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I stepped both legs into the leather harness and waited as he tightened the thick belt at my waist, then cinched the straps that criss-crossed my breasts. Sweat broke out on my neck and back as I listened to him buckle the part of the harness meant for the Morgon. Finally, he clipped the locking hooks on either side of his waist to the rings at mine, cinching the wrap-around leather strap one more time, pulling my body firmly against him. The back of my body was molded to the front of his. I hadn’t been this close to a man in such an intimate way in quite a long time. Perhaps that’s why my heartbeat skittered ahead.
“Where do I hold on? I have to hold on to something.”
A rumbling chuckle vibrated from his chest to my back. He curled his hands around mine, engulfing them, and forcibly hooked my fingers around the straps at my chest.
“Is that better?”
“No.” My breathing quickened. I was about to be flying through the air. This was insane.
“Just let go, Kittycat. I’ve got you.”
That’s what I was afraid of.
He curved both his arms around my abdomen, holding me tight. I felt his knees bend, mine bending with him. The snapping whip of his wings as they flared out stirred the air around us. A pulse of wind beat once right before lift-off. Looking up into the starry sky, I held my breath.
“Just let go,” I murmured to myself the second before my feet left the ground.
Funny thing about fear. When you cling to it, the fear grows exponentially, a monster morphing into a suffocating mass. But when you face it head-on, conquering the beast before it swallows you whole, you find there was nothing there to fear at all. The chains break, and the whole world feels lighter than ever before.
Chapter Eight
For several seconds, I couldn’t even suck air into my lungs as we climbed higher and higher into the night sky.
“Breathe,” Kol commanded close to my ear.
I inhaled, taking in the deep black above us behind a canvas of glittering stars. The buildings below grew smaller, their lights like pinpricks of candlelight. As Kol winged north of the city into the wilderness, the heaviness of the dark wrapped us in a cool embrace. At this height, he beat his wings little, letting us soar on a smooth, even path, skimming above the clouds. A half-moon shimmered a radiant glow on the thin blanket of vapor beneath us.
“What do you think?” he asked, his arms still braced around me.
My hands and face stung from the icy wind. Other than that, I was enthralled. Completely and utterly besotted with the sensation of drifting between earth and sky.
“It’s cold,” I managed to chatter between my teeth, “but it’s beautiful.”
“Next time, wear gloves and a thicker coat.”
As if he’d given me any prior notice. And assuming there would be a next time. “Where does P-Petrus live?”
“East of Drakos. I’m taking you on a route to avoid other Morgons.” He angled right, my hair flying across my face. He removed one arm from my waist and swept my hair aside, his fingers grazing the back of my neck. I tensed at his touch.
“Pull your hair back in the future. I keep getting a mouthful.”
His other arm came back around my waist.
“Why must you hold me so tight?”
His arms left me. My weight dropped, straining against the harness straps. I sucked in a sudden breath, feeling as if I might fall, my fears slamming back into place.
His hands rested lightly on my hips. “I thought it might make you feel more secure. But if you prefer this?—”
“No.” I swallowed my pride. “It was better before.”
“You’re sure?”
I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Yes, damn it! Please, Kol.”
His hands slid back around my waist, his arms bracing me back against the heat of him.
