Page 128 of Bound By Darkness

We fell together, my body collapsing against his as wavesof pleasure coaxed every inch of my skin. He kissed me once more, light and feathery before leaning back, his head resting against the tree.

My hand traced patterns across his chest as I relished the feeling of him… of us beneath the tree. After a few moments of silence, a smile lit my face.

“What?” Ivan said, a grin mirroring his.

“Nothing.”

Ivan’s brow quirked. “Thalia?—”

A slight grin crossed my face as I buried my face against muscle. “I was thinking… about Fin.”

“Was it that terrible?” He half-joked, his hand pausing on the curve of my back.

A chuckle left my lips at the hesitation. “Gods no,” I said as I bit the remaining heat away. “I was thinking about how are we going to tell him… about this? About us? I’m imagining him losing his shit.”

Whether he was trying to hide it or not, a breath escaped his chest as his hand resumed its tracing across my back. “Oh gods. He’s going to be insufferable,” he muttered. “Too bad I don’t care.”

Laughter erupted from me, my eyes meeting his. “I think he might scream from excitement.”

Ivan brushed hair from my face. “I’m supposed to meet up with him tonight. You want me to tell him then? For some reason, I think he won’t believe me unless it comes from you.”

“You’re meeting with him?”

“Supposedto. We were going to discuss counter measures incase Iyanna held you here.” His hands dug into my hips. “I’m not letting her keep you trapped, even if she says she’s not going to let you look for the Book.”

I rolled my eyes. “She won’t. I reminded her of the deal, and she agreed to let us search for the Book and Asa. Ipromise.” My lips brushed against his. “But I won’t argue if you feel like putting her in her place.”

Ivan groaned, his hands shaking slightly as he kept them pinned on my hips. “You’re making it difficult to leave.”

My grin widened as I gave him one final kiss. I didn’t think I’d ever tire of that honey taste as I pulled back slightly. “You better go, though. I don’t want Fin arguing that I kept him from you.”

“I don’t have to see him. We could stay here,” he muttered, his head burying in the crook of my neck. He planted a few kisses along my flushed skin.

A slight moan left my lips, my will nearly breaking as his hand lazily traced circles on my hip. A hand rose against his chest as I pushed him back gently. “Fin would kill me.”

“I don’t care.”

“But I do,” I said with a slight groan, my body shifting from underneath the warmth of his arms. Biting my lip to keep myself from jumping back, I dressed myself quietly, afraid to glance over at him. One look and I’d lose all momentum, falling right back into that silver as it consumed me.

With a groan, he reached over, the soft sounds of shuffling filling the cramped space. A hand combed through his hair before he pried back the branches, light flooding the dim space.

Stepping outside, goosebumps peppered my skin at the difference in temperature. I rubbed my arms. It provided me with a little bit of warmth as another chill breeze caressed my skin.

Ivan stepped from the tree, his body close to mine as he tossed an arm over my shoulders.

Glancing to the left, his body went rigid.

Panic stilled my heart at the abrupt change, my eyes swiveling to the same direction. “What’s?—”

“Damn. I can’t believe they did it.” A grin crossed his face.

Two horses were racing back at lightning speed. One of their riders was hunched over, slowly swaying to the side.

The other rider rode close, a hand stretched out to prevent her from falling.

“Is—” A hand rose to cover my mouth as Ivan nodded.

I didn’t wait for a reply as I bounded over the hillside toward her.

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