Page 119 of Of Rime and Ruin
My head slams into the floor so hard that stars dance. Nahla perches on top of my stomach and wraps her hands around my throat.
“Asshole,” she snarls. Gone is the playful look on her face. Gone is her smile. Tears brim in her eyes, reflecting the light of the fire. A single drop spills over and trails down her cheek. She loosens her hold on my neck, her thumb tracing aimless circlesas her bottom lip trembles. “Hot chocolate and romance novels. Is that all you think I need to be happy? You fucking cunt.” She spits the last word.
I see them now: the books are scattered by the fire. At least fifty, sprawled haphazardly. A few stones have been tossed into the flame, glowing red-hot among the coals. I’m a fucking idiot if I thought she’d be appeased so easily.
“But you like those things,” I say. I reach to wipe her spray from my cheek, but she grabs my wrist and pins it to the rug.
“You locked me in here for four fucking days, Aethan. And you expect I’ll welcome you with open legs.”
Heat flushes my cheeks. I knew it was too good to be true.
She smirks. “The pretty king is blushing. I suppose that’s answer enough.”
“Nahla,” I breathe. Pushing from the floor, I swivel into a seated position and pull my cloak around us to swaddle her naked form. “Come here, Sunfish.”
She melts into my chest. The point of her nose slides over my shirt, back and forth. I tuck her head beneath my chin and rest in her soft curls. My hand roams her back, catching on the fresh scars on her ribs. I skim them gingerly as a deep ache builds in my chest.
These are the marks of a monster.
“Why did you leave me alone?” she whispers, voice thick with pain. I’ve hurt her, in more ways than one. And that’s something I promised I’d never do. “I thought we were…”
“Nahla.”
“Stop saying my fucking name. Say something else. Tell me why you did it. Tell me what was more important to you. I don’t care that you got carried away. That night in the library… it was fucking perfect. Ilovedit. So please don’t say you did this for my sake.”
“Nothing is more important to me than you, Nahlani Mahelona. I cannot lose you.” I swallow past the lump forming in my throat. Will she understand I must do it for her? It’s there, on the tip of my tongue, the truth that will explain everything. But I can’t find all the words. “I’d be lost without you. Don’t you see? I’m…” I blow out a ragged breath. “Lost.”
Her expression softens. She places her hand flat on my chest, right over my throbbing heart. “Thentalkto me, Aethan. Let me help you find your way. I’m tougher than you think.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “You’re a badass.”
Nahla’s laughter peels like a bell, brightening the entire room, and the pressure in my chest eases. “I know,” she says.
Her resistance fades. As she exhales, I feel a brush on my mind. Her emotions float to me, bathing me in her feelings of relief. Safety.
The lump in my throat hardens. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
She leans back, peering into my face with narrowed eyes. “You’re talking about locking me in my room, right? Not the fucking.”
“Right. Definitely not talking about fucking.” I let my gaze drop, drinking in the sight of her ample breasts. The perfect curve of her neck. Soft cheeks. The way her curls fall across her forehead. Those long, dark lashes. She’s so fucking beautiful. “Let me make it up to you.”
“Okay.” She blows the air from her cheeks. “But that’s a tall order. I’m picky.”
Goddess, this female.
She’s got me wrapped around her little finger. I know I fucked up. I hurt her, and I got scared—scared of how she’d react when she saw me again. Afraid she’d tell me to get lost. That she hated me. Hate, I could have handled. Nobody could hate me more than I hate myself.
I didn’t visit her because I was afraid if I opened the door, I’d find her room empty.
By some miracle, she’s still here. In my arms. Smiling. Making shit jokes. Nahla deserves the fucking world, and I’m going to give it to her.
She arches her back, dragging her nipples against my shirt. “So, how are you going to make it up to me, Aethan the Terrible?”
“I have an idea,” I say.
“Thunderous sex?”
“Likely.” I smile. “But I have something better in mind.”
