The Rise of Fortune and Fury (Chronicles of the Stone Veil #5) - Sawyer Bennett Page 0,32

whatever pace she’ll allow.

* * *

It’s almost midnight when I creep into the bedroom I share with Carrick, but the creeping is unnecessary. He waits for me in the bed, sitting up against the backboard and reading a book. He’s shirtless and the sheets are pulled up over his hips, but I can tell he’s naked underneath.

It’s how he always sleeps, although I still prefer one of his t-shirts. I like the comfort his smell brings me.

Eyes lifting, Carrick puts the book on the nightstand. “All talked out?”

I yawn as I move to my side of the bed and flop onto it, rolling to my back and coming to rest beside him. I stare up at the ceiling. “I’m totally all talked out. Meaning, we really only talked about me.”

“Understandable,” he says, flipping to his side and leaning on an elbow to slightly hover over me, forcing me to look at him and not the ceiling. “You’re going to be far more open. She’s going to be closed tight as a clam. You have to give it time.”

“I know.” The whine in my voice isn’t flattering. “It’s just… we don’t have a lot of time. The new moon is around the corner, and I’ve lost twenty-eight years with her. Not only am I trying to make up for that, but I’ve also got to learn how to break through the wall she’s put up around herself.”

“I have faith in you.” Carrick dips his head, then brushes his lips over my forehead. “So what exactly did you two talk about?”

I scoot up onto the pillow, rolling to my side to face him. He drops down to his pillow, too, our arms both curled under ourselves for support. “I fed her light information first. Me as an adult, dropping out of college, all the jobs I’ve had, and then finally my rise through One Bean to owner. Kept it simple and let her ask questions if she was curious to know more.”

“And was she? Curious?”

“She was,” I reply, taking note of the relief I feel now like I felt earlier when she showed genuine interest. “Eventually, she got around to asking about our parents. That led to talking about the changeling ceremony. I could tell she was relieved the daemon that stole her had frozen them, so they had no clue what had happened.”

Carrick nods. “Making it clear she was not forsaken or abandoned.”

“Exactly,” I concur. “She knew there was no one to save her.”

“Save her from what is the question,” Carrick murmurs thoughtfully.

“We most certainly didn’t get into that,” I say with heavy regret. “But it’s what I really need to know. I need to know what was done to her, so I can help her overcome it.”

Eyes locked on mine, Carrick brushes hair behind my ear. “You’ll get there, I promise. I think over the next few days, you two need to spend some focused time with each other. Keep it laid back with no pressure for her to talk about anything if she doesn’t want to. She’ll eventually open up.”

“And you know this how?” I ask skeptically.

Carrick smirks. “Five thousand years of living. You learn a few things about people.”

“Your wisdom is indeed unparalleled,” I commend with a grin.

His smile back isn’t playful. Instead, it borders on lecherous as he moves back up to his elbow to loom over me. “Want to see what else I’ve learned in five thousand years?” His voice is a deep rumble that I feel throughout my entire body, but most concentrated between my legs.

“I thought I’ve already seen all you had to teach me,” I tease, scooting in closer.

Carrick’s eyes start to glow as he runs his gaze down my body, sucking his lower lip in between his teeth. “One thing I’ve learned is foreplay really shouldn’t be marred by the painstaking and often awkward task of clothing removal.”

I don’t immediately comprehend what he’s saying until, with a wave of his hand, I’m suddenly as naked as he is. I can’t help but laugh in delight. “What else did you learn?”

Carrick rolls partially over me, pressing his palm down into the mattress at my ribs and caging me in. His head hangs low, lips just out of reach of mine. “I’ve learned that magic can be used in foreplay.”

And without him touching me in any way, it feels as if a thousand tongues and fingers are between my legs.

I groan, my back arching and my legs spreading as I’m probed, prodded, licked, and