Page 123 of Crown of Slumber

I wanted more of her. And I would never get enough.

“Gods, Aurelia.” My voice was merely a rasp as I buried my face in her neck, breathing hard. “Gods…”

She stroked my hair, pushing the sweaty strandsout of my face. “I know. Me too.” She rested her head on my shoulder. “You still infuriate me to no end.”

I huffed a weak laugh. “I seem to remember you saying you loathed me more intensely than a thousand burning suns.”

She chuckled hoarsely. “That is still true.”

“But… you love me.” I said the words tentatively, as if unsure if she truly meant it. Perhaps she was confused. Or mistaken. If she was drunk on fire wine, she could have saidanythingwithout meaning it.

She lifted her head to look me in the eye. Her expression was worn from exertion, but the light in her gaze was brighter than ever. Clarity burned in those magnificent blue irises. “I love you, Fenn.”

I shook my head, a slow smile spreading across my face. I still could hardly believe it. “So, were you merely toying with me before?”

She snorted. “You would deserve nothing less.”

“True.”

“No, Fenn. I… I did not know. I knew I feltsomethingfor you. But I didn’t realize how strong my feelings were until I saw you dancing with another woman. Until I saw what it would look like if I walked away from you. Until… I imagined you spending your life with someone else. Someone who wasn’t me.”

I cocked my head at her, grinning wolfishly. “You were jealous?”

She whacked my arm. “You aresuchan ass! Did you dance with someone else on purpose, to make me jealous?”

With a laugh, I said, “No, not at all. I was truly just looking for a distraction. But no one comes close to you, Aurelia. I knew no one ever would. Everything I tried to drown myself in to forget about you only paled in comparison.” I ran my knuckles down her cheek, and she leaned into my touch.

“I still must leave in a few hours,” she whispered, her voice almost inaudible, as if she thought if the words were soft enough, they wouldn’t be true.

An ache filled my chest at the thought. I wanted to go with her. Desperately. But if we both vanished like thieves in the night, Mother would riot. She would likely invade the Summer Court. I needed to stay and smooth things over with her.

With a sigh, I said, “I know.”

“You have ruined me, Fennick Mardion. Ruined me completely.”

I nuzzled her neck. “Good.”

“How can I leave, when you make me feel this way?” She tilted her head back, letting me roam my lips up and down her throat. “Why do you do this to me? You worked your way into my heart, and now, I cannot exist without you haunting me. My love for you burns hotter than my hatred ever did. It burnsbrighterthan a thousand suns. Forever drawing me into its orbit.”

I exhaled against her neck, my chest quivering from the way her words struck me to the core. When I withdrew, I brought her mouth to mine in a slow, sensual kiss. I ran my tongue along the seam of her mouth before pulling away a few inches, our noses still touching.

My voice was thick with emotion as I said, “Aurelia Perdis, my love for you shines brighter than the stars in the heavens. Even when the stars go dark, still I will burn for you, filling the night sky to guide you back home to me.”

Tears sparkled in her eyes, and she swallowed hard, nodding slowly. “I will come home to you, Fenn. When I free my family and my people, when my kingdom is safe, Iwillcome back for you.”

Her mouth collided with mine, her tongue filling me, stroking and tasting. She angled her head, and my fingers wound in her hair, pulling her ever closer. I felt myself grow hard once more, and I almost thrust again, prepared to take her a second time.

“I will have you again,” I growled against her lips. “We are not finished here.”

“Oh, I hope not. You promised to unravel me repeatedly, remember? I intend to hold you to that.” A coy smile lit her features, and I laughed in surprise.

“My beautiful firebird.” I leaned her backward until she was reclined on the grass, then kissed her thoroughly, my lips memorizing her, capturing her fully.

Soon, I would let her go. Soon, we would part ways with the promise of reuniting later.

But not yet.

My legs ached,the tender space between my thighs sore and throbbing from Fenn’s thorough claiming of my body in the forest. But the lightness in my head from the fire wine and the pure, unfettered delight of being in love made me oblivious to the pain.

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