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So I swallow down my fear and tell him how tonight reminded me about my first failed escape attempt after I was kidnapped. And then I tell him about all the ones that followed. Aiden listens intently, tensing several times, but not saying a word.
“The thing is… I knew right from the beginning it was a bad idea to get involved with Tiero, but I got swept up. If only I had listened to my gut! But I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll never ignore it again.”
“It’s a good lesson to have mastered. I learned a long time ago to listen to my gut. I believe it’s what kept me alive,” Aiden says. “And tonight, it told me to find you.”
I rub my cheek against his shoulder, smiling. “Thank you for listening to your gut.”
Aiden buries his nose in my hair, inhaling deeply. “You’re welcome, lucida. When I heard you scream on the way to you, I was frantic. I ran as fast as I could.”
“You keep calling me lucida. What does that mean?”
I can feel him smiling above me. “In astronomy, lucida is the brightest star in a constellation,” he explains. “You’re the brightest star I’ve come across. You’re my sun.”
Every synapse in my brain seems to fire simultaneously, bliss running through my body.
I’m sure my jaw drops. That has to bethesweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. All of me is swooning.
The walls of my resolve were already weakening. Now they’re being undermined from the inside as well, as an insatiable longing takes hold of me.
A longing for him to be mine.
Fight it, I tell myself.Fight it.
Being with me is too dangerous. And Aiden already means too much for me to risk his life.
So I don’t respond. If I did, I’d end up kissing the living daylights out of him. I swallow hard and clamp down on my desire.
He’s so close, though. All I can sense is him. His beguiling alpine scent engulfs me. Our arms are brushing up against each other and even though they’re covered, the contact seems to be an invitation for more.
Scooting away, I say, “I need some water.” And I really do; my throat is parched. I jump up to get a bottle from my backpack. My hands are shaking as I open it and take a hasty sip. Even with my back turned to him, I know his eyes on me, the butterflies having a field day in my tummy.
I take another sip, the cool water running down my throat helping to calm me. But not by much. We need to talk about something other than constellations and him sensing my needs.
I turn around and walk over to the log again. Searching my brain for a topic, I sit back down, not looking at Aiden. But my mind is blank. I’ve got nothing, and Aiden isn’t trying to fill the silence either.
With every passing moment, the tension between us intensifies. The air is crackling, and I’m tingling all over.
“Do you feel this too?” I whisper into the air, my heart drumming so loud I’m certain he must hear it. I dare a glance at him. Aiden’s eyes are intense, their sparkle brighter and more inviting than ever.
“It’s hard to miss,” he replies. And, fuck me, has his voice is deepened. It sounds gruff and raw.
His breathing speeds up as I keep staring at him. I need to look away, need to break this spell between us, but I just can’t. I’m mesmerized by the flames dancing in his eyes, the rise and fall of his chest. I want to touch it. I want to touch every single inch of him.
My gaze rises to his lips. I’m dying for a taste of them. I need them on mine. As if reading my mind, Ade ever so slowly moves in closer, the small gap between us disappearing. Our noses brush. My breath halts. My heart leaps into my throat.
I wet my lips in anticipation of what’s coming. I want this.
I really,reallywant this…
Even though I know I shouldn’t… for everyone’s sake.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ella
Fuckit.Iwillscrapshouldfrom my dictionary.
I’m tired of fighting this attraction… this connection I feel deep in my bones to this man. I want it.
