Page 38

My breath caught in my throat, my desire overtaking me.

I gently nodded and waited for him to take me.

He tossed my clothing to the side without another word.

Within a blink, he aligned himself with my entrance and invited himself in.

Swift and demanding, his fingers dug into my thighs and hauled me forward until he filled me completely.

Fletcher caught me as I fell back with the force, moving me away from the counter and onto the floor.

“Tell me you’re mine, Ripley.”

My golden hair splayed across the hardwood flooring, and Fletcher was quick to wrap most of it around his hand and gently yank it to the side until my neck was exposed for him to suck on.

The warmth of his lips as he sucked the sensitive spot under my jaw sent a deserved whimper of lust barreling out of me .

With every thrust, every movement, every time his breath covered my skin, I quivered under him, giving him as much control of me as he wanted.

“Tell me, Ripley.” He buried himself deep into me in one hard plunge. “You’re not theirs. You’re mine.” He pulled out slowly and drove himself into me once again. “Right?”

As soon as he yanked on my hair even more, it took mere seconds for it to spill off my lips. Honest truth mixing with the pleasure of Fletcher and tying itself around a one-word promise. “Always.”

Lying in bed beside Fletcher while wrapped in just his shirt was a bit of a distraction from my homework. In fact, I couldn’t even begin until I remedied the heat growing between my legs again.

I could still feel his hands marking my body in insistent caresses, like echoes of a ghost. Lingering and clandestine. Being near him made everything I’d been through feel blurry and insignificant. I wanted to bask in that feeling. I needed him to touch me. Needed to touch him .

“You know I can sense what you’re feeling, right?”

A fierce blush overtook my cheeks. The idea that he knew I wanted him again so soon after somehow scared me into changing the subject. “I found a copy of The —”

“No, no, no,” he objected, putting down his book and scooting over to me. His fingers traced up my bare thigh languidly. “Tell me what you want.” His lips neared my ear, hot breath caressing my cheek as he straddled me. “I’m happy to oblige.”

I swallowed, nerves singeing through my body at his touch, his weight, his nearness.

His delicious smell of spices surrounded me and swelled in me with scorching desire.

“Take me again,” I whispered, my breathing becoming heavier as his fingers drifted up my belly and clamped down on my nipple.

“Please, Fletcher.” A groan took hold of him as he nibbled on my earlobe teasingly.

Each touch enflamed me. Each breath devoured me. “Fletcher,” I warned.

When he continued to slowly pinch and roll my peaks, lips trailing kisses down my jaw and to my neck, I growled and slammed both hands on his shoulders to push him onto his back.

All of me felt like it was on fire for him, and if I waited another moment, I’d burn to ash.

He lay there pulling down his shorts with an amused smile that I wiped off his face by kissing down his chest and his contoured abs.

His aura of dark fog encompassed me, hiding me from the rest of the world—hiding me from my own mind. When his fingers weaved through my hair, guiding me lower, I felt his sensual hunger swathe me, eating me alive.

With a hunger of my own, I opened my mouth and filled it with all of him. I felt him hit the back of my throat as he groaned and thrusted deeper into my mouth.

His hand on the back of my head kept me at a steady pace, fingers digging into my scalp as he said my name.

Being this intimate—the smell of him, the taste of him, the desire to claim him—took hold of me.

A haze broke over my mind as I drowned myself in my need for him, like I was making up for lost time.

I swirled my tongue around him, grazing my teeth along his shaft as he burrowed into me over and over again. “I’m going to come, Ripley,” he said frantically.

My hand came down on his as I twisted it away and repositioned myself on top of him.

“Good.” I sat down on him in one fast motion.

His body tensed as he looked down at where we were connected.

Gyrating up and down on him vibrated through my already heightened senses, and I shattered with addicting desire.

His lips parted as I leaned down and let my tongue explore his mouth. His tongue slid over mine as his lips pursed for a sultry, erotic kiss.

Happy and satiated, we both relaxed with a loud huff. I fell onto his chest and felt the warm embrace of his arms wrapping protectively around me.

“I love you. So much,” he breathed, winded.

“I love you. More.”

I never wanted us to separate, but when I tried to roll away, his body ignited with my aqua magic as he whisked us away to Aldris’s showers.

The room was humid, dimly lit by the luminescence of the giant, blue-veined leaves that glowed above us. Each poured hot water over us in a relaxing rush of comfort.

Fletcher kissed every inch of my skin as he washed and cleaned me in unhurried strokes. I leaned into him as my eyes closed and my body relaxed, my heart open and full at last.

Peace threaded through my body as I let Fletcher bring me back to the warmth of our room. He dressed me in a clean gray shirt that fell to my mid-thighs and snuggled beside me in bed. He rested his head on my shoulder, arms wrapped around my torso.

“Tell me more about your visit to Elizy.”

“Well, Rosaanne has a copy of The Wizened Navigator . It’s on hold for me. She… uh…” I rolled my eyes to tolerate saying it, “says hi.”

“Well, Ripley, it doesn’t matter to me.”

I grinned as his lips came to my cheek and pressed a kiss against it.

I buried my hand in his hair, raveling the thick, wavy tresses around my fingers. “Do you know where Aldris put my money?”

“Here,” he rolled over me, reaching toward the nightstand and opened a drawer, “use mine for now.”

Crinkling my nose, I answered, “No offense, but I’d rather not use Cidris money.”

He sighed and threw the pouch back in the drawer. “Fair enough.”

“I need it by tomorrow morning.”

He snuggled close to me again and hummed, “Don’t worry, I’ll find it for you.”

“Thanks. That’s one thing off my list. ”

He kissed the top of my breast. “What else is on your list?”

“I have homework.”

“Homework?”

I nodded enthusiastically. This was by far the best part of my visit, and I was excited to share it with him. “I joined a magic lesson today. My assignment is to sit with my magic. I have a list of questions to answer before class tomorrow.”

“What are the questions?”

Gently, I combed his soft hair back and away from his face. “What does it look like? Sound like? Feel like? What’s the shape of it… Basically, as much information as I can get.”

He propped himself up on an elbow and smiled at me. “Can you teach me how?”

Cocking my head to the side, I let out a giggle. “What?” He knew how to use magic flawlessly. I’d seen it with my own eyes.

He sat up, pulling my long locks of damp hair behind my back. He divided it into three sections and began braiding. “I never went to class—I mean, I would have, but you know.”

I turned when there was enough slack on my hair to see him biting his bottom lip, releasing it with saliva glistening over it like he was trying to entice me away from my work again.

“It seems like you’re pretty damn good at using magic.”

A side smile emerged over his face. “It’s true. But I taught myself. I’m sure there are fundamentals I could benefit from knowing. Plus, maybe it’s something we can do together.”

Pride burst through my chest. It was a lovely idea. “Let’s.”

Once he finished braiding my hair, he coiled it around my head twice before tucking in the end to hold it together.

We leaned back against the headrest, crossed our legs, and closed our eyes.

I opened one eye and peeked at Fletcher, only to see that he was peeking right back at me. We laughed and closed our eyes again.

“Don’t look at me.”

“I’m not,” he answered, threading his fingers through mine.

Concentration didn’t come easily. My mind kept wondering to Fletcher. Our bodies uniting. His touch. The idea of him inside me. Then, a torrent of jealousy slid through me, jolting my magic to spasm. Him inside the bookshop owner.

“Ow,” he yelped as he withdrew his hand with a small laugh. “You electrocuted me a little.”

“Oops. Sorry,” I said, keeping my eyes shut.

His fingers found mine again, and I squeezed his hand, hoping that this time would anchor me. I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head.

My three suitors came barreling into the forefront of my mind.

Jarvy with his broken fingers against my skin.

Decksin’s overpowering scent. And then there was Graff.

The idea of him wasn’t as revolting as the other two, but I still rolled my eyes behind my lids at the memory of him reading my thoughts.

My magic. I had to focus on my magic! The sooner I could get a handle on it, the sooner I could leave Elizy behind and truly be with Fletcher.

I took a deep, resetting breath. My magic…

What had Talia said? My magic was my teammate.

I had to work with it, not try to control it.

Could I figure everything out before my lesson tomorrow?

Tomorrow before the ceremony? I gritted my teeth at the thought—the pressure.

Why did they have to welcome me home when I wasn’t staying?

To stand with the king and queen in the spotlight had my stomach roiling and the hairs on the ba ck of my neck standing on end.

Every part of me dreaded being advertised to all of Elizy.

But if that was a step to get Fletcher’s magic back, I’d suck it up.

“Can’t feel your magic either?” He chuckled.