Page 121 of Crimson Promises
I could feel his smile pressed into the side of my neck.
Release barreled through me. That cresting wave turned into a tsunami, finally pulling me under, and just when I thought it was done, it kept going. Pleasure I’ve never known before racked through my body as I soared.
“Ben. God, Ben,” I moaned.
Our bond flared, and stars erupted around and inside us.
The muscles in his back tensed. Ben roared as he came, slamming into me with all his might. We'd never been closer, more deeply connected. The walls shook, and the lights swung in a dance. His wings flared behind him, blotting out the light, wrapping around to encircle us.
Ben’s gaze was luminous, his evergreen eyes bright. He gave me a quick, chaste peck on the lips as he pulled out of me. He kissed my collarbone, then sucked my jaw and my lower lip before giving me a heart-shattering kiss. As if he was saying goodbye and hello at once. The pain at the thought of him leaving was like someone taking a serrated edge and ripping through my insides.
I don’t know how long we remained there, lazily exploring one another, like the clock to my birthday wasn’t ticking above us.
Cuddled into the crook of his arm, I tilted my head back to kiss the underside of his jaw. I didn't want to be the one to break the spell, but time wasn't on our side. “Ben, I want you to train me.”
“What?” He glanced down.
“I don’t want to be dependent on you anymore. I want to be able to hold my own, and with the encounters we’ve experienced firsthand, I think it’s imperative I know the basics at least.”
His face broke out into a grin. “Let me think about it. If I say yes, though, you'll regret this request.”
I closed my eyes and listened to the rumble of his laugh echoing in his chest. And took in this tiny slice of peace.
ChapterThirteen
Bennett
Pain ricocheted along my jaw. I yanked off my glove and massaged it.
“That was a cheap shot,” I yelled at Connor.
“You’re distracted. Focus, or else I’m going to continue to beat your ass, and I won't apologize for it either. The student surpasses the teacher,” he mocked.
“You’re operating under the assumption that I’ve shared all my moves with you.” I leaned a little closer to him. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, smug ass—I haven’t.”
“Yeah, yeah. Prove it then.” Connor tossed the glove I had discarded on the ring floor and threw it against my chest. I snatched it and tugged it back on.
I pulled my shoulder blades together and heard the satisfaction of a crack. Then, I twisted my neck from one side to another.
“The oldie needs time to warm up,” Connor ridiculed.
“Who are you calling old? We’re the same age, doofus.”
“Not today. Your reflexes are stilted, and your reactions are slower than molasses. My grandmother could knock you out if you keep this up.”
“I’m finally giving you someone to compete with at your level.”
“All I hear coming from your mouth is a shitload of excuses. We both know that I box much better than what you’re giving me right now,” Connor reasoned.
He wasn’t wrong. Connor had improved leaps and bounds since his first time at the gym. Sully told me on my way in this morning that Connor had been here seven days a week training, working on the combinations I gave him. His scrawny arms were slowly building lean muscle. When he was at the punching bag, you could even see the outline of his abs forming. Girls already flocked to him because of his humor. He’d be drowning in their attention now.
Underneath his bravado, Connor was a genuine person who hadn’t had an easy life. His dad had passed in a tragic mining accident, and after his death, his mom had drowned herself in alcohol. Connor's little sister still lived at home. He saw her as often as possible and was determined to get out. He confessed he was attending Arch Cape University on a full-ride scholarship. Connor was a math and physics prodigy but kept that to himself for the most part. It didn’t help his reputation, he claimed. The guy had sworn me to secrecy.
Secrets were something I understood. I gave him my word and kept it. After each of our sessions, we found ourselves talking during cooldown. He asked me the odd question, but for the most part, I kept my answers intentionally vague. He respected my privacy and never pried.
I wasn’t looking to make friends. It would be another relationship that could be held against me in my quest to fulfill my promise. But, if I were, Connor and I would have been a bromance for the ages. He would have hit it off with Jos. But I had long learned that those I loved paid the price for my decisions. Connor had his sister and mother depending on him. Getting too close to me was a risk.
What about Aurora?My traitorous mind taunted me.
