Page 118 of Deadwood
She glanced at me. “Yes,” she admitted, her voice quieter than before. “Which is funny, I know, to feel untouchable outside of the prison rather than within, but…” She trailed off, and I silently wished she’d continue. I wanted to know what happened to her inside that demented palace.
“No harm will come to you here,” I said, filling in the silence so she didn’t feel obligated to.
Walking the rest of the way without another word shared between us, I stopped us a good distance away from the bison. Though seemingly peaceful, they were aggressive when they felt threatened.
We sat in the grass beside each other, her leg only a few inches from mine.
She watched as the bison grazed, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. I’d seen the herd hundreds of times, sometimes helping the male who watched over them and ensured they were healthy. My eyes didn’t stray toward them. Instead, they remained glued to Auria like honey in the combs of a hive. She was so different from what I’d expected, and I, like so many others, was guilty of assuming she was anything like her father. She had a heart bigger than any I’d ever seen in this world, longing for a taste of the life the rest of us got to live. But that feeling, sitting deep in my gut, wasn’t pity. It was longing. Longing to be the one to show her everything she had never gotten to see, to be the one to experience things with her for the first time. To watch those green eyes light up at the thought of doing something new.
“What are you looking at?” Auria asked, turning toward me and pulling me out of my trance. As of recently, she often had that effect on me—sucking me in so deeply, I never worried if I’d come out. It was a hole I jumped into willingly.
“You.”
Her breath coasted off my cheeks like a whisper—her face so close I could count the light spattering of freckles on the apples of her cheeks that had bloomed during her time here. If she stayed, would more appear? Would her beautiful eyes somehow turn more vibrant? Would her hair lighten a shade or two with the sun beating down on her for the rest of her days?
Even if Deadwood changed her, took the darkness off her shoulders and out of her mind and brightened her entire being, she’d be just as devastating as she was right now. Just as breathtaking as the night I saw her at the masquerade ball.
I’d been attracted to her since the beginning—there was no hiding that—butgods. Auria was every star that speckled the night sky, every ray of sunlight shining upon fresh blooms in the meadows. She was a temptress ensnaring me with her sweet scent.
Somehow, we both leaned closer to each other, like neither of us was aware of it but accepting of it all the same. Her sweetness enveloped me, tugging me closer. Her eyes fell to my lips, so many emotions warring in them, but the one that stood out the most had my body lighting like a flame—desire.
I wanted to give in, to close the distance and find out what she tasted like. At the thought of her ass pressed against my groin on Vulcan’s back, my smoke stirred inside of me, excitement and anticipation funneling like a tornado through my veins. It, too, wanted me to claim her. To press my lips to hers, and?—
We couldn’t. Not here. Not now.
It was just the predator inside of me, aching to consume the woman who had taken over my every waking thought.
So I spit out what first came to mind as I pulled away—what had been interrupting my thoughts all too often recently. “Does he touch you?”
Her eyes widened slightly as she dropped her arms from around her legs and straightened where she sat. A flash of disappointment and confusion crossed her face before she asked, “Who?”
Who else?I wanted to ask, but shoved the jealousy away best I could. “Lander.”
Her gaze turned back to the herd. “No.” She let out a sigh. I’d definitely upset her to some extent.Fuck. “We’re friends, if you couldn’t tell.”
I hadn’t seen them together all that much to get a read, but the knowledge settled my mind the slightest bit.
“It’s more so his brother who’s pushing all of this,” she went on.
That piqued my interest, shoving away some of my remorse. The hairs on the back of my neck raised. “Paxon?”
I stared at the side of her face as she nodded. She looked like she had so many things she wanted to say, but— “I’m not sure that my hand in marriage is all that’s going to come of this.”
My eyes fell to the grass in thought. “Does Lander know of your ability?”
She shook her head. “Only you and my father know, as far as I’m aware.” But one glance at her told me she wasn’t telling me something.
I didn’t mention that Siara had tried to come to the conclusion of what Auria could do. Siara could read anyone. Though her ability was to wield lightning, I would’ve believed her if she had told me she could figure out anyone’s intentions based on looks alone. It was impossible to hide anything from her.
“Are you open with him?” I asked.
Her brows pulled together as she studied me. “Are you jealous?”
I almost choked. “Only curious.”
She hummed a disbelieving sound, a smile pulling at her lips.
I quickly stood, holding a hand out to her. “We should head back,” I said, needing to change the topic at hand.
