Page 69 of Tears of Gold

He winces. “Because of what Anik did to you. I knew you weren’t ready, and I didn’t think you were into guys.”

I match his gaze, my pulse fluttering. “I’ve b-been oblivious to so m-many things.” I reach for his neck and gently pull his head down toward me. He meets my kiss hesitantly at first. I open my mind wide to him and pour through my love and desire. I don’t know if I’m into guys, and there’s certainly a lurking fear from what happened years ago, but none of that changes the closeness I want with Skye.

A deep sigh whistles through his nose to caress my cheek, and his lips press hard against mine. After a minute, he sits back, both of us breathless.

“I’m a guy, Erritt.”

“Really?” I smirk. “I hadn’t n-noticed.”

He swats my arm, gentler than usual, and I laugh. “I’m w-well aware you’re male, but I feel like you’re more . . . an extension of me, and maybe part of Ava too. I don’t know how to explain it b-better than that.”

He smiles, his eyes twinkling with joy and his bright look melts me inside.

“I’ll admit Ava has me w-wound up today . . . but this still feels right. Although . . . I don’t know how this works.” Heat burns along my neck.

Skye’s happy chuckle tugs my lips into a smile. He hauls me upright and pulls me onto his lap in a heartbeat. Shit. Sometimes I forget just how strong Skye is.

“Well, how about we do something about you being so wound up? I’ll lead, and we’ll stop the moment anything doesn’t feel okay.”

I lean into his neck and nod, feeling suddenly shy. Skye takes my cheeks in his hands and draws my lips to his. His hot breath whispers across my mouth, blowing away all awareness of the rest of the world. As our lips explore, I read his essence. He’s excited, but he’s holding back, aware of my pain and not wanting to frighten me. I press my forehead against his, marveling at this man’s selflessness.

Skye lives in a state of extreme self-restraint. I know for a fact he’s many times more powerful than what he allows others to see. He keeps it hidden, chained inside of him, no matter what he must endure, because of the Supremacy Laws. Considering the damage he could do if he ever wanted to hit back at those who have tormented him over the years, he is truly amazing.

His hands slide down my neck and arms and settle around my waist. My heartbeat picks up as he kneads my back, kissing me hungrily, as if I’m his meal. I run my hands up his chest, feeling his nipples harden under my touch and his breath catches with a friction that hardens my cock.

Deep within his essence, something foreign blinks at me from the shadows.

Adrenaline surges, and I release Skye with a gasp. “Shit! What the fuck was that?”

“Um.” He sighs, rubbing at his eyes. “That is complicated.”

I look down into his dark eyes, which crease with worry, and my heart throbs, seeing the pain in his gaze.

“Is that what you’ve k-kept shielded from me for . . . so long?”

His eyes narrow. “You knew?”

I shrug. “I knew there was something, but I never p-pried.”

“Of course you did.” Skye sighs, considering as he stares at me. “I don’t understand it well myself, but it’s my inner dragon. He woke up for the first time recently.”

Biting down on a grin, I ask, “Let me guess . . . because of Ava?”

“Yeah.” He lifts his brows as we both chuckle. “As far as I know, this doesn’t happen to other dragons. Well,” he corrects himself. “Not like this, appearing later in maturity.”

I frown. “You mean it’s more than connecting with your beast spirit?” I catch myself and hold up one hand. “Actually, don’t answer that.”

There’s one unwritten rule I keep with Skye. I don’t ask him for information about dragons. He’s understandably sensitive about his upbringing, and we don’t discuss why. Skye managed to survive one purge as a baby, so I don’t want to endanger him—and yet I can’t stay away from him either. But that inner beast was chillingly beautiful, even from a partial glimpse.

Little thrills of exhilaration creep through me. “Can I meet him again?”

Skye stares at me momentarily, then pulls me close to kiss. “How did I get so damn lucky?” he whispers against my mouth.

He bites on my lower lip, drawing a gasp from me before he dumps me backwards on the couch and kneels over me, never once releasing our kiss. If I had any doubts about who was dominant here, they evaporate.

He runs his hands over my body and opens his essence wide to me. Quickly, I sink into his depths and find the pitch-black shadow within. A gleam of light reflects from a half-shuttered eye.

Nervousness rolls up and down my awareness as I reach out my ephemeral self, offering touch but leaving the choice up to the essence. I didn’t know meeting another shifter’s inner beast was possible. Without hesitation, the shadows roll forward, forming into a long body. My real ears hear Skye gasp, but my attention locks on this life-changing moment. Roughness drags across my essence, and I shiver.