Page 66 of Heritage of Fire

“Nik, what are you doing here?”

“Looking for you. What areyoudoing?” I step over her and her books, then crouch down to pick one up. A flush hits her cheeks and she fumbles over them to grab it from my hand, falling when I stand up.

How to Travel and See the World on a Budget.

What the hell?

“What is this?” I ask, holding up the book as she gets to her feet.

Her hands smooth over her jeans. Obviously flustered, she blows a piece of hair out of her face. It falls right back into her eyes, and I instinctually tuck it behind her ear.

“I wanted to do some research. I’m not sure what to do with myself now that I’ve been traded for an alliance, and after talking with my sister I realized that Icouldbe doing something.”

“And … travel?” I ask, gripping the book, fighting the urge to toss it out the window.

She shrugs, and a slight smile skates over her lips. “I never had the opportunity to travel. And the trip to Russia … was overwhelming—in a good way.” She grabs a book off the floor. “People live this life. They travel and share their journeys on a blog or by posting videos of their adventures. They make their money to travel that way. I don’t have a college degree, but maybe I could do something like this.”

My brows furrow as I glimpse the book she’s holding; there’s a couple with a camera and a globe on the cover.

I never gave it any thought that Luna didn’t go to college.Does she want to?And money to travel? Wait a minute?—

“Luna, you don’t need money. You have access to whatever you need.”

She gives me a pointed look while fiddling with the hem of her t-shirt. “Nik, what am I supposed to do? Sit in your house and wait for when I need to show my face for the sake of both our organizations?”

She keeps fiddling with her shirt, giving me a peek at her stomach, and my fingers reach to jerk it back down. At her confused expression, I snatch my hands away and mentally chastise myself. I clear my throat. “Ourhouse.”

“What?”

“It’s our house, and you can do whatever you want, Luna.” I start to panic. Does she want to leave? How would that work? We signed a contract. I internally growl at the thought of her leaving.

“You know what I mean. I can’t just sit around. I want alife. And I want it to mean something. I want to be more than a commodity to be traded.” Her eyes glisten.

“Youaremore than that.” I say. Her gaze snaps up to mine. Damn it. I can’t let this go; I can’t lethergo. “What’s your plan, Luna? Leave and go traveling? You and your father signed a contract.”

“A contract you didn’t want, Nik! Being married to me is only a duty for you.” Her voice rises, and ashhhsounds from somewhere in the library. Wincing, she wraps her arms around her middle and steps back. She stares at her feet, the tip of her exposed ear burning red. “You don’t even want me, Nik.”

I grind my teeth, and my jaw aches in protest. Squeezing my hands into fists, I fight the urge to show her how much Idowant her, but it becomes too much.

Hoisting her up over my shoulder, I make my way to the shadowed stacks I passed earlier. A light, startled cry tears from her mouth as her hands struggle for purchase against my back. I tighten my grip around her legs and side-eye her perfect body draped over me. The temptation to touch her is overwhelming.

“What are youdoing?” She yells in a whisper, but I ignore her, rounding the end of a bookshelf and bringing us into a darkened corner. The books back here are large leather-bound encyclopedias, most of them no longer of use with the Internet now at our fingertips.

I set her down, and she huffs out a breath while dragging a hand through her hair to fix it. Fire burns brightly in her eyes as she narrows them at me. I don’t hesitate.

Pushing her up against the bookshelves, I press into her. A quiet gasp parts her lips. Dust from the untouched shelves floats in the air around us.

“Tell me I don’t want you.” I press even harder against her, and her breath hitches. “You’re all I can think about, Luna, and it’s screwing with my head because I never wanted this—I can’thavethis.”

The scent of jasmine wafts from her skin, and I can smell the mint from her toothpaste. Her lower lip quivers as I hover a millimeter from her mouth. Her tongue darts out, wetting her lower lip, eyes heavy and fluttering closed. Leaning in, I brush a light kiss over her, a silent plea for her to open for me.

She surges forward, wrapping her hands around my neck and I get my first taste of Luna Buscetta.

No. LunaBalakin.

I press my tongue to her bottom lip, trailing it up and around her mouth before pressing inside. Mint dances over my taste buds and I nip at her. A shudder racks her body, and she presses farther into me.

I cradle the back of her head, tipping it at the right angle to kiss her deeper. My fingers massage the nape of her neck, and she releases a small whimper where our mouths are connected. My free hand tightens around her waist. She presses forward, searching for more, but I drive her back, knocking a book loose from one of the shelves.

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