Page 21 of Shifter King

"It’s for both of us," she continued. "Remember when we were in the Forest Between?"

He stroked her cheek. Somehow that memory brought more pain and bitterness to mind than desire. There had been release, but that dread had hung over both of them. And it had been such a struggle for her to let him finally see her. How could it be easier now when more scars and marks had accumulated over her body?

Not that she was anything other than beauty to him. They were marks of her survival and of the strength she had wrung out of life itself. Out of these past days in particular. If she really meant it, if she could actually take him now— Did she really want this or was she doing it only for him? Because she knew that he did need her.

She leaned up again and lightly nipped his lower lip. "I needed to remind myself that there was the possibility that we could make it out alive. And right now or soon, I need to remember I’m al—"

He grabbed hold of her and lifted her off the ground. Damn this woman and all she did to his self-restraint. He claimed her mouth hungrily, tasting her, savoring her. His hand worked along her back and up along her neck into her hair as he kept one arm tight around her waist.

She twisted and tugged at him. Right now she didn’t have the strength of a calf, but she still had the fire of a summer phoenix. Her arms twined around his neck as she pressed as close as she could.

The mind shade had lost. Dry Deep had lost. The Okalu would lose. Those who had destroyed Mara and the children and now kept Rasha captive would lose as well. But he would not lose, and he would not lose Amelia.

Nothing would take her from him. Ever.

HELD

Amelia clung to Naatos, desperate for him. She kissed him as if she was drowning and he was the air she needed.

He held her tighter still, his hands kneading along her back and cupping her backside to push her harder against him. Tilting her head back, she snagged as full a breath as she could manage. Her heart raced faster, and her head spun.

"If this hurts you, you tell me," he said. "You understand?"

Laughing, she slid her hands up his handsomely sculpted features, her elmis against his exquisite jaw. "I do. I'm not that fragile or that weak."

A low chuckle followed. He traced a line from her chin to her breasts, his gaze devouring her and appraising her at once. "You may have some work ahead of you to convince me of that."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

He mirrored her expression and set his arms akimbo. "You deny it?"

She thrust her hands against his chest to shove him. Damn him. The man was built like a stone foundation.

"You’ve never been able to move me like this. Why would you think it would work now?"

She pushed him again. "Just—" She grunted and shoved harder. "Shrieking crespa, you just don’t move easily."

"And you aren’t making any point you want to make."

"My point is that I am not weak, and I am fine. I promise."

She folded her arms, giving him a narrow look. "It is unfortunate you aren’t ticklish."

"I feel that you would certainly take advantage of that if I were. And if you wanted to prove you could make me move, why are you doing it in this way?"

"Hmmm." She raised an eyebrow, mirroring his pose. The flashes of images that struck her mind left little to the imagination. "You think I should try some other technique to move you?"

"You’d have a greater chance of succeeding."

"I am not going to use below the belt tactics until we're on the ground."

"That’s a pity."

She shoved him again, the heat of his body meeting her hands even through the leather doublet. He smirked at her. She returned it and gave him yet another shove before collapsing against him and hugging him. "You are ridiculous."

"Am I?" He kissed the top of her head and then down to her temple. With two fingers, he tilted her chin up and brushed his lips over hers. "I think you are."

The kiss deepened. She swayed against him and then tugged at his doublet, her fingers exploring the planes of his body. And then, much easier this time, they both moved to the ground. He removed his doublet, then, with her help, his tunic and belt.