Page 21 of Bound in Flames

The sound of her footsteps splashing into the water drew my head to the side. I allowed myself to keep her in my peripherals, telling myself it was for safety reasons. The temptation to turn and take her in completely was maddening.

A yelp broke the stillness, followed by a loud splash. I turned to see her emerge from the water, spluttering and gasping. Her hair clung in damp tendrils to her flushed face, and she blinked rapidly, trying to regain her composure. She’d slipped on one of the slick rocks, the current swirling hungrily around her hips and threatening to push her off balance again.

Without thinking, I moved to her, my hand encircling her arm and steadying her. The water splashed around us as my other hand settled at her waist. Her body tensed for a moment, then relaxed under my touch. Her wide eyes met mine, shining with a mixture of surprise and desire. For a heartbeat, everything else faded away. The feel of her, the faint tremble of her body under my hands, and the unspoken pull between us.

I had to fight not to let my gaze roam over her wet body, every inch of it a temptation I struggled to ignore. The white cloth of her undergarments clung to her like a second skin, the cotton nearly transparent. The laces at her ribs only accentuated the curves they barely concealed, and her hips flared in a way that made me feral with desire. Her flushed face, the soft pout of her lips, and her heaving chest as she tried to catch her breath only made resisting almost impossible.

The world seemed to fade, leaving only the feel of her against me and the sound of her ragged breaths mingling with mine. Her lips parted, and I thought I saw the same hungry desire flicker in her gaze.

“Careful,” I murmured, my voice rougher than I intended. “The rocks are slippery.”

“Yeah.” She didn’t pull away, her hands resting against my chest, fingers flexing as if testing the strength beneath them.

The tension between us crackled like a live wire. My instincts screamed to claim her. My hand moved up her shoulder, brushing back the damp strands of hair clinging to her. The softness of her skin was a stark contrast to the roughness of my calloused fingers, a sensation that sent a shiver through me. I tucked the hair behind her ear, the motion deliberate, and let my hand linger.

Cleo leaned into me, her eyes burning with a need that matched my own. My thumb grazed the curve of her cheekbone, and the soft hitch in her breath was more intoxicating than anything I had ever experienced. Her eyes called to me, dragging me deeper. Hypnotized by the way her pupils were blown in arousal, I crowded her frame, leaning down until her face was mere inches from mine. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned in, just enough to obliterate any doubt about her intent. Her eyes, wide and unguarded, begged me to close the gap.

Every muscle in my body tightened, caught between desire for this human, and duty to my people. I could feel the heat radiating from her, the way her body leaned into mine as though surrendering to an invisible force. Her lips were so close, so tempting. I needed to taste them.

My chest heaved as I forced myself to breathe, to break the spell before it consumed me. My hand fell from her face, though the memory of her touch lingered, an echo I couldn’t shake. She stared at me, her cheeks flushed, her lips parted as if caughtmid-word. The look she gave me was enough to unravel what little resolve I had left.

"Dex..." Her voice was like a siren, dripping in sensual power, calling me to my doom.

Before I could react, Cleo stepped closer, her body brushing mine with hesitant intent. Her hand slid to the back of my neck, cool fingers drawing me down to her. Her lips met mine, soft and uncertain. I froze. Then the intensity of her touch shattered my restraint. My hand gripped her waist, pulling her closer, her warmth searing through the thin fabric between us. Her scent filled my senses, grounding me in the moment, and everything else fading to nothing.

Cleo tilted her head and deepened the kiss. I was mindful of my tusks, careful not to let them tear her soft, delicate skin. When her tongue brushed against mine, a shiver coursed through me, my own hesitancy dissolving as instinct took over. The awareness of our differences only heightened my arousal. I gripped her tighter, my fingers skimming along the exposed curve of her back, tracing the delicate laces of her undergarment. The sound she made, soft and breathless, sent a bolt of need straight to my cock. My groan rumbled low in my throat as I crowded her against me, needing to feel more, to consume the connection that had sparked between us.

Her hands clutched at my shoulders, nails grazing my skin with just enough pressure to anchor me in the moment. My head spun, caught between the primal need surging through me and the impossibility of her yielding so completely in my arms. Her lips moved against mine with growing confidence, stoking the fire that roared in my veins. Her hip pressed against my throbbing cock, and I groaned, shifting to find more friction.

Instead, my boot caught on an uneven rock, and I stumbled, the world tilting as I lost my footing. Cleo’s startled gasp was the only warning before we tumbled sideways into the cold embraceof the stream. The icy water swallowed us whole, the shock pulling a strangled shout from her as she surfaced, sputtering and gasping for air.

Embarrassment burned hot in my chest, but her laughter cut through it, bright and unrestrained as it bubbled up from deep within her. She leaned back, wet hair clinging to her face, and I couldn’t help but laugh alongside her, the sound rough and low compared to her melodic joy. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she brushed a hand over her face. Her grin wide and unguarded.

The water rippled around us, and our laughter faded into a quiet, shared warmth. The stream seemed to wrap us in its serene embrace, a brief reprieve from the chaos that surrounded our journey. I pushed my hair back from my face, catching her gaze as a smile lingered on her lips. Her expression softened, the wariness replaced by something more open, more vulnerable.

“You know, for someone who’s supposed to be intimidating, you’re surprisingly clumsy,” she teased.

I smirked, raising a brow. “Clumsy? I think you’re mistaking a tactical misstep for clumsiness. Maybe I just like seeing you all wet!”

She rolled her eyes, but the smile remained, and the shadow of her earlier unease seemed to fade momentarily.

“I already was.”

Gods, I don’t think she was talking about the stream.

"What?" she asked, catching my pained expression.

I hesitated, then let out a soft breath as I searched for the right words. "Just thinking about how unexpected you are.”

A single eyebrow disappeared into her hairline. "Unexpected?"

“Unexpected. Distracting. The most beautiful surprises usually are.” My gaze held hers. There was no artifice in herexpression, no walls, just an openness that made my chest tighten. "You're not what I imagined, Cleo. In so many ways."

Her lips parted, her cheeks flushing again, but she didn't look away.

I was so fucked.

The sight of her like this—unguarded, laughter spilling from her lips like the sweetest temptation—sent a sharp ache through my chest. It was more than admiration, more than desire. It was hunger, longing, a need so fierce it stole my breath. I ached to touch her, to claim even a moment of that joy for myself, but the intensity of it startled me.When had she become this vital to me? When had her happiness started to feel like the very air I needed to breathe?

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