Her legs trembled as she stood, she’d been sitting for awhile, but she recovered quickly and was smiling at him as she took his hand. “I never knew you were a thief.”
She laughed as he waved the pilfered book in front of her face. “I forgot I even had it,” she admitted.
“I’m sure.”
They didn’t talk as they moved through the woods, they didn’t have to. Aria inhaled the scents of the forest, relishing in them. Beneath the leaves, dirt, and musty animals, she could also pick up the hint of fresh water and fish. It was wonderful.
The lake emerged from the woods, shimmering in the early morning sunlight. She wanted nothing more than to jump into it, swim to the middle and float there for hours. She longed to feel joy over something so simple. Joy she was frightened she would lose when all of this was over.
Braith sat with his back against a tree; the dark glasses remained blessedly removed from his magnificent face. His smile was one of the most wonderful things she’d ever seen. It was indolent at the moment and focused solely upon her as he held his hand out. He pulled her smoothly into his lap, settling her securely against him as he rested his chin on her head and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist.
“I thought you could use a break.”
“I could,” she admitted. “But you could also.”
“Yes,” he agreed.
She rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes as she reveled in the solid, reassuring feel of his body. He was beautiful. This entire moment was beautiful. She wanted to pretend that it was one of many, that there were endless days before them to sit together, read together, and simply enjoy the company of each other. To pretend that there wasn’t a clock ticking steadily away at their remaining time.
She kept her eyes closed as her fingers curled against him. He opened the book and began to read to her. She loved the sound of his voice, the deep timbre of it, the rich tones and subtle nuances he inflected into the story. She knew this story almost by heart but she still loved to hear him reading it. Listening to his voice had become her favorite pastime while in the palace.
His voice became tired after awhile, she opened her eyes, sitting up as she took the book from him and continued reading. She was about halfway through the book when she realized that he had worked the braid from her hair. His attention was riveted on it as he spread it across her shoulders and played idly with the ends.
Her throat went dry as she lifted her gaze to his. The book in her lap was forgotten as she focused upon those beautiful gray eyes with the bright blue band encircling the pupil. Though they were over a hundred years old, the faint white scars around his eyes were still visible.
Her fingers trembled as she traced the jagged edges of the marks that had left him blind until she had come along.
He took hold of her hand and pressed a tender kiss against her fingertips. Her body tingled with excitement. She was suddenly breathless, suddenly aching and vulnerable as his mouth moved steadily lower, across her palm to press gently against her wrist. She couldn’t move. She was caught by the love he stirred in her. She watched in fascination while he pushed her sleeves back and continued further up her arm.
His eyes never left hers as his lips nestled in the crook of her elbow. Though she knew she should tell him to stop she couldn’t break the eye contact, the intimacy of the moment. This was one of the things that she wasn’t supposed to let happen but even as she thought that, her body screamed for more. They both deserved this time alone and she was going to enjoy it for just a few minutes more.
He lifted his head from her elbow, his hand wrapped around the back of her neck as he pulled her closer. He held her against him, his lips just barely brushing hers. She was frightened her heart might explode in her chest as it quickened in anticipation. And then, just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, when she thought she was going to scream in frustration, he kissed her.
Solace swept through her, her fingers entwined in the hair at the nape of his neck, she pressed closer to him as the suffering within her finally eased. Every nerve ending she had lit with fire, she was consumed by the flames he ignited in her. He moved her, shifting her in his lap so that she was straddling him, her legs wrapped around his waist. His hand moved steadily up her back, maneuvering under her shirt to press flat against her skin. She moaned at the glorious wonder of him.
She hadn’t realized how much she needed this, how much she missed his touch. How starved her body had been until now. And now he was feeding her starved soul as his tongue became more demanding. Aria lost herself to his urgency. She recognized the fervent, almost desperate need within him. She desired him, but she realized now that her own craving was nowhere near as intense or acute as his. He would completely devour her and at the moment she didn’t care if he did.
And then he was lifting her, pushing her back as she fell into the soft leaves. Her shirt was slipping away, gone beneath the expert movement of his hands. She loved the feel of him over her, the weight of his body against hers, the muscles that flexed and bunched beneath her touch. His hand was firm against the thin slip that was all that kept her covered. She pressed closer to him as he shifted, briefly leveling himself off of her.
Then his hand found the button of her pants. She froze, her breath trapped in anticipation as her eyes fluttered open. He was watching her, his eyes dark and hazy with passion. He kissed her again, his mouth firm against hers, his tongue hot and heavy as he slid the button of her pants free.
Panic tore through her as reality crashed into place. She was nearly half naked, already swept up within him and more than willing to give herself to him. She yearned to ease the frustration and need that poured from him. The only thing he truly craved was her, and it was the one thing she couldn’t give to him. If she didn’t stop this now, she never would.