she'd ever been this bone weary and exhausted. She meant to stay awake until Braith returned but when she laid down on the blanket, exhaustion won out. It was dark when she woke again. Braith's arms tensed around her as she attempted to sit up.
A sigh of relief escaped her as she rolled onto her back. She didn't know when he'd returned but he was nestled against her, his broad chest pressed against her side, his arms wrapped around her. The numerous stars were bright in the vast night sky. She'd never seen anything like it before. The trees blocked the stars in the forest, the light reflected them in the palace, and she hadn't bothered to take the time to look while in the desert.
Now she stared up at them, awed and fascinated by the seemingly endless sky. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"It's beautiful," she breathed.
He remained unmoving for a long moment before turning onto his back also. His fingers found hers, entwining firmly as he pulled her against him. "It is."
She rested her head on his chest, unable to take her eyes from the sky as the moon began to poke its head over the horizon. It was nearly full and the color of blood. Aria shuddered; it seemed a bad omen to her. Braith ran his hand nimbly up and down her spine, causing goose bumps to appear on her skin as he pushed the edge of her shirt up and his fingers found bare skin.
Her eyes drifted closed as pleasure swamped her. She pushed at the edge of his shirt, eager to feel his own bare skin beneath her touch as she melded against him. Her hand splayed against his firm stomach and she was suddenly consumed with the need to feel more as she stroked over the solid flesh of his chest.
His mouth was soft, tender against her cheek, then her ear, and finally her lips. Heat spread through her, she couldn't hear anything over the rush of blood in her ears. He pushed her back, leveling himself slowly over her as he pressed her into the spongy ground. He clasped hold of her face as he kissed her with a reverence that left her breathless.
She couldn't think straight. He encompassed all of her senses as his hand enclosed her breast. A gasp escaped, something inside of her seemed to snap as her fingers dug into his firm back and she pressed closer to him. She was lost in a sea of need. He was so strong and powerful and yet he touched her with a tenderness that was humbling and shook her to her very core.
His arm wrapped around her waist, he lifted her as he pulled her against him, and leveled himself more firmly between her legs. The buttons of her shirt had come undone; he bent to press tender kisses against her chest. His dark hair blended in with the night surrounding them, but the light of the moon highlighted the planes of his face. She couldn't get enough of watching him as he moved over her. She dimly thought that perhaps she should stop this, they'd never gone this far, but then she realized she didn't want to. She wanted this; she wanted him, more than she had ever wanted anything in her life.
He was back over her, his mouth claiming hers as she shook and trembled, and clung to him as pleasure swamped her. Heat flooded her; she was unfamiliar with the sensations coursing through her body as she grasped his solid biceps and tried to keep from completely falling apart. Everything was right in his arms. Right now, in this moment, there was no fear but only the love they shared.
And then Gideon released a snort. Braith froze above her, his mouth stilled upon hers as his head slowly came up. His bright gray eyes latched onto hers, burning with excitement and frustration. She was torn between longing to continue, and the reality that they were not alone.
In the end, it was Braith that made the decision. His hands trembled as he buttoned her pants and shirt back into place. A sense of loss filled her as he slowly moved off of her. A muscle ticked in his cheek as he pulled her against his side, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple as he lay next to her.
"I lost my head; I shouldn't have let it go so far. I tend to lose myself in you."
She thrilled at the