Chapter 40: Everly

Chapter

Forty

EVERLY

He's kissing me again!

I shift to wrap my arms around Cenric's shoulders, to hold him close as his hands roam my back, leaving trails of delicious heat.

This kiss is different from our first. There's an urgency to it, a desperation that makes my head spin and my heart race. I pour everything I feel for him into it—my longing, my desire, my need to be here for him.

His mouth moves hungrily against mine, and I lose myself in the feel, the taste of him. That wild, untamed taste.

Boldly, his arms tighten around me, bringing me closer, as though I am his bulwark, the force that keeps his storms at bay.

Maybe I am.

Empowered, I take control, sliding my tongue along his bottom lip. He groans, opening for me, and I explore his mouth as my hands roam over his broad shoulders, down his arms, feeling the strength there.

His hand tangles in my hair, while the other slides down to grip my backside. I gasp against his lips, heat flooding through me.

He breaks free from our kiss, only to trail slow, deliberate ones down my neck.

Yes.

More.

Instinctively, my fingers tighten in his thick hair, grasping the strands as he continues his exploration, nibbling, kissing, sending tremors through me. Each brush of his mouth, each graze of his teeth, sends quakes of desire rippling through my body. I lose myself in the rush of sensations, on the sea of yearning.

His hand cups my jaw, tilting my head back as his mouth claims mine again in a searing kiss.

So, this is what losing yourself feels like? Letting go. Surrendering. Giving into the burning. The flames. The embers.

Does he feel the fire too?

No, he is the fire.

Cenric's kiss grows more urgent as his hands roam my body. I gasp as he cups my breast through the fabric of my surcoat, his thumb circling, teasing. A moan escapes me as he finds my nipple, and pleasure shoots through me.

I clutch at his shoulders, steadying myself as his fingers work their magic. Each brush, each pinch sends a fresh wave of desire crashing over me .

His other hand grips my hip. I grind against him, seeking more, needing more. More of what? I'm not even sure.

But I know I want it. I want him .

Boldly, I explore his body, feeling the hard muscles of his arms, the broad expanse of his chest. He's all strength and power, a lethal weapon in battle, and now, a lethal weapon against my senses—a body made for sin and slaughter.

His hand slides up my thigh, pushing my surcoat and undergarment out of the way. His fingers find my center, stroking, teasing.

He slips a finger inside me, and I cry out, clutching at his shoulders as he drives me toward a precipice I have never stood on before.

It's everything I want and everything I fear.

But with Cenric, I'm not afraid.

I trust him. I want him. I love him.

A loud shout pierces the tent, shattering the moment. Cenric stiffens against me and pulls away. I want to yank him back, to lose myself in him again, but the shout comes again.

Cenric sighs and adjusts my surcoat. I let out a slow breath, trying to calm my racing heart, my ragged breathing.

Another shout comes from outside the tent, more insistent this time. Cenric closes his eyes and exhales. When he opens them again, the fire is gone.

"Everly, I..." He runs a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. We shouldn't have..."

Every fiber of my being screams at me to yank him back, to finish what we started.

But I can't.

Not when he's looking at me like he's made a terrible mistake.

"It's all right, Cenric. I understand."

Do I though?

Do I understand why he keeps kissing me, then pushing me away?

No, not really.

He looks like he wants to say more, but another shout interrupts him.

Cenric sighs. "I'm sorry, Everly. I have to go."

I force a smile, trying to hide the hurt, the disappointment. "It's fine, Cenric. Go. They need you."

He hesitates, seeming as if he wishes to reach for me again. But he doesn't. Instead, he turns and strides out of the tent, leaving me alone with my swirling thoughts and aching body.