Page 38 of Hex and Scales

“I thought I saw...” But when she looked again, Linus was gone. Had she imagined it? The memory of that dead-eyed stare made her shiver. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”

Ren pulled back enough to study her face, concern etched in his features. His eyes scanned the crowd, protective instincts clearly on high alert.

“Hey.” She touched his cheek, drawing his attention back to her. “You’ve given me such a special evening. I don’t want anything to spoil it.”

The worry in his expression softened. He lowered his head to capture her lips again, this kiss slower and deeper than the last. By the time they parted, she’d almost forgotten her unease.

“More cocoa?” he murmured against her mouth.

“Mmm. Definitely more cocoa.”

They spent another hour wandering the market hand in hand, sampling treats and watching Terra and Aero’sspectacular ice-wind sculpture performance. But eventually the crowds began to thin as the evening wound down.

The walk home seemed to pass too quickly. Sabine’s heart beat faster as they approached her cottage, bright with welcome lights. She didn’t want this night to end. More than that—she didn’t want to be alone, didn’t want to let go of this feeling of safety and rightness she had in Ren’s arms.

Standing on her porch, she made up her mind. Whatever darkness lurked in the shadows, whatever threats waited in their future, she wouldn’t let fear steal this from them. She wouldn’t let anyone sabotage what was growing between them.

Rising on her toes, she pulled Ren down for a kiss that held nothing back. His response was immediate and heated, his hands spanning her waist to draw her closer.

“Stay,” she whispered when they finally broke apart.

His eyes searched hers, molten gold in the porch light. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She took his hand, squeezing gently. “Stay with me tonight.”

The smile that curved his lips was tender and fierce at once. He followed her inside, the door closing softly behind them. Her arms immediately went around his neck and they kissed again. Deep. Hard. Perfect.

Ren pushed her lips apart, delving in deep, and suddenly, she felt like she needed him just as much as he seemed to need her. She was glad she’d insisted he stay with her because there was no way she could survive the night without him.

Their kiss turned into a hungry, desperate mess, and when Ren reached down to pick her up, Sabine jumped into his arms, locking her legs around his hips. He walked into her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind them and taking her to the bed.

“Sabine,” he murmured against her mouth as he laid her back onto the blanket. “I want you so much that the thought ofever leaving you scares me to the bone. If anything happened to you I don’t think I could survive it.”

He punctuated every word with a kiss, pressing each across her jaw and down her neck. She held onto him, swept up in her emotion so much that her words poured out of her without a second thought.

THIRTY-THREE

“Ren, I need you.” Sabine gasped as his teeth scraped against her collarbone, grateful that there were no longer any clothes between them. “You are the only person I ever want to be with.”

“Good because I’m done fighting. You can never get rid of me.” He chuckled against her skin, his breath tickling her lightly. His voice dipped even deeper and huskier. “I need tofeelyou.”

His teeth raked over her breasts, making her back round. “Oh, Ren, please.”

“Please?” He teased as he continued to move down her body, nipping at her navel. “In a second, my little tigress.”

“Oh, fuck,” she cried out as he pressed kisses between her hips and down her pelvic bone. Her legs opened for him on their own, and she had to fight to keep from gripping his hair.

“My beautiful kitten,” he whispered, trailing one finger around her center. He dipped it between her folds, rubbing lightly up and down but giving her no satisfaction. “How do you want me to take you?”

He was making her crazy, teasing her slowly until she thought she was going to lose her mind. He knew it, too, basedon the massive grin on his face. She growled, “This isn’t the time to slow down.”

His eyes narrowed as his fingers slipped back up, and he pinched her clit. It felt good, and Sabine squirmed under his hand. “That’s no way to talk to me,” he chastised.

“Oh, stars,” she cried out, and he let go. “I need you.”

Ren’s expression softened at that, and he rubbed her nub. Her breath hitched, and he trailed kisses along the inside of her legs. His hands moved in a lazy pattern between her legs, spreading her folds wide. Her breath caught in her throat as he teased her entrance, and she held very still as she waited. He looked up at her and plunged one finger in until her back curved and her body jerked against him.

He added a second finger, curling the two against her walls as he pumped them in and out, rubbing at them until her hands fisted into the sheets. Still, Sabine wanted more friction.

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