Page 30 of Iridian

“How do you become more divine every new time?” he whispered as he ran his other hand down my chest and touchedmy breasts with his fingertips, my nipples, trailing the drops of water on my skin.

I didn’t know the answer to his question, and I was pretty sure that it was just him who saw me that way, so I said nothing, only moved.

I fucked him slowly, our skins slippery from the water, and my knees hurt from the hard surface of the bench, but I didn’t care. Taland guided me up and down with his hands on my hips. Sometimes he raised his own and pulled me forward and back until I felt him in my very core. The sound of the water falling from the shower muted half of our moans and whispers, and it was a moment as perfect as any other when we were together like this, connected in soul and body and mind.

Chest to chest, mouth to mouth, we came together a little while later, holding onto each other, calling each other’s names with the last of our strength.

The water had gone cold by then, but neither of us complained while we cleaned ourselves up, wrapped ourselves in towels, and made it back to the bedroom, walking like we were drunk or high—or both. By the time we crashed on the bed, we were completely spent. I didn’t even have the time to tell him that I loved him, that I’d dreamed of having him in this bed possibly more than a million times before.

I fell asleep right away.

A knock on the door.

My eyes opened and I was a bit confused because my mind insisted that the warm body next to mine and the heavy arm draped around my waist was Taland’s, but then my eyes were telling me that I was inmy bedroomin Madeline’s mansion,and that couldn’t possibly be. Taland sleeping with me under the same roof as Madeline?

No way in hell…

“That’s the third time they’re knocking, sweetness. Want me to get that?”

I sat up, breathing like I’d been racing for hours, and I looked behind me—atTalandin my bed, his gorgeous head on my pillow.

“I don’t mind,” he continued, grinning because he could see just how confused I was, just howshockedat the sight of him, but the memories were already coming back. The memories of last night, of him coming to my rescue,again,this time in Madeline’s mansion. Of him putting the bracelet around my wrist and scrubbing the dirt from my back and guiding my movements on his cock by my hips—holy fuck.

“No, no, I-I-I got it.”

I made to jump off the bed when he grabbed me by the arm and spun me around. Then my face was between his hands and his lips on mine.

He kissed me softly, just a small peck, and whispered, “Breathe, baby.”

So, I breathed.

And good thing I did because, when I breathed, I realized that I was completely naked—we both were—so I had the good sense to put a robe on before I went for the door, smiling. Impossible to help it—Taland was here, in my bed, and so of course I would be smiling even though little made sense and the sky outside my windows was still dark.

Then I pulled the door open to find Fiona with a big tray in her hands that must have been very heavy.

“Oh, Rora,” she whispered, like she was both surprised and happy to see me.

“Hey, Fi,” I said, pulling the robe closer together as I looked over the empty plates and the silver domes that surely hid food.

Oh, Goddess, there was food on that tray and I was fuckingstarving.

“So sorry to bother you—I’ve been trying to bring you food all night. Poppy insisted. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

Poppy.The mentioning of her name sent shivers down my spine. Poppy was here.

“You’re not bothering me at all—thank you. Do you need help with that?” Though now that I was thinking about carrying that tray, I realized just how weak my limbs felt.

“Not if you let me through,” Fiona said with a little grin, like she already knew my secret.

Like she already knew that I wasn’t alone in my room.

My cheeks flushed bright scarlet. “Of course, yeah,” I said, and stepped aside, pulling the door open for her.

She came in with the food. Taland was sitting up in my bed, his body covered in my red silk sheet.

I was mortified.

“Hello, sir,” Fiona said to him with a nod and went to put the tray on my bedside table.

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