Page 83 of Lore of the Tides

Lore didn’t reply, because she was sound asleep.

Chapter 28

Lore awoke to the gentle nuzzling of something scaled and slimy clinging to her earlobe. Eyes wide, she shook Finndryl’s arm; he blinked in shock at the vision before batting a small, inquisitive suckerfish away. The suckerfish proceeded to twirl around playfully before puckering up its lips and darting forward, straight toward Lore for another smooch.

Lore yelped, flipping herself away—over Finn, squeezing in between his massive form and the wall.

With an agile motion, Finndryl seized the slimy creature, holding it in a gentle-yet-firm grip just before it reached Lore. Through a rumbling laugh, he addressed the fish, “Those aremine. If anyone is going to taste them, it will be me.” The fish squirmed in his grip, clearly regretting its curiosity. He released the startled thing; with a flash of iridescent scales, it retreated, disappearing through the slats of a vent above the door.

Lore tittered. “I hadn’t known my ears were quite so tempting.”

Finndryl shifted onto his side, his body pressed against hers. She marveled at the sheer strength corralled within his lithe form. How his muscled thigh felt pressed to hers, the rock-hard feel of his abdomen. His gaze was liquid heat, and his words came out in a purr. “Your ears are one of my favorite things about you.” He reachedout, trailing a finger along the bowed edge of one, making Lore shiver. “I spent many an afternoon in the Exile’s kitchen gazing at them, trying to keep my hands on my quill, not reaching out to feel them. It was torture.”

“You’re so ridiculous; I never caught you looking even once!” Lore said through bubbling laughter. She couldn’t deny that his ears always fascinated her too. The pointed curve at the tips, where hers were rounded. For ages, she’d wanted to do exactly what he was doing now to one of hers: brush a finger along the elegant ridge.

Now she wondered, if she did—would it make him shiver as well?

Her breaths quickened as she lifted a hand to do just that...

She marveled at his contented expression. There was no hint of the grumpy barkeep as his lips danced with mirth. His shoulders were so relaxed, as though there was nowhere else in the world he’d rather be than right here, with her.

Dread coiled in her gut. She needed to tell him. She paused, then pulled her hand back just before her fingertip grazed the pointed tip of his ear. He had a right to know that the moment she found a safe place for her people, she would be closing them off to the world.

Even if it felt a little like Finndryl was becoming hers.

She took a deep breath, her eyes meeting his with a mix of apprehension and determination. “There is something I must tell you.”

Finndryl stilled, withdrawing his touch from her ear. His eyes roamed over her face, unease bracing his jaw. “What is it?”

Guilt swept through her. She had ruined this moment just as she ruined everything. Here he was, barely rested after their ordeal yesterday, and she was, once again, the reason for his apprehension.

She changed her mind; she could tell him later. He didn’t have to know right now... right? “Actually, it’s more of a question.”

“Ask me anything, Alemeyu.”

“You never did explain how you found me that time—when Iwas being chased by the royal guards in the woods—how did you know that I was in danger?” She was a coward; how was she ever going to voice the words when she wanted nothing more than to be near him?

Finndryl relaxed his striking features. “Oh, that.” He leaned back against the propped-up pillows, one arm crooked behind his head, the other wrapping around her shoulders to press her against his chest. Lore’s insides trilled to be pulled into him so casually, without thought or hesitancy.

She listened to the steady rhythm of his heart; it was the most beautiful melody she’d ever heard.

“It’s a charm I had placed on the Dragon’s Exile; it has a simple activation: The moment we fed you and housed you, you were under our protection. For as long as you were a guest in our house, you would be safe. The Exile warned me you were in trouble, and the charm led me straight to you.”

Lore chewed on her lip, curiosity igniting. “You hardly knew me, though. In fact, you disliked me... a lot. Or does this charm mean you’re required to protect all your guests?”

He raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk dancing on his lips. “That wouldn’t be much of a charm, more a curse.” He gripped her chin with thumb and finger and tilted her head to face him better. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips, the simplicity of it spreading warmth through every corner of her being. “I’ll let you in on a secret, Alemeyu. At no point did I ever dislike you. In fact, you disarmed me. You were this small yet mighty little starshine that walked in the door and never once left my thoughts. From the moment I met you, all that I was, all that I had been, was undone because all that mattered—was you.” He trailed a finger along her ear again, causing Lore to clench her thighs together as heat spread from her face down to her core. “So no, I wouldn’t save just anyone who activated the charm, but it was nothing for me to protect you when you needed it.”

She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. How could she ever live without him?

She closed what little space was left between them, covering his lips with hers, needing to feel him, needing to be as close to him as she possibly could, and still, it would not be close enough; it would never be close enough. With a growl, Finndryl rolled onto his back, pulling her with him until she straddled his hips. His fingers danced along her hip bones before clenching the flesh of her thighs as he deepened the kiss. Lore gasped into his mouth as he shifted his hips, pressing his hard length against her, showing her exactly how she made him feel.

She wanted him. Needed him.

And,yes, gods, he must feel the same because there was the stiff proof pressed between them. She remembered what he tasted like. How velvety smooth he had been, clenched in her hand. She pressed against him, grinding herself against the hardness beneath her. A low, reverberating sound erupted in his chest, and he pressed down on her thighs, so she was molded against him, moving in tandem.

Just as Lore was pulling the rim of his shirt to expose the smooth expanse of skin there, her hands eager to feel the rippling, shifting muscles on his abdomen, the door burst open and multiple palace attendants streamed into the room, led by none other than Cuan.

With a squeak, Lore pressed her heated face into Finndryl’s neck.

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