I reached for the waist of his pants, but he shook me off with a breathy laugh.
“No oil,” he said.
I groaned and slumped. We’d come so far only to find ourselves unprepared and perhaps a little out of practice after weeks without. Glancing around was a futile search for something that could substitute, and I returned to the only lubricant available.
“We could… use spit?” I offered.
Kit frowned. “That hurts, Pen.”
I’d gotten this notion with the idea of improving on the ill-planned romps of my youth. Having been on the receiving end of the absence of oil, I couldn’t disagree with him.
My lower lip puffed in a pout, prompting Kit to bend forward and nip it between his teeth.
“Ow!” I pulled back to watch how the sight of my grin made the moonlight dance in Kit’s eyes. My smile softened, and I leaned into him again. “Just this, then?” I asked, hovering barely an inch from his face, tempting us both with a kiss.
He still had his hand on me, stroking slowly, keeping my heart pounding hard and steady. When I ventured closer, he pulled out of reach.
I whimpered complaint, straining and being denied in a playful tease. Kit rolled the pad of his thumb over my tip, and my eyelids fluttered.
“Why don’t you let me take care of you this time?” he murmured.
It took effort to concentrate with Kit’s every touch sending waves of pleasure through me, but I managed to hold his gaze and protest, “We can both?—”
“Penny.” His voice was warm and sweet like honey as he dragged his fingers along my shaft. “Just let me love you, sweetheart.”
My eyes slid closed as I gave myself over to him. The anticipated kiss came next. Prompting pressure on my mouth eased it open, and I surrendered that, as well. The darknessbehind my closed lids flashed with sparks of bliss. I touched, and I felt, reveling in the catch of my fingers in Kit’s hair to the glide of his tongue across my lips.
He knew my body better than I did, it seemed. So able to draw out measures of ecstasy. It was everything I wanted it to be, each moment stamping impressions on my heart and mind that I would take with me when we left this place.
In a few days, we would return to Ashpoint to face whatever awaited us. We may have completed the task here in Eastcliff, but we had more work to do and people expecting promised change.
I was ready for that. Eager to finish what we’d started and see it through to the end. But tonight, I would focus on us—onthis. I would celebrate what we’d already achieved, the battles won and the burdens laid down.
I would hold close the warmth of Kit’s touch and let myself enjoy the fragile but fierce hope of our future together. The love that we’d sworn for all time.
42
Kit
We rejoined everyone as Warren and his family were getting ready to leave. I’d done what I could to fix my mussed hair on the walk back from the barn, but Sayla still gave us a knowing smirk when her mother’s back was turned.
I’d never seen Penny blush that shade of red before.
After the house emptied, Amelina bid everyone goodnight and retreated to her room. And before Sayla could comment on our crooked shirts and the hay stuck to our trousers, Penny said a hasty goodnight of his own and dragged me off toourroom.
He didn’t release me until we’d tumbled into bed. I braced on my arms so I wouldn’t flatten him to the mattress, and he grinned.
“Always afraid of crushing me, you silly man.” He tugged on my hips. “I don’t mind.”
The lump in my throat choked any response I might have given. Instead, I lowered myself so I could rest my cheek on his chest and tuck my head beneath his chin. He gave a contented sigh and looped his arms around my back.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” he said through a yawn. “We shouldn’t sleep in our clothes.”
When I leaned up on one elbow a few minutes later, he was asleep.
A smile tipped my lips as I levered myself out of bed just long enough to ease Penny’s socks and trousers off and tug the blankets up over him. Then I climbed back in and stretched out beside him with my head pillowed on his shoulder.
My thoughts chased endless circles until I was sure I’d go mad with them. There were so many things that I wanted, but I couldn’t have them all. I had to choose. None of the options available to me would leave everyone unscathed. But the more I thought, the surer I was that there was really onlyonechoice.
