and brush her lips with his. “Are you doing this? Are you inside my head?” He kissed her again, feeling the warmth of her skin on his, the softness of her lips, and the heat of the flames from her head. Never had a kiss sent so many sensations through his body. No one had ever evoked such need in him, nor had they made him feel he wouldn’t be able to breathe if he was parted from them.
When she kissed him back, his entire being called out to her. Everything about her overwhelmed him, and that was going to be a problem. He pulled back, cursing under his breath and berating himself for the arousal straining in his pants. As much as he wanted her right then and there, he resisted and fought for control.
“If you’re asking if I’m manipulating you, the answer is no. Mind control isn’t one of my powers.” She watched his eyes, still rooted to the spot. “I had to convince you to help me, remember? It wasn’t an order; it was a request.”
He remembered, but it was difficult to recall those details when all he could think about was how it would feel to be inside her on top of a mountain. He swallowed hard into his throat and took a step back. “Weren’t we heading toward your village?”
She quirked a brow before smoothing her expression. She whistled and the calciphex flapped over, scooping her up, hovering with her just above him.
Rhuul exhaled and jumped into the air, spreading his wings wide. When he flew away, the calciphex moved too. He exhaled as he glided on the wind, his thoughts in flux. He’d come to a decision, one he didn’t like, but a necessary evil. “I cannot let her affect me. It’s just sex; that’s all. I just need a woman to get it out of my system.” His mind went back to the women in Kref and he swore.
He didn’t even feel a tingle of anticipation, even when he recalled the scene of Talloc beneath the four beauties in the inn. No one he’d ever met could compare to Avalea, and he doubted anyone ever would. “Damn that woman.” He’d only seen her covered in dust and dirt, and yet she was the most stimulating female he’d encountered in his life. If the throbbing in his pants was any indication, she would be worth the effort to pursue.
Somehow, he didn’t like the idea of a one-night stand with her. He envisioned many nights above her, behind her, beneath her, in front of her. “Gods! I just need to make a clean break.” He looked at her in the calciphex’s talons, her flames whipping in the wind. Even now she was glorious. “I’ll see her safely to her village and then I’m getting out of this realm.”
Chapter 5
As soon as the calciphex dropped her to the ground, Avalea started walking toward her village.
“Hey, are you all right?” Talloc sounded worried, but she waved him off.
“I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”
When Ghena climbed into her arms, she held him close, taking comfort in his affection. “Let me guess. Rhuul was being Rhuul.” He spoke in a whisper, using the native language of the Omala.
She nodded, tickling his ribs to hear him giggle. They journeyed on until she was too tired to continue. Rhuul hadn’t spoken a single word since they’d left the mountain. A small part of her wanted to ask him what his problem was; another part wanted to get as far away from hiskill-first-think-last attitude; and a growing part of her wanted him to kiss her again. “How do you feel about sleeping here tonight?” She looked down at Ghena, but his eyes were closed, his breaths deep and even. “Lucky you.”
“Why are we stopping?” Rhuul moved his gaze around the landscape, avoiding her eyes.
“I’m tired. I need to rest awhile.” She called forth a bed of soft leaves and grasses, coated with a waxy substance that wouldn’t burn when she rested her head against it. Stretching out on top of the plants, she cradled Ghena close. “I don’t know what you like, Talloc. Will leaves be all right?”
“No worries, hot stuff, I can manage.” He
When she kissed him back, his entire being called out to her. Everything about her overwhelmed him, and that was going to be a problem. He pulled back, cursing under his breath and berating himself for the arousal straining in his pants. As much as he wanted her right then and there, he resisted and fought for control.
“If you’re asking if I’m manipulating you, the answer is no. Mind control isn’t one of my powers.” She watched his eyes, still rooted to the spot. “I had to convince you to help me, remember? It wasn’t an order; it was a request.”
He remembered, but it was difficult to recall those details when all he could think about was how it would feel to be inside her on top of a mountain. He swallowed hard into his throat and took a step back. “Weren’t we heading toward your village?”
She quirked a brow before smoothing her expression. She whistled and the calciphex flapped over, scooping her up, hovering with her just above him.
Rhuul exhaled and jumped into the air, spreading his wings wide. When he flew away, the calciphex moved too. He exhaled as he glided on the wind, his thoughts in flux. He’d come to a decision, one he didn’t like, but a necessary evil. “I cannot let her affect me. It’s just sex; that’s all. I just need a woman to get it out of my system.” His mind went back to the women in Kref and he swore.
He didn’t even feel a tingle of anticipation, even when he recalled the scene of Talloc beneath the four beauties in the inn. No one he’d ever met could compare to Avalea, and he doubted anyone ever would. “Damn that woman.” He’d only seen her covered in dust and dirt, and yet she was the most stimulating female he’d encountered in his life. If the throbbing in his pants was any indication, she would be worth the effort to pursue.
Somehow, he didn’t like the idea of a one-night stand with her. He envisioned many nights above her, behind her, beneath her, in front of her. “Gods! I just need to make a clean break.” He looked at her in the calciphex’s talons, her flames whipping in the wind. Even now she was glorious. “I’ll see her safely to her village and then I’m getting out of this realm.”
Chapter 5
As soon as the calciphex dropped her to the ground, Avalea started walking toward her village.
“Hey, are you all right?” Talloc sounded worried, but she waved him off.
“I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”
When Ghena climbed into her arms, she held him close, taking comfort in his affection. “Let me guess. Rhuul was being Rhuul.” He spoke in a whisper, using the native language of the Omala.
She nodded, tickling his ribs to hear him giggle. They journeyed on until she was too tired to continue. Rhuul hadn’t spoken a single word since they’d left the mountain. A small part of her wanted to ask him what his problem was; another part wanted to get as far away from hiskill-first-think-last attitude; and a growing part of her wanted him to kiss her again. “How do you feel about sleeping here tonight?” She looked down at Ghena, but his eyes were closed, his breaths deep and even. “Lucky you.”
“Why are we stopping?” Rhuul moved his gaze around the landscape, avoiding her eyes.
“I’m tired. I need to rest awhile.” She called forth a bed of soft leaves and grasses, coated with a waxy substance that wouldn’t burn when she rested her head against it. Stretching out on top of the plants, she cradled Ghena close. “I don’t know what you like, Talloc. Will leaves be all right?”
“No worries, hot stuff, I can manage.” He
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