Page 97 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

A jealous rage filled her so violently that she physically jolted, nearly dislodging herself from the hold he had on herface.

A slow, sexy smile spread across Elias’s handsome face. “I’m going to take that as a bloody hell no to the secondquestion.”

She reached out and pinched his nipple,hard.

“OW! Shite, that hurt,” he said as the smirk fell away, and he frowned ather.

“Don’t be anass.”

The frown was gone in an instant, replaced by a look of desire so potent that the breath fled from Tara’s lungs. “I can’t help it that it pleases every part of me—my soul, my magic, my heart—that you want me just as badly as I want you.” He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. Tara felt a warmth flowing inside of her as if her blood were heating. The emptiness inside of her was suddenly gone, replaced by Elias. She didn’t understand it, but she could feel him inside of her, soothing the hurt and giving light to the darkplaces.

“What happens now?” Tara whispered as she closed her eyes and leaned into him. His hands dropped to her hips and pulled hercloser.

“Now,” Elias said, his voice gruff with emotion, “you let me loveyou.”

Her body tensed and she started to pull back, but he tightened his grip on her and kept his forehead pressed tohers.

“Don’t flip out over the L word,princess.”

“You can’t love me, Elias. You hardly knowme.”

“I love what I do know. And I want to know more so I can love that, too. Just give me a chance to show you we are meant to be together. Give the academy a chance to teach you and give you the power to avenge your parents’ deaths, and I will be by your side every step of the way. Don’t let fear rob you ofus.”

His words hit her like a ton of bricks. She couldn’t gather her thoughts because all she could hear was Elias’s voice in her mind telling her to let him love her. She gasped when he put his arms around her and lifted her. She automatically wrapped her legs around his waist. He whipped around, nearly slamming her against the wall, but she didn’t feel any pain because his hands protected her head and back, taking the brunt of the force. Then his hands dropped to her hips, pulling himself closer toher.

He was looking at her, his eyes running over her face, stopping on her lips and then raising to her eyes. Tara could feel his breath on her face, and her mouth watered to taste him again. His fingers dug into her hips as he held her tighter. Tara bet there would be bruises therelater.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she let herself touch him the way she’d been wanting to since she met him. Her fingers sank into the hair on the back of his head, gripping it tightly and then loosening so she could run the strands across herskin.

Elias’s head dropped back into her touch as his eyelids dropped halfway closed. A deep, throaty sound rumbled out of him, causing her to tighten her thighs againsthim.

His hands slid around her, one low on her back and the other up her spine, until he had her hair wrapped around his fingers. He slowly pulled her head back, and when she raised her eyes to look at him, he was so close their lips touched every time one of them took abreath.

“It might not be wise for us to be alone together,” he said, “especially in a lockedcell.”

“Wh—” she started to speak but it came out in a squeak, so she swallowed and tried again. “Why isthat?”

Elias’s eyes dropped to her lips again. “Because there’s nothing to stop me from doing this.” He bit her bottom lip and tugged on it until there was a bite of pain. When he released it, he ran his tongue across it as if to soothe the sting. “Want to see what else I want to do?” he asked. There was no hint of a smile as hespoke.

Tara’s stomach was churning like a freaking whirlpool, and her heart wasn’t sure if it should stop beating or jump into sprint mode. “I’m thinking I should sayno.”

Now his lips moved ever so slightly. It was only the hint of a smile, but she saw it. “Thatdepends.”

“Onwhat?”

“How much clothing you want to keep on. Are you hot? Feel the need to shed somelayers?”

“Please say yes,” said a male voice that didn’t belong to Elias. Tara jumped in surprise. When she turned to look through the cell bars, she saw three males standing there watching them. They all looked to be around the same age as Elias. She felt heat run up her neck and imagined her face was the color of a tomato. She wiggled, attempting to get Elias to put herdown.

His attention was still on her. He hadn’t turned his head even for a second. “Luv, I’m going to need you to stop moving.Now.”

Tara froze at the tone in hisvoice.

“They’re watching us,” shewhispered.

“Look at me,” he said. “Onlyme.”

Her eyes bounced from the three other guys and back to Elias several times until he growled at her. Then they stayed onhim.

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