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“Um, just a place where kids with no family can go. They are kind of a stand-in family without being your family.”
“And you didn’t like the replacement family?”
“They didn’t like me,” Raven said, tugging on her braid, and Kellen’s heart twisted a bit. Leaning closer, he bumped a shoulder to hers as the thunder rolled across the sky.
“I like you.”
“What?” Raven looked up at him in shock.
“I like you.”
“Oh, please. I’ve done nothing but poke at you since we’ve met. I’ve deliberately tried to annoy you. You don’t know me well enough to like me,” Raven protested. If he looked close enough, Kellen could just make out the stars reflected in her eyes.
“You’re smart. You’re resilient. You’re tough because you’ve had to be, but you don’t blink twice at handling difficult situations or helping others. You have moments of being funny.”
“Just moments? Damn, and here I pride myself on my excellent wit.” Raven snapped her fingers in disgust.
“And, despite what you say, you are an enchantress. You, Raven, are heartstoppingly, achingly beautiful. When I look at you, like this, with your guard down? I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a more beautiful woman in all my life.”
“Kellen…” Raven’s mouth opened but nothing else came out as she stared at him in disbelief.Would she let me kiss her?He didn’t want to push her, knowing how resistant she was to touch.
“I’ve got a powerful curiosity about you, Raven.” Kellen held his hand to his heart. “Right here. I think…I think I can feel you. Inside me. Since the moment I met you, squaring off to me on the street, you’ve captivated me. I don’t quite know what to do about these thoughts, these feelings I’m having. Any other time, well, I’d give it a go. But I’m not sure that’s the right move now.”
“It isn’t?” Kellen’s lips quirked at Raven’s annoyed tone. Perhaps shewasequally as interested as he was.
“There are several factors at play here, Raven. The biggest being…we’re leaving for a battle. I still don’t know why the Domnua are hunting you. Will it be harder to protect you if I grow more attached to you? Not to mention the fact that you’re as skittish as a baby Alicorn. I wouldn’t feel comfortable touching you, at least not without your permission.”
“Oh,” Raven said, and he watched a mixture of emotions play out across her face. Silence fell, and Kellen allowed it, not needing to push her into anything she wasn’t ready for. Hell, he didn’t even know whathewas ready for. His emotions were pulled in every direction as it was, and Raven entering the picture had been an unexpected distraction for him. “What a strange conversation we’re having. I’ve never had anyone look at me the way that you do, or see me the way that you have. Nobody’s…taken care with me before. Not like this. I’m curious as well.” Raven said the last bit on a rush of breath, like she was scared she wouldn’t say the words if she didn’t get them out quickly.
“What are you curious about, exactly?” Kellen held his breath, waiting for her response.
“About you. About…why I think about you too. I think…well, I mean, obviously you’re attractive.” Raven shrugged.
“Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say,” Kellen said, amused as she muddled her way through her thoughts.
“So it’s normal I would be attracted to you, right? I’m sure every woman would be. That’s probably all this is, then. Just the whole…proximity to a hot guy thing. It doesn’t happen all that often for me. It’s normal for me to be interested. Right?”
“I can’t speak to that other than no, I don’t think that every woman finds me attractive.” Though many did, but Kellen suspected Raven wouldn’t be interested in hearing about his past. Just because he’d never sought to find his fated mate, didn’t mean that he hadn’t enjoyed his time with women. The Fae were a lustful bunch, and that was the truth of it.
“Maybe it’s just like, an itch to be scratched,” Raven mused, and Kellen’s eyebrows shot up. This was the first time he’d heard of lovemaking described in such a manner.
“Maybe,” Kellen agreed, keeping his tone serious.
“Because it can’t really be anything more, anyway. You live here. I live down there. I guess this would be, what, a vacation fling? You know, how people go on holiday and hook up for the weekend?” Raven looked up at him, and Kellen honestly had no idea what she was babbling on about.
“I don’t understand what a fling is.”
“Oh, it’s like…a short-term romance. A one-night stand. A no-attachments, mutual, pleasure-sharing thing.”
“Mutual pleasure sharing,” Kellen repeated, working hard now not to laugh. Raven was beyond adorable as she worked herself around to trying to give herself permission to kiss him. He needed to wait her out, but since she was already thinking about it, he suspected it wouldn’t be long now. Patience would win in the end. “Is that what you like?”
“I can’t say. I’ve never tried it.” Raven looked him up and down, like he was a new toy to buy at the market.
“Raven.” Kellen leaned forward, desperately trying not to laugh. “Just tell me what you want.”
“I can’t just say it.” Raven threw up her hands, exasperated.
“Surely, you can. It’s just you and me here. In the dark. Hanging on the edge of the world overlooking a storm. Your secret is safe with me.”
