Page 32 of Magic & Matchmaking
He continued driving me over that edge as explosion after explosion burst in me, wrecking me in all the best ways. I rode it out, then let out a final shuddering breath when I felt his warm seed spilling inside of me. I’d need to visit the healer for a tonic tomorrow. I hadn’t needed one in a long, long time.
Riven collapsed over me, and we lay together, him still inside of me as our breathing calmed. He pressed a kiss to my forehead and slipped out of me, sitting and pulling on his trousers.
We were silent while we both finished dressing. Then we met each other’s gazes and burst out laughing.
“Why didn’t we do that sooner?” he asked, handing me a piece of cheese from the basket he’d packed.
“I don’t know.” I took the cheese, suddenly ravenous. “It was amazing.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” He smirked. “I always knew it would be.”
I lifted the remnants of my ripped dress that hung around me. “What am I supposed to do with this?”
“I won’t complain if you wear it.”
I shoved him. “And be exposed to the entire town?”
He stretched his tunic over his head and held it out to me. “Will this work until we get back to your cottage?”
I leaned over and kissed him, our lips lingering before I pulled away and grabbed the tunic. “It’s huge,” I said as I put it on and it fell past my thighs.
“It looks good on you. Far better than it does on me.” His gaze grew heated again, and a tingle spread through my belly.
He dug into the basket we’d knocked aside at some point and pulled out a few berries, popping one in his mouth.
“It’s so weird,” I said while chewing, “that this doesn’t feel weird.”
“It feels like we should’ve been doing this all along.” His gaze turned tender, and he reached out and tucked a curl behind my ear.
He was right. I wondered how different things might have been if we’d kissed that night in my dormitory. And then I thought of all the reasons why we hadn’t. Reasons I didn’t want to think about right now.
I stuffed a bite of cheese in my mouth. “So what do we do now?”
His eyes glinted. “Well, you could come back to the inn with me, and we could do that again.” He kissed my neck. “And again.” He kissed my collarbone. “And again.”
The heat of his kisses shot straight between my legs. “That sounds tempting.”
I thought of my father. I’d barely seen him these last few nights, busy with the matchmaking events, and he seemed fine. I’d checked on him today, and he’d been remembering to take his medicine. He’d cooked for himself. He’d seemed happy and good.
One night at Riven’s couldn’t hurt. I’d check on my father first thing in the morning.
Riven was already dipping his hand under my tunic again, fingers brushing against my inner thighs.
Suddenly, I didn’t feel like eating anymore. He slipped a finger inside of me and spent the next hour convincing me of all the reasons why I should come back to the inn with him.
Chapter Sixteen
EMMA
Istood behind the counter inside Steeped in Love after another busy day. Layla finished wiping down a table as the last patron left the shop. The sun was sinking outside, the sky a lilac that reminded me of our latest tea creation: purple haze, which consisted of currants, purple tea leaves, and hints of blackberry jam. Purple leaves came from the desert region of Thaloria. The leaves were found in a plant that only bloomed during the coolest time of the year in the desert, making it rare and quite a delicacy. It had a subtle floral flavor that was sweet and light. I loved looking at pictures of the desert with its swelling hills of sand and rock outcroppings. It must have been magnificent to see in person.
“What another successful day,” Herman said from where he was curled up on the counter, eyes blinking closed.
“Yes.” I grabbed empty tea leaf tins and set them up on the wooden shelves. “You were very successful at napping today.”
He peeked an eye open. “Well, I wouldn’t be so tired if you and your boyfriend hadn’t kept me up late last night.”
My cheeks heated.
