In the weeks he’d been here, never once had he called her by her name. Always Enchantress or witch, but never hername.
Tallulah.
Her name on his lips spun something inside of her. Not soothing, like she had imagined it would be. It was destruction. It was the end of everything she knew and the beginning of everything she’d never dreamt of.
It set her on fire.
She didn’t turn even when his body pressed closer to hers. Her stomach flipped when he brushed his fingers against the bodice of her dress.
“Not tomorrow.” He brushed her hair off her neck.
“Nor the next day.” She held her breath for fear that if she moved, he would, too.
“Not ever,” he whispered before planting a kiss against her neck where her hair had just been.
He kissed her again, this time just beneath her ear, and Tallulah closed her eyes, sucking in a sharp breath. Her lids were heavy when she opened them again. She turned, wanting to study his face.
His green eyes and his messy waves made her heart stop. Time stood still. He was beautiful. Not in the way a rose was beautiful or a sunset, but in the way oceans and mountains were. The kind of beauty you could get lost in. That made you feel like there was so much more to this world than met the eye. Devastatingly.
He’d changed so much in these last few weeks. Not only in the way he looked at her, but in the way he looked at himself. Without the constant stream of ale in his system, he laughed more openly. He spoke with conviction and passion and, above all else; he softened.
She couldn’t look at him long enough. She wanted to memorize his face. Count every freckle.
“And why is that?” she dared to ask, no longer fearing his answer. In some way, she already knew it.
“Because,” he whispered, his hands moved to her back, pulling her into his chest, “you have shown me kindness in a world rich with cruelty.”
Her heartbeat erratically in her chest, but she felt more grounded than ever.
“You asked me before who it was I worshiped. Do you remember?”
She swallowed thickly, unable to think clearly when they were so close. But she did remember. Their first meeting, she’d asked him if not Mother Gaia then who?
“Yes,” she managed, locking her eyes with his.
“And I told you no one.” Evren pulled back slightly.
Tallulah nodded, words failing her.
“Maybe it was because I hadn’t deemed anything worthy of worship.”
She frowned, her stomach dropping. She never thought too hard about Evren’s lack of faith in Mother Gaia, but in this moment, it hit her. He didn’t believe.
Evren’s lips dipped to her ear. The heat her body was engulfed with quickly turned to an inferno.
“But I would fall to my knees for you in an instant, Tallulah.”
Her breath hitched.
There it was again. Her name on his lips.
But it was so much more than that. It was change and promise and hope.
She rose onto her toes. Lacing her fingers behind his neck, she then pulled him downward. He smelled of fresh rain and pine, and she couldn’t help the smile that took over before her lips met his.
The kiss was slow. Cautious. But the way his hands found her back and his body pressed forward showed her just how much hedidwant her. Confidence fueled her next move as she kissed him deeper. Her mouth parted, and with it, his did too.
And then she was lost.
