Page 74 of Keeper

He slips a finger inside me, and I cry out, clutching at his shoulders as he drives me toward a precipice I have never stood on before.

It’s everything I want and everything I fear.

But with Cenric, I’m not afraid.

I trust him. I want him. I love him.

A loud shout pierces the tent, shattering the moment. Cenric stiffens against me and pulls away. I want to yank him back, to lose myself in him again, but the shout comes again.

Cenric sighs and adjusts my surcoat. I let out a slow breath, trying to calm my racing heart, my ragged breathing.

Another shout comes from outside the tent, more insistent this time. Cenric closes his eyes and exhales. When he opens them again, the fire is gone.

“Everly, I...” He runs a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have. We shouldn’t have...”

Every fiber of my being screams at me to yank him back, to finishwhat we started.

But I can’t.

Not when he’s looking at me like he’s made a terrible mistake.

“It’s all right, Cenric. I understand.”

Do I though?

Do I understand why he keeps kissing me, then pushing me away?

No, not really.

He looks like he wants to say more, but another shout interrupts him.

Cenric sighs. “I’m sorry, Everly. I have to go.”

I force a smile, trying to hide the hurt, the disappointment. “It’s fine, Cenric. Go. They need you.”

He hesitates, seeming as if he wishes to reach for me again. But he doesn’t. Instead, he turns and strides out of the tent, leaving me alone with my swirling thoughts and aching body.

Chapter

Forty-One

CENRIC

Even after walkingthrough the camp and ensuring all is well, the heat in my veins hasn’t abated. If anything, it burns hotter, fiercer.

The shouts had come from the night watch as they called out to each other. Part of me resents them for interrupting us, while another part is grateful.

I had no right to touch Everly. No right to do what I did to her.

She deserves better.

I return to my tent and find it empty. Disappointment crashes over me like a tidal wave, even though I know it’s better this way.

If Everly were here, I would want to take her in my arms, claim her lips, and make her mine in every way possible.

But I can’t. I won’t.

She’s an outsider, and our laws forbid her from being any more than a brief dalliance. Everly deserves more than that.

---