“How could there be a hot spring on the top of a mountain?”
He shrugged. “One of the many mysteries of the Mother. My own mother brought me here when I was young. It was her favorite place. I’m almost glad I don’t have to share it with others anymore.” He flushed and turned toward her. “I mean, I’m happy to share it with you.”
She grinned, still enthralled with the feeling of the water streaming through her fingers. Her whole face was transformed with joy as she laughed, waving her arms. She accidentally splashed him, then laughed at his reaction of mock affront.
He splashed her back, and soon they were in an all-out water fight. Her solemnity of before was forgotten, and Ember was overjoyed to have put a smile on her face.
When they finally left, they were both soaked through. The fabric of Mooriah’s chestcloth clung to her breasts, and her waistcloth made the curve of her wide hips impossible to ignore. Ember struggled not to stare. She didn’t seem to notice though, still riding high—this place had that effect on people. In the days after his mother’s death, it had been a great comfort. He didn’t want to do anything to diminish her shine, and so with great force of will, he endeavored to look only at her face.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said, still smiling as they entered the tunnel which was the only exit. At the other end she stopped, half hidden in darkness. “You truly don’t care about my Song?”
“I don’t.”
Her gaze lowered to his chest, and he found himself holding his breath as she looked her fill. The only light was from the chamber they were about to enter. The air became charged between them, almost sizzling with a heat he was sure would dry them off in no time. When her gaze finished roaming and met his again, her eyes were heavy lidded.
She reached up to cup his cheeks and draw him down closer to her height. “I have something to tell you,” she whispered.
He bent lower and lower, not resisting her pull. “What?” He wasn’t certain when he’d last taken a breath, his attention was on her skin touching his, the intensity in her eyes.
“I’ve always wanted to do this.”
This time neither of them backed away. They erased the space between them and met in the middle, pressing their lips together. The contact was like a spark on dry kindling. Ember ignited, the kiss moving from innocent and chaste to blazing in the fraction of an eye-blink.
His hands encircled her waist, and he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around him, pressing the heat of her core against his abdomen. He shuddered and broke the kiss, spinning her and bringing her back against the wall. Her arms came around his neck, and he pressed against her, causing her to gasp.
He sought her lips again, the kiss a fiery inferno of need pent up between the two of them. Her admission had surprised him. How long had she felt the pull toward him? As long as he’d felt it for her?
Their tongues danced together as she pressed tighter against him. If he could open himself up and bring her inside, he would. He settled for tumbling into the kiss, becoming consumed by it. He hitched her higher and enjoyed the feeling of her body clinging to his. The score of her nails against his back and neck. Her heat singed his stomach; he slid a hand up her thigh to explore and possibly get burned, when footsteps sounded.
Their mouths tore apart; Mooriah was wild-eyed, breathing heavily. They were at the edge of a hub where a half-dozen hallways converged. This place was obviously not as abandoned as it looked.
Ember set her down, and they swiftly straightened their drenched clothing before turning to face the person exiting a tunnel across from them. When Glister appeared, Mooriah stiffened and moved further into the darkness behind them.
“There you are,” Glister said with a smile before she took note of Mooriah. Her welcoming expression turned harsh. “What are you doing here?”
Ember wrangled his expression, hoping he didn’t look guilty or flushed or aroused or any of the other myriad things he was feeling.
Mooriah stepped to his side, though quite a distance away. “I’ve been looking for a new source of rubia honey. I had reason to believe a hive of cave bees was near here.”