Hi, CTR readers! The first novel in A’yen’s Legacy, a paranormal sci-fi romance series, is FREE! To celebrate, I’m sharing from one of my favorite scenes in the novel. A’yen is teaching Fae how to swim.
Her eyes opened, studied his face. “What does your name mean? I’ve never heard it before.”
“Because it’s ancient. My father named me. Means strength. What does yours mean?”
“Adventurous.”
“It’s perfect.”
She started to lower her legs and he moved one hand, keeping the other below her shoulders. “So is yours. How many days did it take to do the markings?”
A strangled laugh came out of his mouth. “You think they stretch it out over days? No, Farran. First set was twelve hours, non-stop. Second was fifteen, non-stop. Third will be at least fifteen too.”
Her hands knotted into fists and slammed the water. “That is beyond cruel.”
“Yup. And it hurts all the time.” The last part slipped out. He hadn’t meant to say it.
Soft fingers stroked his cheek. “I can tell, now that I’m paying attention. Does anything make it go away?”
He really ought to break contact before he gave in to the desire heating his blood. “There’s one thing. I’m nowhere near ready for you to know about it.”
She nodded, removed her hand from his face. “I take it it’s fairly intimate.”
“More like extremely. Master had it down to a fine art, and I won’t settle for anything less.”
“Good.” Her body froze again, eyes wide, mouth open. Then she screamed and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. “Something bit me.”
He slid a foot back to brace himself and keep from drowning her. “It’s just a curious fish. Now he knows you don’t taste very good and he’ll leave you alone.”
She pressed closer, pulled more of her body out of the water. “You didn’t tell me there were fish in here.”
“It’s a lake, Farran. Of course there are fish.”
“I’m done. Please get me back to shore.” She stayed wrapped around him until he hit the shallows. Her legs released first and sank into the sand. Her arms loosed their death grip on his neck, sliding down till her hands rested on his shoulders.
But he didn’t let go. Didn’t want to. She fit in his arms. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to know how she tasted.
Lifting on tiptoe, she leaned into him, mouth beside his ear. “I like it when you say my name.” Her hair brushed his cheek as she pulled back. Then she let go and left the lake.
He backed into the water again, not ready to get out. Not ready to be beside her without water to hide in, without an excuse to feel the warm softness of her body in his arms. Everything about her captivated him. The way she moved, her voice, her laughter, the gentle way she touched him. The way she didn’t force herself on him, or pry into his past.
In the last two weeks she’d relaxed even more around him, never pushing or demanding things he couldn’t give. If he didn’t tread the next few weeks with care, he’d end up falling in love with her.
For him, loving another””and being loved in return””was all-consuming. If he let it happen, she’d be his whole world. As Master had been. Surviving another loss of such magnitude wasn’t something he could do again.
But living with such emptiness inside him wasn’t a feeling he liked.
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