haste to catch myself before all my weight lands right on top of him, I moved my hands from his arms to the ground, and with a jarring crack, the heat that was budding between us is ripped away.
Reality slams through me, and my eyes widen, icy humiliation pelting over me like a hailstorm as I stare down at his face beneath me. “Oh my God…”
I quickly move to scramble off him, but Toreon grips my hips and stops me, keeping me on top of him. “Don’t,” he says, his tone rough and deep. I don’t know if it’s from the power suck, or the hard-on I feel beneath me, but either way, it makes my stomach flip.
“Toreon, I don’t know what came over me, I’m so sor—”
“Don’t say you’re sorry,” he cuts me off. His eyes look up at me as I stay frozen against his chest, my hands braced on either side of his head. Like they have a mind of their own, my fingers inch in closer, playing with the long strands of his dark hair. I don’t dare touch his skin, just in case my gashes haven’t healed yet.
“What was that?” I ask breathlessly.
“The mating pull. Though that was far stronger than I’ve ever heard of before,” he tells me, his thumbs rolling slow circles over my skin right at the edge of my panties. “Your blood sings to mine when our powers meet. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“Why didn’t that happen before when I gave you my blood?” I ask, shock still ringing in my tone.
“It usually builds, but when one of us is using our power and pulling from the other person at the same time, it’ll be stronger.”
I snort at that. Stronger seems like a serious understatement for the life-altering thing that just happened.
I swallow, though my mouth is dry. “So you’re saying…that was us?” I ask.
He dips his chin in answer, and I’m relieved to see that his eyes no longer lack their golden color. I guess my blood packs a big punch. “Can I kiss you, Sable?”
His question catches me off guard, and I blink down at him. I just shimmied and grinded all up on him while he was harder than a steel pipe, but he’s still being a gentleman enough to ask me if he can kiss me. This guy just continues to break my heart.
I lick my lips, suddenly feeling shy. I think of all the reasons why I should say no. Why this place would taint anything that we start here, and why we should focus on what’s to come. But each of those reasons slip through my hands like water, finding all the cracks and crannies in my palms to sneak out of so I can see the truths I’m holding.
I find so many scenarios sitting in my palms for me to sort through like seashells. I shuffle through reasons upon reasons, like: in case we never get out, or Morax finds a way to win. Or if we do get out, but are torn away from each other, too wounded by what happened to see each other without Morax’s smudge.
And then there’s the part of me that wants to fill the darkness of this place with the kind of light that Toreon just held in his hand. Like the connection between us just might be bright enough to chase all the shadows away.
But it’s Toreon’s words about possibilities and how one small act can change so much, that has me nodding and whispering. “Yes, please.”
He smiles softly at my polite answer, but his hand comes up behind my head, his long, sure fingers threading into my hair. Then he draws me down gently until our lips are lightly touching. The pressure of his lips is barely there as he tests me, giving me time to draw lines or pull back. But when I don’t, his mouth slowly becomes more sure against mine.
I find myself wanting to quickly drink him down, but I stop myself, wanting to savor what we’re tenderly opening up between us in this moment. Toreon must have the same thought, because he doesn’t just dive in and rush the meeting of our tongues and our desire. He takes his time. Nibbling. Nipping. Testing the seam of my mouth. He caresses my scalp, brushes through my hair, his other hand staying securely on my waist, not stopping me when I rock back and forth over him.