Page 47 of Fire in Stone

She whimpered into his shoulder, coming on his hand. Her body trembled in his arms. He kept stroking her gently, taking her through the shudders of her pleasure, again and again. Until she stilled, draped over him, her face buried in the place between his neck and his shoulder.

He caressed her back in slow strokes, trying to get her to relax, but she remained tense like a string in his embrace.

She released a shuddering breath. “You know what the worst part is about flying like this?”

“Are thereanybad parts?” He had been enjoying their journey together. Had it been different for her?

She kept her face hidden from him. “It’s that there is nowhere to run. No matter what, I'm forced to face you.”

“What would you run from, Amber? Do you regret me touching you?”

She didn’t reply.

An unpleasant feeling scratched inside his chest. Was she regretting what happened already?

“What is it, Amber? Are you feeling ashamed?” he ventured a guess. “Guilty? Worried? These are all misplaced, useless emotions, not worth your time. I made you feel good. You enjoyed it, didn’t you?”

She nodded into his shoulder.

“That’s all that matters.” He kept stroking her back, feeling her body finally relax a little, soothed by his touch and his words. “I’ll be gone first thing tomorrow, and no one will ever know what happened between us up here. There is no consequence. None at all.”

“I doubt there’d be no consequence from having known you, Elex. You won’t be easy to forget.”

The idea of being remembered by her settled pleasantly in his heart.

“Good. I don’t want you to forget me. Since I already know I’ll never forget you.” He kissed her hair. “Will you miss me?”

She nestled into his arms, looking more comfortable now.

“I just might.” She gave him a tiny smile.

He tried to imagine what it would be like never to see Amber again, and he severely disliked the tightness in his chest that thought brought.

Thirteen

AMBER

Somehow, I ended up dozing off again. Who could have thought that napping in the freezing air high above the Atlantic would prove to be so cozy? But I didn’t feel the cold. Elex made sure of it.

“Amber.” He woke me up by nuzzling the side of my head. “Wake up, please.”

“What… What’s going on?”

He had me in a cradle hold, my head resting on his shoulder, my legs draped over his left arm. Both my hands were folded at his chest. I wasn’t holding on to him in my sleep. There was nothing but his arms preventing me from falling.

With a jolt of panic, I threw my arms around his neck again.

“I won’t drop you,” he assured me. “I promised, remember?”

“Maybe so. But I feel better, holding on myself too. It’s better to be safe than sorry.” Relying on him so completely would require more trust than I feared I was capable of. “Is everything okay? Did you get bored? Is that why you woke me up?”

“No.” He remained serious. “It’s getting late.”

It was evening. The sun was nearing the horizon, and there was nothing but open water below us.

“Shit.” I sensed his worry with every nerve in my body. “We won’t reach the shore before sunset, will we?”

He shook his head. “Not at this speed. No.”

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