Page 139 of The Heart of Winter

A subtle tremor shook the stone beneath me.

I’d almost forgotten. We were still trapped on this goddamn volcanic island, and our brief moment of bliss was just that—brief.

Reluctantly, I withdrew my teeth from his gland and lifted my head, looking at his face. His eyes were closed, but the moment he felt me move, he opened them, and our gazes met.

"That was fucking good," I murmured. "If it weren’t for all these depressing thoughts about an erupting volcano and our dwindling supplies, it would’ve been downright amazing," I added with a crooked smile.

"You’re thinking too much," Winter muttered. "Overthinking kills pleasure."

"Don’t worry, I had plenty of it." I said with a huff.

A distant echo of a light earthquake rolled through the ground. A bit of dust sprinkled down onto my back from the cave ceiling. I felt another shiver of unease and glanced at Winter, who was lying there with his eyes half-closed.

Even though I really didn’t want to dive into survival topics, the words just slipped out of me.

"I just can’t help it, especially when… we’re indulging in all these pleasant things, but how long until our situation turns desperate?"

Winter’s brow furrowed slightly. He was silent for a moment before saying, "Right now, that thought changes nothing. Maybe we’ll find a solution. There has to be one. In any case, there’s no point in tormenting ourselves over it today."

"This is my second day in heat. It’ll probably be over by tonight."

"Okay," Winter said with a smirk, "then let’s agree to save the grim thoughts for later."

"Have it your way." I forced a small smile in return.

Craving more of that tight contact of our skin, I rested my forehead on the mattress beside his ear but kept my cheek pressed to his, and we lay there, waiting for my knot to subside.

To avoid thinking too much about our situation, I just focused on the simple pleasure of being close, our bodies entwined together, joined in such an intimate way.

I didn’t even notice when I drifted off.

***

My sleep was restless. I dreamt of clinging to the edge of a cliff, my hands slipping on the rock as I fought to hold on, the wind whipping at my body. My fingers were sliding from the frozen surface, and I just couldn’t find any support, my legs hanging over the abyss…

The stress of the dream jolted me awake.

As my eyes opened, I was still lying on top of Winter, but my knot was gone, and my cock had returned to its normal size.

Winter was asleep.

With my head lifted, I watched him for a moment, marveling at how his features looked so relaxed from the nap, they were so perfectly balanced, so symmetrical.

And those lips… enough about them!

It was already close to an obsession.

But what about those incredibly long lashes? Somebody should acknowledge how flirty and curly they were, as if trying to seduce someone on their own. Way too cute for no reason.

My God, I was ridiculous with these compulsive observations, but I really did like everything about him.

Feeling emotional, I had the urge to wake him up and tell him how glad I was that it was him here with me. But I didn’t. Instead, I rested my head back down and… fell asleep again, warmed by his skin.

***

I woke to his movement, my body sliding off his as he sat up.

A dull ache pulsed inside me, I wanted to be filled again, but for some reason, I was too embarrassed to say it out loud.

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