Page 139 of Autumn Queens & Shadows

“It is a bad idea, but it was no mistake, Thora.”

Wringing an arm around his neck, I rose to my toes and sealed my lips to his. He froze for a moment and then his arms were around me, pulling me tightly to his body while he deepened our kiss. “I led,” I said, panting.

“You did.”

I let out a small squeal when he lifted me up in his arms., pulling my thighs around his little man waist. “Me and you need to have a conversation.”

“About what?”

“About what you said before. Do I look like I’m leaving?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Rora, do I look like I want to leave?” He stepped closer. “Did I look like I wanted to leave last night or this morning?”

“No.”

“Ask me now. Ask me if I want to leave.”

“This seems silly,” I muttered to myself.

“Ask me.”

Sighing, I looked up at him, “Do you want to leave?”

“No. The only one who can make me leave now is you.” He touched my face. “Do you want me to?”

“Is that even a question?” Letting out a strangled breath, I said, “No. I don’t want you to leave.”

“Crescent heaven, you hesitated there, little bird.”

I smacked his arm and his face twisted with feigned pain before he reached to hoist me up and over his head, holding me like a wooden plank.

He was a damn mountain bear. How the hell did he have this much strength?

“Who’s a piglet now?” he asked, chuckling, and I stopped squealing, surrendering to him.

Lowering me a little, he kissed my lips. “You’re going all quiet on me lately.”

“There is a lot on my mind.”

He put me down, arms banded around me as if I was going to run away from him. “I used to know everything that was in there.”

“You still do. Besides, it’s mostly you in there these days.”

Grabbing a water bottle, he leaned back on the court fence. “Friendly thoughts, I hope.”

“Thoughts of squeezing the life out of you.”

He dropped his head back and smiled. “If you’re going to get me hard, you’re going to have to do something about it.”

“Pig.”

He launched in my direction, and I made a run for it.

Unsuccessfully, of course.

Chapter thirty-two