Her eyes met mine again and it felt like an eternity waiting for her answer.
“How long have you known?” she asked.
“A while,” I admitted. “Although Aura knew before me.”
“It’s why she let me on her back.”
She didn’t ask it like a question, but I answered anyway. “Yes. It’s why I kept trying to convince you to run. I think even before I confirmed it, I already knew. I couldn’t explain it, but I always had this urge to protect you, and I didn’t want you anywhere near Elion.”
She nodded softly, her lips smacking together.
“We don’t have to, Nollie,” I added. “I can wait if you want to think on it for years, and if you decide you never want to, I’ll understand.”
“Hael,” her voice was louder now. “I want to. I wanteverythingwith you.”
I didn’t move, didn’t trust myself to. My eyes tracked her as she stood from the sofa only to sink onto the floor between my knees.
“Please,” she whispered, her voice barely audible now. Her hands reached for my pants, and I could see she was shaking. I grabbed her wrists, gently pulling her up from her knees and dragging her onto my lap. Her breath hitched, my cock twitching against her. Yeah, there was no hiding how badly I wanted her.
“Nollie, despite what Jaxs said, I didn’t bring you here to have sex with you tonight. We can take our time.”
I thought about everything that happened that first time I brought her here, how she was so desperate to do everything at once. It made sense now—she thought she’d never get another chance. Hell, after she was gone, I never thought we’d get this, and I wanted to savor it, wanted to make sure it was exactly what she wanted.
She shook her head. “No, I want to, Hael. I’ve been wanting to for a while now.”
I swallowed, not entirely sure I heard her right. I’d been fantasizing about it, dreaming that she felt the same way… “Are you sure?”
Her answer was a kiss. I was so caught off guard that I sat there for a second as her lips moved against mine. Then I reacted, cupping her behind her neck, pulling her face closer to mine, and matching her lips with a need of my own.
“Yes,” she murmured into my mouth between kisses. “I. Want.” I flipped her onto her back, her legs wrapping around my hips as she pulled me down on top of her. “You.”
My hands were everywhere, touching every inch of her, and still not getting enough. I wanted to feel her beneath the fabric. I wanted to know how soft her skin was, how it felt against mine.
I lifted my hips enough to grab onto her shirt with one hand, ripping the material and tearing it down the middle.
She pulled away from me, peeling her lips off mine, and I was terrified I went too far. Flashes of Dahes ripping her gown on his throne crept into my vision. Shit. Shit. Shit. I was so stupid. I was?—
I pulled back, searching her face, needing to make sure she was okay. “I’m sorry, Nollie…”
She looked down at her shirt, the black material split down the middle, but she was smiling, almost laughing. “I should have listened to Bran and brought more clothes.”
I smiled then. Shit. I wasn’t really thinking about having to leave the cabin tomorrow. “You can have my shirt,” I said, relieved that I didn’t fuck anything up.
She shoved my chest back so I was fully off of her and stood from the sofa.
I leaned back onto the cushions, having no idea what she wanted, but was determined to let her pace things.
She was standing before me, her fingers reaching under the band of her pants before sliding them off her hips and down the long length of her legs. It felt like an eternity before the fabric pooled at her feet. My breath hitched.
Her bra came next as she reached behind her back to unfasten it,holding my gaze while the intensity built between us. My eyes didn’t leave her face as she bent forward, pulling her underwear off last.
It wasn’t until she stood back up, straightening her back, before I fully let my gaze roam over her body, and fuck, she was so damn perfect.
My cock twitched, and I had to remind myself again to not move too fast. “You’re beautiful,” I murmured, completely and utterly transfixed.
Her cheeks flushed red before her hands wrapped around mine as she gently tugged. I obliged, standing before her, my neck bending down to take in her face.
“Your turn,” she said, her voice shaking. I reached behind my back, tugging my shirt off in one swipe. Then I took off my pants and boxers next, my gaze never leaving hers.
