Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 58321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
“Waiting naked in your bed.” It’s so incredibly gratifying to see his wings flare. With time, I think I’ll get as good at reading his body language as I am at reading his aura. I smile. “I have my bargain to fulfill, after all. I promised that you could have me any way you want me.”
“You did, didn’t you?” He hasn’t moved, but he watches me so closely, I have the feeling he could cross the room in a single bound and pin me to the wall. If I tell him to chase me, he will. I’m sure of it.
Another time.
“Yes,” I finally manage.
He nods. “What I want is just us. No games. No power plays. Just you and I.”
Somehow that’s scarier than anything we’ve done so far. Except that’s not entirely true. We just cut open our chests and showed each other our bleeding centers. Having sex without any scaffolding isn’t much different than that. I lick my lips. “Okay.”
“I’ll see you shortly.”
I back slowly out the door and head through the halls to the staircase that will lead me to Bram’s room. I’m cautious. It’s not that this situation feels too good to be true—it’s far too messy for that—but this is the first time in my life that I’ve allowed myself to be fully vulnerable with another person. I can’t help waiting for the other shoe to drop and take me out in the process.
No. I’m not doing that. I’ve spent my entire life being vigilant and keeping people at a distance. I can afford to change that this once, to allow Bram close. It might not be an easy path, but with him I might have a chance at true happiness . . .
21
BRAM
I find Grace exactly as promised—naked in my bed.
It’s a sight I’ll never get used to. She isn’t doing anything particularly provocative, just sitting with the sheets pooled around her waist and her breasts exposed, her dark hair pushed back from her face. But she’s in my bed. Naked and vulnerable and trusting.
I shut the door behind me and drink in the image she presents. “I like you like this.”
“I’m naked. Of course you like me like this.” She laughs a little, but color rises in her pale cheeks.
This feels like a big step that I’m not entirely certain we’ve earned, but that’s not going to stop me. What’s the point of time when in some ways I feel like I’ve known this woman my entire life? I can’t stop myself from holding my breath.
“Are you sure you want it like this? Just me. No games.”
“Yes. Is this okay with you?” No matter what the bargain between me and Grace says, I don’t want to push her into anything she doesn’t want to do. I never have, even when anger was riding me hard. I still don’t know how to put into words what I feel for Grace. But maybe I can show her. Not with colors or energy or magic. With my touch. Sometimes it’s better to say less, especially when my words so often get away from me.
She finally nods. “Yes, Bram. Of course it’s okay with me. It’s not like you’re asking to fuck me while we’re flying.”
My body surges hot, but I shut the thought down quickly. “That’s not a good idea. Even without the temperature at play, it’d be too easy to hurt you.”
I can practically see her interest sharpening. “But it can be done?”
“In theory. It’s not something my people do or at least admit to doing. It’s incredibly dangerous, especially when both parties have wings.” It would be too easy to get tangled and not be able to pull out of a dive. When I was a teenager, it was common to talk about the semantics and if it was even possible. I know several people that swore it was and went further to say they would prove it. To the best of my knowledge, none of them ever tried.
None of that information matters now.
I undo my hip wrap and toss it to the side. It’s not a move I make to shut off this topic of conversation, but it’s effective nonetheless. Grace’s eyes fall to my hips, and hot pink lights the room up. She licks her lips. “Again, to reiterate, I am very, very okay with this. Come to bed.”
She doesn’t have to tell me twice. I cross to the bed and climb onto it. I don’t have a plan. I just need to touch her, to kiss her. Apparently she feels exactly the same because she meets me in the middle. Our height difference means it’s challenging to kiss when we’re both on our knees, but I solve the problem by grabbing her around the hips and lifting her so she can wrap her legs around my waist. Better. Much better.