Page 136 of The Sundered Realms

“Now you want to do this?” Liris asked incredulously as he pulled one off, then the other. “In voiding Ormbtai?!”

He grinned at her, and Liris’ heart thundered to life.

Maybe she wasn’t that tired after all.

“I told you I was waiting for a bed,” Vhannor told her, making rapid work of his own boots. “Ormbtai ought to be good for something, despite themselves.”

Liris scooted back to make room for him as he knelt on the edge of the bed at her feet, still not quite convinced this was happening. “I mean I’m not exactly opposed to defiling their furniture, at least in their eyes,” she said. “But given all your talk I’m surprised you’re suggesting our first time be spite sex.”

Vhannor paused with his hands poised to touch her, and deliberately looked up to meet her gaze.

The orange in his eyes caught the light, smoldering like an ember.

For her.

“I’m not,” he told her seriously.

And then he did, finally, touch her.

Which was silly; he’d been touching her. She’d just been sitting in his lap, for gods’ sakes.

But this was different. The intention was different, and she could feel it.

Feel it as he slowly stroked up her legs, up and down, and bent and kissed her ankle, like a shot straight to her core.

What in the name of—her ankle? That wasn’t even an erogenous zone! Or was it—?

“I want your joy,” Vhannor told her, his burning gaze wholly focused on her. “I want you to feel limitless. I want you to believe that no one can take your joy from you, that they can’t limit you, even here. I want you to sleep restfully, with no regrets and no shadows, and for me to follow into your dreams and not them.”

His last words came out not just emphatic, but almost with a growl, and Liris wasn’t sure she could breathe enough to manage to tell him that at this rate there was absolutely no chance she would be dreaming about anything or anyone else tonight.

Before she could, Vhannor said reverently, “You were incredible today. Every day. And I want you to feel it.”

He still hadn’t done more than touch her legs. But he was higher now, slowly closing in on a key part of her body that was beginning to ache for him.

Beginning to, ha. As if it hadn’t roared to attention at the first sign that they might finally be doing this.

And yet she couldn’t let him just continue like this, void take everything.

“What about your joy?” Liris got out, her voice coming out breathy.

Vhannor looked at her, and her breath vanished altogether, as his thumbs stroked up the inside of her thighs.

“You bring me joy,” he said simply. “More than I ever thought possible.”

Sudden tears pricked Liris’ eyes.

No one had ever said anything like that to her. Until this moment it wasn’t something she’d even realized she wanted.

Not just to be useful.

To be a source of joy.

And Vhannor chose that moment for his thumbs to circle right at the crease of her thighs, so close to where she wanted him.

Ohhh no. He was not going to distract her that easily.

Liris levered herself upright and slipped her hands under his shirt.

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