Page 50 of Power of the Mind

Heat climbed my neck and settled in my cheeks. I wanted to get up and pace, put distance between us so I could breathe, but Tallus moved his hand to my thigh, so I was once again rooted in place.

“I’m going to say some things, and you aren’t going to interrupt or disagree, got it?”

I offered a clipped nod, staring at the restricting hand. He flipped it over, and the invitation was clear.

“Come on. Let me help ground you.”

Before I could talk myself out of it, I reached out and held his hand.

“Eyes up here, Guns. You’re going to look at me when I say this.”

A low growl radiated from my chest, and Tallus chuckled. But I found his face, met his gaze, and waited with bated breath.

“Ready?”

I nodded.

“I’m going to touch you.”

I steeled myself not to react as he raised his other hand and rested a warm palm against my cheek.

“Okay?”

I nodded.

“Hold still.”

Tallus leaned in and placed a delicate kiss on my forehead. It wasn’t the first time he’d kissed me. Every time his lips came in contact with my skin—never on the mouth—I shivered. My stomach warbled.

Lingering close, Tallus spoke in a whisper. “I think you’re incredibly handsome, Diem.”

“I’m not.”

“Shush. No talking. My turn. I’m an affectionate person, and—”

“I’m not.”

Tallus stabbed a finger against my lips and shushed me again. He wasn’t mad. A glimmer of humor shone in his eyes.

“And… unless you tell me not to, I’m going to start touching you more often. I want you to—”

“I can’t return the favor.”

He pressed a hand over my mouth and laughed. “Of all the freaking times I’ve tried to get you to talk and you refuse, now I want you to shut up, you won’t.”

I almost smiled against his palm. Almost. He would have known if my lips twitched or the corners of my mouth turned up. He would have felt it against his hand. Tallus’s sass was ever present, and I liked how it diluted serious moments and made them easier to handle. I liked how its presence warmed me inside and out. He was a firecracker. Lightning in the sky on a stormy night. A lighthouse in the darkness.

How could I not be drawn to him?

“Are you listening?”

I nodded, lost in his eyes. For once, unable to look away. His focus was absolute. Tallus looked at me like there was no one else in the universe. Like nothing else mattered. Like I was important somehow and deserved all his attention.

“Do you like fucking me, Diem?”

My brows rose, and a lump formed in my throat.

“Do you like bending me over the couch and taking pleasure in my ass?”

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