Page 51 of Broken Lands

I bit down on my retort and instead focused on bringing that power to my fingertips. Letting it gather and build, before pushing it out toward him again in what I imagined being a more concentrated ball of rock-hard air.

I didn’t even blink and his shield was up again, the whole thing flickering and flexing toward him as my attack hit dead center.

The sound of Colin grunting with the effort to maintain his shield made me smirk, the taste of victory on my tongue. The desire to knock his shield out, to get one up on the grumpy, flirty general, took over and without thinking I leaned forward, throwing another arrow of air directly at him.

Colin gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw as he worked to maintain his shield. My eyes were drawn to his forearms, the muscles there flexing and bulging with the effort he spent trying to break my attack.

The flames flicker, warp, and flicker again before guttering out completely. His eyes widened in shock, and I lunged, throwing one last ball of air in his direction. Not as strong as the previous ones, I didn’t want to seriously injure him. But strong enough that when it collided with him, he was knocked back on his ass.

I stalked forward, hands still raised in front of me. I might have been completely new to magic, but I knew enough not to drop my defenses so quickly.

“Was that good enough for you?” My voice was laced with false sweetness as I fluttered my lashes at him, still sitting half sprawled in the grass. “Was that better? Did you feelit,sir?”

Surprise and amusement flashed across his features, followed by raw, unbridled desire. The air in the room shifted as he pushed himself to his feet, brushing off the front of his uniform. He stalked towards me, a predatory look shining in his eyes. I backed away as he closed the distance between us. My breaths came in quick shallow gasps as electricity burned between us and my whole body ignited under the weight of his stare.

“I shouldn’t want you the way I do, shouldn’t be planning what I’m about to do to you.”

“And what are you planning to do to me,sir?”

The huskiness of my voice, the clear desire in it surprised me as my back hit the wall and I swallowed hard. Any anger, frustration I’d been holding onto fizzled into nothing as he reached me, leaning his arm against the wall above my head, his face only inches from mine.

“Fuck,” he growled, the sound causing wetness to pool between my thighs. “Call me that again.”

“You like it when I call you sir?” My voice was barely above a whisper. We shouldn’t be crossing this line.

But his warm breath was on my mouth, and I couldn’t think straight. I was drowning in need and desire. Need for him to kiss me, touch me, take the edge off, and make me forget all the gods damned shit I had going on.

Groaning, he shifted closer, his body pressing against mine as he whispered in my ear. “Fuck yes, I do, sweetheart. Now, do you want to tell me what’s going on with you today, or do you want me to make you forget all about it?”

A soft moan escaped me as he brought his lips to the space between my neck and shoulder and nibbled softly. My pussy fluttered in anticipation. This is exactly what I needed. Time to allow myself to be free and wanton, and not weighed down by all the different things I had to worry about.

“Make me forget, please.”

Chapter twenty-six

Colin

Ishouldnotbedoing this. There were so many reasons urging me to step back, pull away from her, to stop this thing before it goes any further. My position as General, our ages, Callie, that Riley was such an unknown. Such a wildcard.

But fuck. This girl had gotten under my skin. I couldn’t tear my attention away from her or dampen the desire she ignited in me. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since we met, and I brought her back to Danann.

I felt lighter when she was around, like the sun was shining brighter than it had before she came around. Almost as if the weight on my shoulders wasn’t as heavy. I wanted to lose myself in her, get lost together and forget this world existed.

“Make me forget, please.” She pleaded, her voice husky with desire.

I groaned at the words, at the invitation in them. I pulled my face away from the crook of her neck and pressed my body more firmly against hers as I examined her face, searching for confirmation that she truly wants this. Truly wants me.

She gasped as my erection dug into her belly and turned her face to mine, her eyes dropping to my mouth as she wet her bottom lip.

I claimed her mouth with my own, stifling her moan as our tongues danced with animalistic need. Fuck. I’d been such an asshole, so fucking hot and cold toward her. I needed to show her I was sorry. I couldn’t think of a better way to apologize than with my mouth.

I broke our kiss and nibbled along her jaw, tugging at her earlobe and working my way down her collarbone. Her hands were on my back, under my shirt, roaming the hard muscles there.

I grasped her hips, sliding my hands around to cup her ass and lift her away from the wall. She wrapped her legs around my waist, her hot core pressing flush against my rock-hard erection. I could feel the heat of her core through both of our clothes and groaned as I kissed down her collarbone, reaching the supple flesh of her cleavage.

“I want to taste you,” I growled against her skin. Stepping away from the wall, I spun and deposited her on the grass before me—a section undisturbed by our combat ‘lesson’—and knelt between her thighs.

I ripped my shirt off before gesturing for her to put her arms up. She obeyed immediately, and I pulled her top over her head before laying her back on the ground, taking a minute to admire the view.

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