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“Like your memories did?”
I sit up, and he follows me.
Keeping me on his lap, his hands go to my waist to anchor my body to his.
Even minutes away from dying, I’m not immune to this sexual attraction.
Neither is he.
As if he can’t stop himself from touching me, those hands wander. He rubs them up and down on my back, slipping underneath the opening in my hospital gown. His bare fingertips leave the most blissful sensations on my skin.
He leans in and runs his nose along my neck, tracing the chain of the pocket watch.
When he speaks again, his warm breath caresses my throat. “At this stage of the bargain, we’re one and the same, and it might be difficult for you to separate your own feelings from mine. It’s meant to lull you into a false sense of security.”
“Are you saying you love me or you’re just faking it to make me easier to deal with?” Yet again, I use sarcasm to lighten the mood. Really, I’m just giving him a hard time. It’s not a serious question, and I don’t expect him to answer it.
But then he does.
Resting his chin on my shoulder, he says, “What I feel for you is unmatched by anything I’ve ever experienced. I don’t even have a name for it. It’s literally indescribable. All I can say for certain is that I would do anything for you.”
“And you don’t think it’s possible for me to feel the same? Ellister, I do, and it’s not just because you take my symptoms away. There’s so much more between us than the bargain. I… Ieverythingyou.”
“Did you just use everything as a verb?” he asks, reminding me of the conversation we had about Faith when we were dancing.
“I most certainly did, sir,” I quip. “You’ve made me feel so much. I’ve been angry and resentful. Excited, then disappointed. Grateful and happy. It’s a mixed bag, but it’s everything.” I shrug. “I everything you.”
“Then I everything you, too.”
We stare into each other’s eyes for a few seconds, then I prompt, “Aren’t you supposed to do something now? Finish this?”
“I don’t want to take you yet. Are you suffering?”
“No. I’m weak but not in pain at all.”
“Then let’s just sit together for a little while. I want to be with you. Here.” He glances at the flowers, the trees, and the blue sky. “For as long as possible.”
Hugging me tighter, he bumps his forehead against mine. We stay like that for a minute, just holding each other.
Slowly, I pull the stocking cap from Ellister’s head.
He stiffens, but he allows me to remove the hat. Under his shaggy hair, his ears are pointy, just like I knew they would be.
This is what he’s been hiding from me.
Curious about them, I raise my hand to feel the tip. When my finger is just an inch away, Ellister catches my wrist.
“Don’t touch.”
“Why? Does it hurt?”
“Just the opposite, darling. Fae ears are very sensitive, and one brush of your fingertip would make me want to fuck you into the dirt.”
My breath hitches, and we lock eyes.
I want what he wants, and I communicate that with a subtle lift of my eyebrows.
Shaking his head at me like I’m a naughty child, Ellister’s lips curl up with amusement as he attempts to give me a stern stare. “Don’t look at me like that at a time like this. I’m tempted to kiss that pretty smirk right off your face.”
