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Just as he was making an effort to speak to me, I needed to make an effort to better understand him and remember that, just as I was no Spider, he was no Elf.
So I leaned towards him and gave his chin a small, soft lick, an apology and a sweet gesture of affection. I nuzzled his neck and pressed my weight into him, leaning into his touch, letting out a small, soft noise.
His touch loosened, eased, and he pressed himself even closer, almost pliant under me as I showered him with my attention.
The night was wavering, dawn creeping through. I’d never stayed up this late, and the consequences of that were my blurring vision and sluggish body.
“I’m drowsy, En.” I yawned, lifting my hand to rub my eye. But as soon as my fingers caught my attention, I sat motionless, spine rigid and shoulders hunched.
Heavy-eyed, En noticed my reaction, raising a brow.
“Th-there’s b-b-b—”
“Blood?” he offered, and I nodded hastily, gulping when he carefully took my hands and inspected the damp colour on my fingers, trailing down to my wrists.
Then he grinned, directing my left hand to his lips. “Brave little Elf.”
When he opened his mouth and let his long tongue run up my thin digits, something in me stirred until it rose, and I had to shut my mouth tightly. He watched, grin growing and tongue working leisurely as he cleaned each fingerindividually.
I gulped thickly, my face twisting to convey my disgust. He laughed, not bothering to hide his amusement.
“Don’t close your eyes,” he warned as soon as my lids began to flutter. “This is something you need to accept.”
I shook my head rapidly. “I can accept it without watching.”
“Watching will make it easier.” His tongue slid down my left palm and to my wrist, his eyes on me the entire time.
I pressed my teeth together. He was cleaning blood with his tongue as though it was fruit juice.Fruit juice,I told myself. It looked like fruit juice, maybe strawberry or cherry.Cherries!It looked exactly like cherries!
“Cherries,” I decided.
“Blood,” he corrected with a growing smirk, his flaming eyes hooded. “Metallic and tangy—”
“Cherry juice!” I squeaked, nearly pulling my hand away. “It’s cherry juice!”
He paused, as if considering while he swapped my left hand with my right. “I guess yourblooddoes ta—”
“Cherry juice, cherry juice,cherry juice!”
I repeated the name as if it was the only thing I knew, still repeated it when he laughed and dragged his tongue up my right wrist without any hurry, to my palm and to my index finger. All while watching me with fiery eyes.
Still repeated the name when he shook his head with a grin.
En wasn’t bad.
And I truly, desperately wanted to believe that.
42
Soft sunlight streaking in thin slivers through small gaps in-between the tree leaves roused me from my sleep. I stirred against solid, heavy warmth. Smooth, bare skin greeted me when I opened my eyes, arms like huge snakes curled around me and pressing me tight into him, my nose nuzzled into a masculine chest.
Eon was almost wrapped around me, his massive body nearly swallowing my much smaller frame. His pulse thumped slowly in his chest, the sound tugging a smile onto my lips as I carefully raised my head and peeked at his sleeping face.
Eon was beautiful in a dangerous sense, one that left no doubt about where he sat in the food chain. Top predator. Brutal hunter. When he slept, that feeling didn’t lessen. Even with his eyes closed and his features relaxed, there was a sharp stillness to him that prevented me from reaching up and tracing the angles of his face with my fingertips. The sort that made it seem like he was… still alert. Listening to everything. Aware of everything.
Eon slept during the early moments of the morning. As soon as the first ray of sunshine had made its way through the thick covering of leaves, he’d yawned quietly before pulling me into his arms, startling me out of my sleep. He’d bent his body over mine, his arms around me loose enough to allow me to breathe but secure enough to prevent me from moving. Before then, I knew he’d been watching me as I slept. It was the last thing I saw before my eyes had closed; him leaning on an elbow beside me, his powerful body reclining like a big cat stretching under the sun.
Earlier, much to my relief, En hadaskedwhere I wanted to sleep.
