Page 157 of Deadwood
“No,” I repeated, but it was nearly drowned out by the sound of flapping wings. Following the noise, a rush of cool air slammed against my back.
Bowen pulled me closer to him, likely to shield my naked body from whatever dragon had decided to interrupt us. It almost broke me as our lips parted and Bowen focused his attention behind me.
“What is it?” Bowen asked.
“King Tenere is on his way, and he brought company.”
CHAPTER 49
BOWEN
If Vulcan was concerned, that meant things were far past bad. So bad that he’d barely had the patience to let us get dressed while he gave us a moment of privacy. He couldn’t care less about seeing us with no clothing, but for Auria’s sake, he was polite for once.
We’d left the horse in the meadow, knowing he’d find his way back on his own. Horses were smart, always returning to where they knew food was. I had no concerns he’d find his way.
On our flight back to Deadwood, Auria seemed reluctant to lean into me, keeping an inch of space between her back and my chest at all times, despite my arms wrapped tightly around her waist.
“Something wrong, Princess?” I murmured in her ear, the wind sweeping her hair back and over my shoulder. My chest felt warm where it made contact with her, much like it had in the spring. The sensation had come out of nowhere, almost too hot to endure at first, but then it had evened out, staying constant beneath my skin. I ignored the fact that I shouldn’t have been able to scent her arousal in that spring. Fae couldn’t smell others’ pleasure, not unless they were?—
I’d deal with that another time.
“No.”
Her stubbornness lifted one corner of my mouth as my thumb ran along her ribs, right under the swell of her breast. “The erratic beating of your heart says otherwise.”
She kept quiet as Vulcan pumped his wings harder over the trees below.
“Do I need to convince you to tell me?” My lips coasted over the crook in her neck as I spoke, making it impossible to miss the goosebumps that freckled her skin in their wake.
“You didn’t want to go further,” she said quickly, her words rushing over one another, like she didn’t want to voice them to begin with.
My mouth froze on her neck, my thumb following in its pause. “I did.”
Subtly, she shook her head, but not in answer. In disbelief. “Was it too much? Was I bad or?—”
“Auria.” I brought my other hand up to grab her chin, making her turn sideways so she could see me. “You are perfect. Please believe me when I say it had nothing to do with you, and rather a particular interruption from a certain pain in the ass.” The last bit of my sentence was louder with the intent for Vulcan to hear.
A low growl rumbled beneath us in response.
Auria’s eyes searched mine, like she wanted to believe me, but her mind was planting seeds of doubt and willing them to grow stronger than the effect of my words.
“Stop getting lost in your head. If I could, I’d take you on the forest floor right now, tasting every inch of your body.” My thumb stroked her jawline. “Hearing every little moan pass your lips.” Her mouth parted. “And feeling you come apart beneath me.” I searched her eyes, tempted to say,Fuck itand demand Vulcan land so I could make good on my promise. “I would like nothing more than to do all of that right this instant. Forget the world and get lost between your legs. But we have other matters to attend to.”
I hated the way I sounded like a king at the end rather than a man with feelings. As if ruling came first.
I wouldn’t let my leadership role come between us, but if King Tenere was on his way, we needed to be in Deadwood when he arrived, lest he decimate the town trying to find his daughter.
“We will have our time,” I promised her, trying to convince her as much as myself that our moment in the spring would not be the last opportunity we got to explore each other and what this could be.
She gave the barest nod, a sliver of doubt leaving her eyes before she faced forward again. The silence, save for the wind rushing past us, barely lasted as she asked in a quieter tone, “How did you do it?”
Do this?I questioned privately.
From the side of her face, I saw her lashes flutter, like my voice wrapped around every sense in her mind, twirling through her core like a meaningful embrace.
“Yes,” she confirmed, releasing a breath. “That.”
The truth was…I shouldn’t be able to. It’d surprised me as much as it had her, and in her moment of pure bliss, she’d been able to respond. It seemed she didn’t know how without such emotions driving her.
