She shakes her head, her hair slipping forward to brush her cheek.
I reach up to tuck it behind her ear, and my fingers linger longer than they should, tracing the curve of her ear before I pull away.
She shivers, and suddenly the air between us feels different. Charged.
A faint flush colors her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, realizing she’s still sprawled across me, our bodies pressed close. “I must be crushing you.”
I shake my head. “Not even close.”
Her gaze flicks to my mouth, and my breath catches. She wets her bottom lip, slowly and absently, and the small motion sends a pulse of heat through me.
Her lips part slightly, and the look in her eyes steals every coherent thought from my head.
I could lean in, just a little, and I know she’d let me. The thought hits like fire in my veins.
A gust of wind sweeps across the clearing, scattering a few loose flakes across her hair.
She blinks, and the spell between us wavers. She shifts her weight as if to get up, but the small motion only presses her closer, and my pulse kicks harder.
I force a laugh that comes out rougher than I intend.
“Maybe we should head back before you freeze solid,” I manage.
She nods quickly, but her cheeks are still pink, and when she stands, she avoids eye contact.
And I let her, because if I look at her right now, I’ll forget every reason I’m trying to hold back.
Eighteen
HAVEN
The look of concentration on his face is so comical, I can’t help needling him.
“For the dragon heir, you are exceptionally bad at this.” It’s hard to keep my mouth in a straight line when he scowls up at me.
“It’s not as if spelling obscure words with z’s, x’s, and q’s was a requirement of the job.”
“Clearly.”
Pressing his lips together, he glances back at the small wooden tiles in front of him sternly, as if he glares at them hard enough it will change the letters etched on them.
“So, what was a requirement of being the dragon heir, then?” I ask, enjoying him struggling way more than I should.
He doesn’t look up from his pieces when he says, “The ability to incinerate creatures I find annoying.”
I lift my brows. “Was that supposed to be a threat?” I ask, the grin I’ve been holding back finally breaking through.
Considering how much Becks has done for me over the last two weeks, I should be cutting him a break. Not only has he kept me hidden from the demon, but he’s also helped me unlock my magic safely. Every day this week I’ve been able to create fire and keep it stable. I even lit a log and then put it out yesterday. I’m still a ways away from going up against pure evil, but it’s more control than I’ve ever had before.
So yes, I owe Becks, but annoying someone has never been this much fun.
A muscle jumps in his jaw as he pretends to ignore me. Finally, he picks up four of the squares and lays them on the board, spelling “BEAR.”
“Six points,” I say. “Congrats! That’s two more points than your last word.”
“You’re a brat,” he says, leaning back with his arms crossed angrily over his chest.
I grin.
