Page 92 of Waves
The earth fractured beneath our feet and lava roared up—that was how hot the room suddenly got. How much the oxygen in the room simply disappeared. How my thoughts and intentions melted into glowing, warm sensations that burned away all common sense. It was a natural disaster of a kiss. A life-altering moment.
I’d kissed Avia once before.
Once when I’d been lost in grief and unaware of our connection.
Floating outside my own body and my own head. Not present. Then, I’d thought the kiss was bland and forgettable but…
That wasn’t the case now. I felt every inch of her. Each movement of her lips. The gentle catch in her breath. My hands came to her hips, and I tilted my head, deepening the kiss.
She stepped into it, pressing against me. Her hands slid up around my neck instinctively, pulling me closer, letting me surround her and protect her.
It was everything.
And when she ripped herself away, pulled back and lifted a startled hand to her lips, staring at me—aghast—because she knew it was everything too. Because my heart had never beat with such intense longing.
Blinking rapidly, my queen left without a word.
But she forgot to call the guards to lock me in.
I trailed back over to my bed casually anyway, because I was determined to make my queen acknowledge my rightful place at her side. But she would never do it if I pushed too hard or too fast. I needed patience, something I’d always prided myself on.
I groaned as I leaned back against my pillow and threw an arm across my face. Patience had never been this difficult.
Of course, I’d never wanted anything this much.
Chapter 40
Avia
Goose bumps riddled my arms, and my hands rubbed at them furiously as I swam up away from the dungeons, away from the man who held my heart literally captive. A large octopus drifted overhead, and a school of tiny yellow fish darted around one of the glass towers of the castle as I approached the glowing building.
My throat grew tight as I tried to discern the best path forward.
Should I believe Raj, or would that make me a fool?
I didn't know.
"Avia! Where did you go?" Mateo's voice cut through the murk in my head and I glanced up to see him lurking just beyond an open doorway, the light spilling like molten gold across the sand around him, his expression riddled with concern.
All of a sudden, it seemed obvious what I had to do. I had to tell the men I loved. I had to include them in this decision because whatever road I chose, they'd have to follow it too. They should have a say in how our lives unfolded. The nervous energy rattling through me seemed to burst forth and I swam forward in a hurry to reach him.
"Where are Felipe and Keelan?" I asked tightly, skirting the question as I reached for Mateo's hand. His grip was firm and reassuring. I clung to him and his calm persona, wishing I could just inhale his strength because my stomach was currently swimming with sharks.
"Come on, they're searching the castle for you. I drew the short straw and was going out onto the grounds."
"Sorry I worried you," I apologized.
He glanced down at me with a soft, understanding expression. "You went to seehim, didn't you?"
Biting my lower lip, I nodded. An apology was on the tip of my tongue, but I held back. Did I want to apologize for going to Raj? Was I sorry? Or was the people-pleaser inside of me just anxious at the thought that my other men would disapprove?
What if they did disapprove?
What then?
A cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck.
In silence, Mateo and I swam up a sweeping staircase and down a hall to my favorite sitting room. Like the gentleman he was, he opened the door and gestured for me to go through first. Tucking my wings tight, I entered the room. Everything was as I had left it. A purple fire flickering in the fireplace, a pit set in the middle of the floor. Several high-backed chairs made from shark jaws still lined with sharp teeth formed a semicircle around the flames. An entire wall covered in coral, dotted with tiny sea anemones who danced, red tentacles wavering. There was a dangerous undertone to this room. An underlying threat woven into the very design.
