Page 71 of Magic Cursed

I look at him with exasperation. “Not entirely. I suspect it’s because of your feelings for a magic user.”

His eyes widen and the humor is completely gone. “And you’re obviouslynothappy about it?”

I readjust the blanket around me. “It’s none of my business if you have feelings for that fae woman.”

Daimis’s eyes suddenly get even wider. “Wait—what?” he chokes out.

I can’t sit there for another moment. I stand up and pace the small space, trying to ignore the pain in my gut. “It’s not my business who you love. But you need to stop making me feel things for you. I’m not the on-the-side kind of woman.”

Daimis surprises me by breaking out into laughter. When I’ve recovered from my shock, I shoot daggers at him with my gaze. “You’re such an ass,” I say. “This is not funny.”

He works to calm himself. “I’m sorry, but do you have any idea how old she is?”

“I don’t know. Fae women all have that ageless quality-thing to them.”

“Sky, she’s old enough to be my mother.”

I hold my hand up. “You can stop right there. I don’t want to hear about your strange sexual fantasies about older women.”

He stands up, leaving the blanket on the ground. His god-like body is lit by variations of orange from the fire. “There are no fantasies!” He takes a step toward me. “The fae woman you saw me talking to helped raise me. That’s why what you’re saying is so ludicrous. Yes, I care about her, but as amother.”

A mother? That never occurred to me. Wait, why would a fae help raise Daimis? I thought he’d spent all his years growing up at his aunt and uncle’s. But some of it makes sense now that I’m connecting the dots. He seemed completely at ease in fae territory and navigating through it. He’s an expert in the fae fighting style. He talks to the fae, has compassion for them, and this place. . . And suddenly, I feel like a complete idiot. “Oh…I just…I thought.”I lean back against the cold cave wall, letting it cool some of my heated embarrassment. “Well, shit,” I say and cover my face with the blanket.

A moment later, Daimis pulls my blanket covered hands from my face. He’s smiling, but his face grows serious and his gaze wanders over me like he’s worshipping each feature before settling again on my eyes. “You were right about one thing, I do have feelings for a magic user, and she’s certainly not an on-the-side kind of woman.”

My heart races at his words. He steps closer before reaching up to cup my face with both of his hands. I release the blanket. It falls to the ground, and I rest my hands on his waist. His abs tighten at my touch, and I swear I can feel a tingling heat where our skin meets. I look to his lips and wonder what they would taste like, which sends jolts of electric excitement through me. But this isDaimis. This isn’t just a little tryst with some random man I just met and will leave the first chance I get. And that terrifies me. Because while I lost Daimis once, I can’t handle losing him a second time.

“Daimis,” I breathe out. “Perhaps we shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“I’m a magic user.”

“I like that about you.” He steps closer until his body is flushed against mine and despite myself, I arch into him, my core igniting a deep burning desire at the feel of his bare skin against mine, at his arousal pressed into me, at our increased breathing.

I tilt my head back to look up at him.“You’re the prince of Thaaryn, and I’m a criminal,” I say breathless.

His thumb runs over my cheekbone. “I don’t care. Didn’t you just say that you feel things for me?”

“I said to stop making me feel things for you.”

“I can’t. I don’t want to. There is something wholly intoxicating about you. I feel more alive when you’re near. And when you are not, I crave your presence. You challenge me, you make me want to be a better person. And I want nothing more than to make you happy.” His lips are so close that we share breath. “Forget everything but you and me. Is just friendship enough?”

At the thought, the strangest feeling comes over me, an unspoken plea saying, don’t let him go—neverlet him go. And I know, then and there, that I won’t leave once I’m done with this mission. I will never leave Daimis again, and no, friendship with him will never be enough.

I close the distance and our lips meet. I’m awakened. I open my mouth to him and his tongue mingles with mine, completely in sync, like he was made only for me. He tastes me, explores me, ravages me. Heat courses deep inside of me, bringing with it a longing desire for more. I’m thoroughly enraptured by the feel of his lips, his tongue, his body pressing into mine. I wrap a leg around his hip, needing him closer, more, everything. He responds by grinding his hard length into the growing heat between my thighs, with a guttural growl of pure masculine pleasure. I’ve never hated clothing more than I do in this moment. The kiss deepens, our pace quickening, desire growing, tingling, burning. Daimis and this moment, it’s all I hear, feel, want, need. This,thisis real magic. Our magic.

His hand moves down my neck, his mouth following, kissing, licking, sucking, teeth scraping. His hand moves farther down to knead my breasts, tease my nipples, while his mouth explores my collarbone. A moan escapes me. His hands move to the hem of my top to pull it off, I’m already lifting my arms. I open my eyes to see Daimis’s green irisesglowing. I gasp. I look down and blue and green streaked tendrils of magic shadows are twined around us both.

Chapter21

Answers

Daimis freezes. “Your eyes are glowing.”

I jerk out of his arms and am relieved when the tendrils disappear as soon as we’re parted. I stare back at Daimis, both of us breathing heavy, lips swollen, eyes wide. His irises are back to their normal non-glowing green.What was that?Some strange effect of my magic? It has never done that before when I’ve been intimate with a man.

“Mine glowed too?” He asks.

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