Page 13 of Desire

“This is nice,” he said. A hand slipped up under the tunic and skimmed my lower back. “You’re so warm.”

I opened my mouth to tell him to remove his hand, but he nuzzled my cheek and cuddled me closely in a way that felt too divine to refuse.

“How does he not get hit?” Darian grumbled.

“Shut your mouth and let him be,” Garron said. “If he goes too far, Kellen will tell us.”

I tilted my head to look at Eadric. His smile was full of mischief. He wiggled his eyebrows and gave an exaggerated wink before saying, “A kiss would help my leg feel better.”

Understanding that he wanted to annoy his brothers, I lightly kissed his mouth.

“Ah, that was nice. More, please.”

Struggling not to laugh. I kissed him again. This time lingering a bit longer.

He sighed happily when I lifted my head. “More if it pleases you.”

“Greedy git,” Daemon muttered.

Eadric laughed silently underneath me. I lifted myself up enough to cup his face and kissed him the way Brandle had kissed me. Eadric’s tongue playfully teased mine, drawing me deeper into the kiss and distracting me from his hands until one closed over my bare breast. I tore my mouth from his and stared down at him as his fingers stroked over my nipple.

A shiver ran through me.

He smiled beautifully and kissed the tip of my nose as he withdrew his touch.

“I believe I will need your protection again tonight,” he said.

My eyes rounded, and I lifted my head to look at the others. They stood around the fire, staring at us. I’d expected shock and censure in their gazes but found none.

“How?” Darian sputtered. “I would have been unmanned for attempting that.”

Daemon grinned. “I would very much like to see that.”

“Leave them be,” Garron said. “Kellen is free to do as she pleases.”

“Including unmanning Darian,” Daemon said. He nudged his twin. “Go give it a try.”

I shook my head at them and looked down at a grinning Eadric.

"You have no shame,” I said softly.

“None,” he agreed. “Can I have another kiss?”

I thought again of the curse holding them and slowly nodded.

Eadric laughed and drew me down to his lips for another long kiss. He waited until I was just as distracted to move his hand to my breast. I didn’t pull away. I let him touch me, stroking his fingers over a part of me that no one else had ever touched. He teased the skin until I was making small sounds against his lips.

Eadric pulled back, kissing the corners of my mouth then my nose.

Panting for breath, I hid my face in the crook of his neck and struggled with what I was feeling. Things that Mr. Bentwell’s books had hinted at—desire…need—coursed through me

Eadric’s palm still covered my breast, teasing it lightly. And I didn’t bat him away. I lay on top of him, enjoying the closeness and the feel of him.

“Are you angry?” he asked quietly.

“No.”

“Are you afraid?”

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