Page 46 of Fire & Ice

"Morning, darling." He whispers—his voice husky, intimate. "Did you sleep well?"

Heat floods my cheeks as I struggle to sit up, clutching the sheets around me. I avert my eyes, unwilling to meet his gaze. "Well enough."

The bed shifts as Charlie moves closer, his hand trailing down my arm. "You seemed distressed. Were you dreaming of me again?"

My breath catches at the touch of his fingers. I dare a glance at him, at the sculpted planes of his face and the knowing glint in his eyes, and my heart skips a beat.

He leans in, lips brushing my ear. "You have nothing to fear from your dreams, Tempest. I am here now...and I have no intention of leaving you."

A shiver runs through me at the promise in his voice. Something deep inside urges me to pull away, put distance between us, but I cannot seem to find the willpower.

Charlie cups my face in his hands, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes gleam amber and gold, bright with hunger and something more—something that steals my breath.

"Look at me," he murmurs, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw. I stare into his eyes, drowning in the depths of his gaze, and see it then. The truth I have been blind to until now.

This is no longer about desire or seduction. Charlie wants far more from me than a passing romance. He wants everything. My heart, my soul...my power.

And something foreign inside me wants me to allow him to take it all, something I never felt before.

My heart pounds as realization sinks in, sharpening to panic. I try to pull away, but Charlie's grip tightens, holding me in place.

"Let go please," I demand, struggling against him. He merely smiles, a cold and predatory thing, and shakes his head.

"I don't think so. We have only just begun, you and I. There are so many pleasures yet to explore, so many secrets I long to uncover."

He leans down as if to kiss me and I rear back, flames flickering at my fingertips. Charlie's eyes narrow, a warning in their depths, and I hesitate. My fire may overpower others, but Charlie and I have always been evenly matched.

I swallow hard, fighting to keep my voice steady. "I would like to leave now."

"You want many things you cannot have, it seems," he says softly. "But I will give you what you need, Tempest, whether you realize it or not. I am the missing piece of your soul...the only one who can make you whole. You belong with me."

"That's not true." I struggle, heart racing as I fight for emotional control.

Charlie laughs, low and throaty. "It's very true my love. Our connection is powerful. You feel it too.”

" I don't know what I feel," I spit out in frustration.

Charlie studies me for a long moment, rage and desire warring in his eyes, and I brace myself for his anger. But when he finally speaks, his voice is calm. Controlled.

"You always did have a stubborn streak," he says, brushing a stray curl back from my face. "No matter. You will come to see things my way soon enough."

He gets up from the bed, turns on his heel and strides to the door, pausing on the threshold to glance over his shoulder. His smile is slow and predatory, filled with dark promise, and a shiver of fear runs down my spine.

"I'll wait eternity for you."

The door clicks softly shut behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the sinking feeling I have made a dangerous mistake. Charlie will not give up so easily...and he is not the type of enemy I can afford to make for our kingdom's sake.

Tempest

I pace the length of my suite, anger and confusion swirling inside me in a chaotic storm. How dare he come in here and treat me like that? As if I am some possession he has a claim over, something to be owned and controlled.

The walls seem to close in around me, suffocating and tight, and I need to get out. Now.

I throw open the balcony doors and step outside, gulping in deep breaths of the cool night air. My pulse slows, the raging fire inside dampening to flickering embers, and I close my eyes.

Summoning my gift, I envision the embers glowing brighter and hotter until they become a raging inferno. Flames leap and dance along my arms, warmth flooding my veins, and a familiar sense of calm settles over my mind.

Meditating within the fire has always brought me peace. Here, in this space, the confusion and doubt retreat until everything becomes blissfully simple. There is only the fire and me, the rest of the world fading away into the background.

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