums as I speak the thoughts out loud. I don’t actually mean it because I’m in way too deep to forget now, but with the way he’s taking up my space right now, I can’t think straight. All I want is him. Forget the consequences.
He shakes his head, stopping my thoughts.
“It’s more than that,” he says, imploring with his eyes. “You’re consuming my every thought. I want more.”
I close my mouth in a tight line. My heart thumps hard against my chest, unsure where he’s going with this.
“Every time you laugh, every time you carelessly throw yourself into danger for others, every time you smile, every time you get annoyed with me and your chest rises slowly as you take in an irritated breath, every time you curl deeper into me when I hold you at night… I find it harder and harder to stay away. Fucking impossible, really.”
I’m weak. I’m so incredibly weak.
I’m a puddle at his feet as I slowly reach out, grabbing onto his shirt with one gentle hand, and slowly, hesitantly pulling him toward me.
His eyes burn with a fiery intensity. “I feel like I’m not even breathing air when you’re near me. I’m just breathing you. And if I don’t get enough, I’m slowly dying inside. I can never get enough,” he says quietly against my lips.
His head pulls back just enough to take me in, his eyes dancing from my chest to my lips to my eyes. “Just tell me you forgive me.”
I shake my head, unable to fight the grin on my face. “Shut up.”
He smirks, and his strong hands grab my hair on both sides of my head, pulling my face toward him. It’s borderline rough the way he takes me, and I like it.
His lips meet mine in a hungry claim, his tongue swirling into my mouth immediately as he lets out a groan into my mouth.
