"Mel—"
"Stay. Please stay." Her thumb traces the corner of my mouth. "I know what you're about to say. I know what your jaw is doing right now. I can hear the speech. I don't want thespeech."
"It's not—"
"It is." She's smiling.
I don't have an answer.
"Look at me." Her hand cups my face. "I want this. Tonight. Not because I'm grieving. Not because I'm scared. Because I want you. Because I've wanted you since the woods. Because I went to bed last night thinking about your hands and woke up this morning thinking about your hands and rode your back for hours and your back is now also a problem and I just—I want you. Tonight. I'm asking you to stay."
My throat closes.
"Mel." My voice has gone rough. "You've been crying for hours."
"And now I'm done."
"Are you sure—"
"If you ask me if I'm sure one more time I will hit you."
I laugh. Even here, even now, she has to get the last word.
"That's better." She's still smiling. "I prefer you when you laugh."
"Melori—"
"Stay."
"I—"
"Keer. Life is short." Her voice has dropped, quiet and steady, the fight gone out of it. "I'm done waiting."
The whole impossible woman, asking me to stop being careful with her.
I'm done being careful.
"Mel."
"Yes?"
"One rule." My hand at her jaw, tilting her face up to mine. "If anything hurts, you tell me. Anything else, I'll know."
Her breath catches.
"Okay."
"Say it."
"If anything hurts, I tell you."
"Good girl."
I kiss her hard. Different from before. Deeper. My hand at her throat, tilting her face up, the other arm wrapping all the way around her ribs. Her hands fist in my hair. Her body presses into mine and she makes a sound against my mouth.
I lower her back to the pallet.
Hand behind her shoulders, easing her down. Her arms locked around my neck. Her face going into my throat as I follow her down.
