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“Interesting,” Lira said without breaking eye contact with Sai. “Yet, the leader of this group didn’t think this was a conversation I should be privy to.”
Sai took a deep breath. “Lira…”
She turned to me. “When do you think you’ll leave?”
I looked at Sai whose jaw jumped but he nodded. I answered her. “If we have the supplies together, possibly by tomorrow morning. The Maharani won’t wish to waste time.”
“Great. I’ll make sure I’m ready then.” Lira pivoted and stormed off, her sari rippling behind her.
Sai turned away from the group so that his face fell into the shadows. “Let’s all get some rest. We’ll reconvene at sunrise, and you can each let me know if you wish to join then.” He broke away and blended into the shadows.
I gave Elisa’s hand a squeeze and jogged after him. “Sai.”
He didn’t speak until I’d caught up. “Not now, Neia.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You have no reason to be. I’ve made choices, and I must face the consequences. For now, I just need some time and to speak with Shaan. I’ll see if he’s still awake.”
I gripped his arm, stalling his retreat. “If you need to talk, you know I’m here for you.”
“I know.” He clasped his hand over mine then pulled away, disappearing into the dark. I sighed and turned back to find Elisa, slid my fingers between hers, and led her to the courtyard door that opened to the other side of our bedroom.
We walked into the dim chamber. Limited moonlight made it past the curtains and cast stars into Elisa’s eyes. Reflecting on relationships had firmed up something I’d been thinking about. I shut the door, turned towards Elisa, and wrapped an arm around her waist. “It’s you, Lis.”
“What is?”
“If I have to choose this group—this work and place in life—or you, there’s no competition. It’s you. Tell me you don’t want to do this job and we’ll be done with it. I’ll let Sai know before the group meets in the morning.”
Elisa sighed and draped against me so that her breath tickled my neck. “Oh, Nei, we both know we’re going to do this job.”
“We don’t have to.”
“Don’t we?” She lifted her face and rose on her tiptoes so that her nose brushed mine. “What happens if they fail because they meet a locked door I could have opened? Or because Sai needed his right hand? Of course we’re going to do it. I’m just afraid for you.”
I twirled one of her curls around my finger and brushed it behind her ear. “Not for yourself?”
“My greatest fear since the day I met you”—she kissed me and her tongue whispered across my lips as she pulled away—“is losing you.”
I started to say something else, but she covered my mouth with hers again and tucked her fingers under my shirt, brushing them along my stomach. I groaned. We’d been on the run since everything that had happened at the Seelie palace, falling exhausted into our tent each night and sleeping for only a few hours before rising to race away again. I hadn’t touched her silky flesh or held her in my arms since before the job, before I’d feared I’d damaged things between us.
She peeled my shirt off and slid her thumbs down my breasts.
I grabbed the back of her head, kissed her hard, and walked us towards the bed. She tripped on something—some strewn item of hers—and I whipped an arm around her waist to steady her, smiling. I loved every chaotic detail of this woman, every scattered shoe and misplaced bauble and sinuous curl. A laugh spilled past her lips. I could just make out the curve of them in the dim light and, saints, I wanted them everywhere, wanted to have my tongue on her everywhere.
I curled my finger under the silk straps of her dress to peel them down her shoulders. She helped me untangle the material and remove her layers until she was bare and lush in my hands, and we fell onto the mattress together.
Her laughter picked up as I kicked my pants off and twined my body over hers, felt the warmth of her flesh bleed into mine, and stroked my fingers over the swell of her breasts, down her stomach, dipped them past her hip and lower until the music of her voice cut off with a gasp.
My mouth met hers like she was the last drop of water in this saints forsaken world. She bucked against my hand as I smiled. Her forehead scrunched and her breath rushed against my cheek. Her body trembled as she settled but I didn’t give her time as I curled a finger, dipped into her, and felt her muscles clench around me.
She gripped her fingers into my shoulder. It felt like she held onto more than my body, like she clutched my soul. How desperately I wanted to hold on to her as well. I’d give my life without hesitating to see her safe. Damn it, I’d sacrifice a great deal solely to see her smile. Now we tumbled towards an uncertain future, and I worried about what that meant for us. I didn’t want to face it without her, that much I was sure of. Within minutes Elisa was sweat slicked against me. I pulled one more shaking release from her that left her draped against the bed, her peaked breasts rising with her breath.
I dropped beside her content to watch her drift to sleep, pleased that I could so easily pull pleasure from her and, if nothing else, help her forget our troubles and get lost in the endless well of love I felt for a few minutes.
She rolled towards me. “Oh, no, Nei.”
“Hmm?”
