Page 78 of Aria's Desire

* * *

Aria felther pulse pick up speed when Sin landed on the balcony. She wasn’t worried, necessarily, more nervous. Her accepting Sin affected all of them, changed things.

When her gaze landed on Rellik, she realized she was less worried about Tirox and Kix and more concerned about her devil. Her mates hadn’t left any room for doubts about their feelings, but Rellik… How did he feel? Truly?

Her demon caught her up in his arms the second she walked inside, kissing her soundly before setting her back down and moving to pull Sin into a bear hug.

“It is good to finally call you brother in truth, my friend.” Tirox straightened, keeping his hands on Sin’s shoulders, grinning widely. “You will treasure this gift as she deserves to be treasured, or I will gut you and watch you choke to death on your own blood.”

Aria felt her eyes widen. He said it with that same welcoming grin, but they all knew Tirox meant every word and would absolutely follow through on his threat. Sin, however, didn’t look at all taken aback.

He nodded solemnly and rumbled back, “You would not need to, Brother.”

Shaking her head at her intense, barbaric men, Aria realized those two were more similar than she’d ever thought. She turned away in time to be lifted into Kix’s arms. After a passionate kiss that had renewed heat stirring inside her, he, too, set her down and moved to Sin.

Her firefly clasped Sin’s forearms and stood silently. There were no words between them, at least none spoken.

Watching them for a moment, she remembered something. Kix had always been able to communicate easily with Sin in a way she’d only ever seen him do with her and Tirox. Something about that knowledge warmed her. She wondered if he could speak with such ease with Rellik, as well. She hoped so. It felt important.

Kix’s ear twitched back toward her. He turned slightly to meet her gaze, his own a bit wide.

“I can, yes. I never realized… ” A smile flirted with the corners of his lips and the look in his eyes became meaningful. “Fate, then.”

Aria had to swallow past a sudden knot in her throat. She’d never really given much thought to fate or destiny, but that Kix had always been able to speak, mind to mind, with each of them with an effortlessness he didn’t have with anyone else…

That felt significant, meaningful.

Sensing Rellik approaching, she met his gaze, noticing the nervousness there. He stopped close enough she could smell him, could see the thin, yellow striations in his fiery orange irises.

“I readied a bath… not that—” He winced, his eyes flicking to Sin. “I didn’t—”

She cut him off. “A bath sounds perfect.”

He relaxed and followed behind her. When he hesitated in the doorway of the bathroom, Aria gave him raised brows. “You didn’t want to join me?”

She’d assumed he would, but she wouldn’t make him if he wasn’t comfortable or ready. There was no pressure. If he’d rather take her on a private date as Sin had, that was fine. If he’d changed his mind entirely… She’d be hurt, really hurt, but…

He made a short sound in his throat and his hands fisted at his sides, his eyes suddenly blazing. The tightness in her chest released. His mouth worked for a second before he just gave her a sharp nod and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

Knowing she could fluster her smooth, seductive, silver-tongued Rellik gave her a special kind of thrill. Hiding a smile, both relieved, and more than a little antsy with anticipation, she turned away.

Excruciatingly aware of his gaze on her, Aria slowly stripped, revealing one inch of skin at a time. The weight of his stare was tangible. The growing tension in him filled the room, surrounding her. She was teasing him, tempting him, and they both knew it.

The question was, would he accept her silent invitation?

Her answer came when she felt his heat lick at her naked back the moment she straightened from taking off her pants and boots, spiking her pulse.

His voice was a low, seductive whisper in her ear, thick with lust and warning. “You play with fire, mysarasha.”

The breath shuddered out of her when he ran the very tips of his fingertips up her thigh, across her stomach, up the middle of her chest. She swayed back, her lids fluttering at that feather-light touch, waiting, aching for him to cup her breast.

He stopped just shy and sidestepped her, walking down into the tub like he hadn’t just set her on fire.

Holy shit…

He was naked. When had he stripped, and how hadn’t she heard a single rustle of clothing?

Who cares? Goddamn, but he’s beautiful.

---