55. Ell-rom

55

ELL-ROM

A fter they had cleaned up, Ell-rom lay in bed facing Jasmine and basking in the contented smile on her face and love in her eyes. She'd said she was tired, and yet she was awake, sharing with him the afterglow of their first lovemaking.

He had loved this female even before waking up from stasis. Her voice had brought him back to life. He just had to see who the angel was that was singing to him.

"When did you realize that you were in love with me?" he asked.

Jasmine furrowed her forehead in an exaggerated frown, pretending to think hard about his question. Then she smiled. "I think that I loved you even before I met you, but I was just in love with the idea of you. The tarot promised me a prince, and I couldn't wait to meet him. Still, I think I fell in love with the real you when we started to communicate, and I discovered how gentle and sweet you were and how much you cared about your sister. The more I get to know you, the more I love you." She paused, her fingers idly tracing patterns on his chest. "But if I had to pick a specific moment, that jolt to the heart that proclaimed you as the one for me, it was probably when you first woke up and looked at me. You were awake just for a couple of seconds, but the connection between us was undeniable."

Ell-rom sighed. "I wish I remembered that moment, but I don't." He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "I fell in love with your voice first," he whispered against her mouth. "I was confused, and I didn't realize what I was hearing, but I know for a fact that you helped me find my way out of the coma. I had to find out if the owner of the voice was as beautiful as her singing."

Jasmine wound her arms around his neck. "I promise to fill your life with songs." She pulled him closer and kissed him back.

Ell-rom lost himself in the sensation, marveling at how perfectly they fit together, how natural it felt to hold her, to kiss her.

He wanted to learn everything there was about Jasmine: every thought, every desire, every fear, and every aspiration. He'd wanted that before, but now it had turned into an insatiable hunger.

"Tell me something," he said.

"Hmm?" Jasmine murmured, her eyes half-closed.

"What's your favorite experience from before? I mean, from before you learned about the existence of gods and immortals."

Jasmine was quiet for a moment, considering. "That's a tough one," she said finally. "I have a memory that I'm not sure is real and not a dream or a fantasy I conjured as a child. It was a camping trip I took with my mom and dad before she passed away. We went up to this beautiful lake, surrounded by mountains. I remember sitting by the campfire, roasting marshmallows and looking up at the stars. My dad told me stories about the constellations, and everything felt perfect and magical."

Ell-rom's heart squeezed at the longing in her voice. "Perhaps we could go on a camping trip someday. I would love to see what Earth looks like outside the big city."

Jasmine reached out to cup his cheek. "We'll make great memories together."

Ell-rom nodded. "I was overwhelmed by what I saw when you showed me the view from the penthouse. I don't think that I ever lived in the city. Although given that Morelle and I grew up in the temple of the chief priestess, it must have been close to the royal palace, which should be in the capital. But maybe I'm wrong, or maybe the Kra-ell just don't build big cities."

"Would Aru and his teammates know that about the Kra-ell?"

"I don't think any of them has ever been to the Kra-ell capital, but Jade should know the answers to most of my questions. She served in my mother's guard, so she should be able to tell me more about my life."

"I'll see what I can do to get her to visit." Jasmine closed her eyes and put her head on his chest.

Ell-rom didn't want Jasmine to keep being the intermediary. She was almost as new to Annani's people as he was, and there was no reason for him to lean on her so heavily.

He'd just made love, so he couldn't be in too bad of a shape physically and mentally. He had been fine for many days now. The memory loss was a hardship, but at least he had retained all of his faculties.

Oh, Mother above, he just had sex for the first time in his life!

Jasmine's eyes popped open. "What happened? Why are you suddenly tense?"

"I'm not. It just dawned on me that I lost my virginity to the female I love. I should be soaring on a cloud of euphoria."

"You are not?" She pouted playfully. "I thought you were."

Was she really offended? She made it look like she was teasing, but he could detect a note of insecurity under the pretense.

"I will cherish the memory of tonight forever. I just don't think it's fully sunk in." He leaned to kiss her forehead. "Do you remember your first time?"

She groaned. "Not in a good way."

"What happened?"

"Nothing traumatic. It hurts the first time, especially if the guy is clueless, and mine was. It was better the second time."

Well, at least Jasmine was going to remember their first time together in a more positive way. Ell-rom was probably as clueless as her first lover, but since she had more experience, it hadn't been a complete disaster.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "No jealousy over not being my first lover?"

He chuckled. "I'm sorry that you didn't have a good experience, but I'm grateful that one of us knew what she was doing. Otherwise, it could have been as bad as what you've described."

"No way." Jasmine propped herself up on one elbow. "You're a natural, and you're doing amazingly well, considering everything you've been through."

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask how she would rank him compared to all of her other lovers, but he thought better of it. "Thank you," he said instead. "I just want to be worthy of you."

"You are." Jasmine leaned in to press a kiss to his lips. "Just by being you. I love everything about you. Even these flashes of insecurity. I'm so tired of guys who think that they are all that."

"All what?"

He wanted to make sure never to be one of those guys.

"Know-it-alls, conceited, full of themselves." Before Ell-rom could ask her to give him examples, Jasmine's lips were on his again, more insistent this time.

He responded eagerly, his hands sliding down her back to pull her closer. As their kisses deepened, Ell-rom felt heat building within him, a heady mixture of desire and nervous excitement.

Jasmine's hand slid down his chest, her touch leaving a trail of fire in its wake. When she reached the waistband of his sleep pants, she paused, looking up at him with a question in her eyes. "Are you up for another round?"

He arched a brow. "I'm always ready, but aren't you tired?"

"I've gotten a second wind."