Page 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

D amn it.

Solarius watched Narissa walk away from him again, her hips swaying in measured time to the beating of his heart.

Anger simmered through his veins.

He was supposed to be charming and irresistible.

He should have swept her into his arms, whispered sweet nothings into her ear, then kissed her until she could no longer recall her own name.

But he’d screwed it up already.

His plan to woo his wife, to somehow make her fall in love with him, had backfired in record time.

All he’d accomplished was pissing her off once again.

In retrospect, he probably should have started their conversation with an apology for his tardiness instead of questioning her loyalty.

But alas, he’d been burned by her before, so he couldn’t help it if his guard was up.

It wasn’t much of an excuse.

In fact, it was rather pathetic.

Fine.

He’d give her a head start.

Solarius counted to thirty, then followed her faint, lingering scent.

The delicate floral smell mingling with sandalwood and sea air and was practically an aphrodisiac to his senses.

It was tantalizing.

Tempting.

Enough to make his mouth water.

So, he kept his pace slow and quietly tracked her through the expansive corridors of House Azurvend.

He passed through open-air walkways, beneath arches embedded with sea glass, where the bitter wind smacked at his cheeks, then descended a staircase of sandstone into the lower levels of the house.

Here the air was somehow thick and warm, as though the humidity of the summer continued to thrive despite the cloak of winter blanketing the outdoors.

He rounded a corner and drew up short, mesmerized by the scene unfolding before him.

It appeared to be a cove of some kind, or maybe even a lagoon.

Tide pools of crystalline turquoise water were surrounded by large, smooth rocks, protecting them from the crashing waves of the Arcasian Sea just beyond.

Ribbons of steam unfurled from the sparkling surface of the pools, the heat emanating from them enough to slightly dampen Solarius’s shirt.

Gaping openings of crumbling rock in the ceiling allowed for the brilliant wash of moonlight to spill into the cove, shrouding the space in a silver glow.

He inched closer, peering from around a pillar of ivory quartz, and swore he’d never seen anything more lovely in his life.

There was Narissa, kneeling near the edge of one of the pools, gathering some sort of green plant from the surface of an uneven stone.

Her wavy hair was a mess and piled high on top of her head into a lopsided bun with a few loose tendrils curling around her neck.

She absently tucked one behind her ear and Solarius swallowed hard, captivated by her every movement.

Narissa stood, balancing precariously on the uneven ledge of rock as she collected the pieces of vine-like sea kelp in a small wicker basket.

Glimmering pink flowers bloomed wherever moonlight touched them, the petals closing in the flash of shade, then opening again at her touch.

It was fascinating, watching the grace with which she worked, but her absolute ease did nothing to soothe his nerves.

The tide was high, spilling over some of the rocks and crashing into the steaming pools.

Foam and seawater soaked the hem of Narissa’s dress and when her footing slipped, Solarius’s heart stopped completely.

He lurched forward, ready to rescue her from certain death, but Narissa righted herself as though she hadn’t almost been swept out to sea and hopped over each rock’s slippery surface until she was safely standing upon the sandy ground.

Solarius could only stare.

She was incredibly nimble for a lady, and his mind wandered to what other sorts of activities she might be exceptionally good at—preferably those that took place in the bedroom.

Narissa set down her basket, her gaze drawn to the open sea beyond the swell of waves and the boundary of rocks.

Solarius silently debated leaving without saying a word.

She was clearly in her element, and he had no doubt making his presence known would only sour her mood.

To be honest, he was growing rather tired of constantly being the reason for her scowl.

And her tears.

He imagined what it might be like to be on the receiving end of one of her rare smiles, the ones she reserved for those she truly loved.

She would glow, illuminated from within like those radiant pearls that fell down her cheeks, iridescent and rare.

He ducked his head and turned to go, freezing the second her hands reached for the laces of her gown.

Solarius didn’t move.

He didn’t breathe.

Narissa fumbled for a moment, then gradually tugged the sheer sleeves of her dress until the soft fabric fell from her shoulders, then further still, exposing the golden hue of her flesh.

Aqua satin covered in tiny diamonds tumbled to the ground, pooling around her ankles like an ethereal ocean.

Solarius had seen her naked before, stars above, he’d undressed her on their wedding night.

But this was different.

She was different.

In this moment, she was uninhibited.

Unafraid.

She was composed and confident.

She pulled a pin embellished with black pearls from her hair, and the unruly tresses tumbled to the middle of her back.

Narissa was flawless—every curve, every dip, every inch of her golden skin was perfect.

His wife was fucking magic.

She stepped out of the discarded gown and his jaw clenched when she lowered herself into the tide pool.

Goosebumps pebbled over her skin, her nipples hardened, and Solarius forgot how to breathe.

Crystal blue water lapped at her calves and thighs, then her hips and waist.

She arched slightly, easing back to float on the warm pool’s surface, and closed her eyes.

The rings on her fingers sparkled as she languidly moved her hands through the water.

Her wild blonde hair fanned out like gilded ribbons, tiny waves rippled, and she looked exactly like Azuralis.

The goddess of the sea.

His constellation in the night sky, the one that marked his heart.

He summoned his magic then, cradling moonlight with his hand, then pouring it over her nude form in tiny rivers of silver.

His blood thrummed, the power of the moon encapsulating his very being, its light and darkness desperate for something more.

For something he couldn’t quite find.

The wave tattoos on the pointed tips of Narissa’s ears glowed, a gleaming bluish-purple hue, and Solarius knew the ones swirling down her spine were illuminated as well.

Leaning against the pillar so it supported the brunt of his weight, he watched her float, thoroughly enchanted.

“Are you going to spy on me all evening?” she asked, her eyes still closed.

“Or have you come to insult me again?”

Her scornful remark should have set his teeth on edge, should have baited him to fire back with some snide comment, for that seemed to be the way of their conversations.

But here, with her defining the very meaning of the word breathtaking, Solarius couldn’t find the words.

“Apologies, Narissa.” He shoved off the pillar, following the sandy path to the tide pool, ensuring his footfalls were loud enough for her to hear.

“I can’t seem to stop staring at you.”

Slowly, she stood upright once more, her frosty ocean eyes watching him as he made his way down the trail toward her.

Turquoise waters coasted just above the swell of her breasts, and he didn’t miss the way her chest heaved in an unsteady breath.

She tracked him, sliding her tongue along her bottom lip, then scraping it with her teeth.

“I just…” Solarius paused at the edge of the tidal pool, tucking one hand into his pocket.

He reached out, dragging two fingers through the air as he angled the rush of moonlight so it cascaded around her like a waterfall.

He tilted his head to one side, admiring his work, admiring her, and shrugged.

“I’m finding it rather difficult to collect my thoughts at the moment.”

Narissa’s cautious gaze flitted over him.

“Is that a compliment, my lord?”

Her soft, lusty voice was enough to bring him to his knees, to beg forgiveness for an offense he had never committed.

He cleared his throat, never breaking her gaze.

“The highest, my lady.”

Beats of heavy silence passed between them, measured only by the intake of their breaths and the crashing of gentle waves.

Narissa shoved her hair back from her face, the gold strands already drying into reckless, messy waves.

“You could join me…if you like.”

Solarius hesitated.

There was no doubt in his mind that if he entered that damn tide pool, he would do something stupid.

Like touch her.

Or kiss her.

Or be completely unable to keep his hands to himself.

Worse though, he wouldn’t want Narissa to feel obligated to return such gestures or resent him for it later.

However, if he refused to join her now, if he walked away like he knew he should, then he would destroy the olive branch she’d carefully extended to him.

Torn, he said nothing, and slowly removed his boots.

He untucked his shirt next, taking care to unfasten each button one at a time, then tossed it behind him over a slab of rock.

Reaching for the waistband of his pants, he let them fall, and though he thoroughly expected Narissa to blush furiously, he was surprised to find her studying him.

Her pale green eyes swept over his body, her head tilted in concentration, her brow just barely pinched as she watched him sink into the tide pool.

The water was shockingly warm, it soothed his muscles and relaxed his bones.

Salty sea air mixed with the calming scent of mint, and for the first time in a long time, Solarius felt at peace.

Curls of steam separated him from Narissa like a thin curtain of mist, and he waded toward her, gradually closing the distance between them.

Gravelly pebbles at the bottom of the tidal pool sifted beneath his feet as he neared her, but she didn’t back away from him, even though each breath she drew was painfully shallow.

Solarius kept his hands fisted at his sides in an effort to keep himself from touching her, standing close enough for the tips of her hardened nipples to gently graze his chest.

The faintest touch sent all the blood rushing to his cock, and he locked his jaw, his nails biting into the rough skin of his palms.

“My lord,” she whispered.

Agony coursed through him.

“My lady.”

Narissa wet her lips, tugging on the corner of her bottom lip with her teeth.

“Have you always had this tattoo?” she asked, reaching for him with one hand.

Her fingers drifted around his upper arm, her thumb gliding over the silky black ink marking him.

The phases of the moon were tattooed upon his right arm, from his shoulder to his elbow, and the way she caressed his bicep weakened him completely.

His cock thickened and he swallowed a groan.

Damn her and her siren song voice.

“Yes.” It was far more difficult to get the word out than he thought, like he was trying to speak with a wad of cotton in his mouth.

“Mm.” Her fingertips moved to his chest, to his heart, lightly tracing the smaller tattoo there.

“This one looks like a trident.”

“It is.” His pulse was thundering now, echoing through his ears, rushing with the pumping of his blood.

“I was born under the star sign of Azuralis, the goddess of the sea. In the night sky, you can find her by the trident of stars stretching toward the moon from the sea. It is her constellation that marks my heart.”

“I see.” Narissa’s eyes flashed to him, her face unreadable in the swath of dim light.

“Almost like serendipity.”

“Almost,” he ground out, desperation clawing at him.

She was so close he could taste her scent on the air.

It teased him, taunted him with images of midnight pleasures and stolen kisses.

Each time she shifted in the water, another rush of desire, of longing, pulsed through him.

His restraint wavered.

Every unintentional yet sublimely delicate touch scraped away another layer of his cool composure.

Narissa had to know, stars above, she had to know the effect she had on him.

If anything, she had to be able to feel the hardness of his shaft between them.

“What about your tattoos?” Solarius asked, silently hoping the conversation would dull his need to claim her.

She gathered her hair, twisting it over one shoulder.

“My tattoos aren’t anything special. They’re merely waves along my ears and down my spine.” The swirls of ink illuminated, radiant and lovely, in the light of the moon.

“For the most part, no one even knows they’re there. They’re practically invisible. Only in the wash of moonlight do they glow, only then are they seen.”

There was something about the way Narissa said the words, the way she spoke them with a ringing hollowness.

A broken sort of emptiness.

It snapped something inside Solarius, left him aching, so his heart twinged, and he longed to take away whatever caused her such pain.

Such agony.

Solarius grabbed her then.

He palmed the back of her thighs and hoisted her up, pressing her damp body against his own.

She molded against him easily, weaving her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with the ends of his hair.

Her skin was like satin, soft and perfect, everything he’d imagined when she tormented his dreams night after night.

Silvery moonlight bounced off the rippling water, reflecting prisms of turquoise and sapphire.

Solarius hefted her higher, ensuring he held a good grip on her bottom, and she locked her arms tight around him.

Finally, his midnight siren was in his arms.

He’d lost track of the number of times he’d dreamed of her, longed for her, begged the stars to let him have her.

Narissa threaded her fingers through his hair, twining and tugging.

Solarius’s gaze flicked up to her pretty face, where her rosy gold cheeks flushed, emotion banked deep in the endless sea of her eyes.

All he wanted was a kiss.

Just one.

A taste.

A promise of all he lost when she chose Calfair over him.

Solarius tilted his head back, angling his face to hers, and whispered into the space between them.

“Let me kiss you, Rissa love.”

Her answering inhale was all the permission he needed.

Solarius didn’t hesitate.

He claimed those luscious lips of hers, prying them open with the tip of his tongue, and then he drowned.

The rush of power between them was unlike anything he’d ever felt before, a damning swell, wave after crashing wave of emboldened magic.

Moonfire exploded, a phantasmic burst of energy that pulled the mesmerizing strength of the tides right into him.

He could hear the call of the ocean, the way it sang for the moonlight, the way it blended with the blood running through his veins.

Solarius tightened his grip, unable to break their kiss, fusing their mouths together in maddening desperation.

Something wrenched around his heart and pulled, nearly ripping it from his chest.

The wild magic of the tides collided with the controlled chaos of the moon, claiming one another in a damning bond of their souls.

Solarius knew the exact moment the thread binding him to Narissa snapped into place.

It was as though he’d been awakened from a years’ long slumber.

Awareness flooded him, overwhelmed him.

Her thoughts whipped through him like a whirlwind, her racing heart pumped blood through his veins, her scent, her essence, her very being, were ingrained into his soul.

Narissa belonged to him.

And he belonged to her.

Without warning, Narissa lurched backward, freeing herself from his hold.

She stumbled through the pool, clambering away from him.

Her eyes were round with something that could either be considered shock or horror, and he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know the answer.

“I knew it.” Narissa clutched her heart and climbed out of the tide pool, grabbing her gown but abandoning her shoes.

Her voice broke.

“I knew it.”

“Narissa!” Solarius called after her, but she didn’t stop.

Instead, she took off at a full sprint, running toward the entrance of another smaller cove.

And she didn’t turn around.

“Narissa!” Solarius leapt out of the pool, striking his toe against a jagged rock.

Pain splintered up his leg, but he ignored it.

“Fuck. Rissa, wait!”

Naked, freezing, and alone with a damn erection, Solarius watched as Narissa disappeared into the mouth of the cove.

He yanked on his pants and dropped onto one of the rocks, his frustration mounting.

Her words replayed in his mind, and he couldn’t escape the heartbreak in her voice.

I knew it.

That’s what she’d said.

Solarius blew out a rough breath and dragged one hand through his hair.

Narissa had known they were mates.

Somehow, she’d known…

and she’d been so repulsed and put off by the notion that she’d fled.

No wonder she’d avoided kissing him for so long, she knew their magic would claim one another.

And the very thought of it revolted her.

The lingering pain of the bond stretched between them and a dull ache formed in his chest.

Mating bonds weren’t exactly meant to be ignored.

Yet Narissa had run off and now he was left feeling the heated sting of her rejection.

Perhaps this was the sort of agony Novalise had suffered when Asher originally denied their bond as well.

Solarius groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face—making Narissa fall in love with him had become exponentially more difficult.