Page 404 of Axis of Fire

"There's one way to find out."

Within the span of a single sharp breath, the distance between us vanished.

As though we were magnets finally allowed to meet.

Airis's hand slipped gently to the back of my neck, drawing me into a kiss.

The moment our lips met, every thought disappeared.

Heat rushed through me—

Sweet.

Aching.

Utterly irresistible.

It felt as though our mouths had been separated for far too long.

Neither of us seemed capable of getting enough.

Not our lips.

Not our hands.

Not the warmth spreading beneath my skin, craving every new touch.

His lips trailed lower, brushing over skin he'd never kissed before.

Slowly.

Reverently.

Leaving fire in their wake.

My fingers disappeared into his dark hair as though they belonged there.

A quiet moan escaped me—

A sound I'd never heard from myself before.

A sound I hadn't even known I was capable of making.

"Airis..."

My breath caught as he crossed an almost invisible line.

For a moment, my mind seemed to drift free of my body, suspended somewhere between longing and surrender.

Higher.

And higher.

Until—

"I hate to interrupt."

A man's voice broke through the silence.