Page 41 of The Silent
“Why not? I’m the onesuggestingit.”
She refused to let the tears come to her eyes. “How would we ever know? How couldyouever know if I tied myself to you because ofyouor because you saved my life? What kind of mate would I be, never knowing if my feelings for you werebecause—”
“Bullshit.” His lips firmed into a line. “Stopit,Kyra.”
“You think I’m saying…bullshit?”
“I think you’ve had feelings for me from the beginning. Just like I’ve had feelings for you. When we were in Vienna, were you thinking about dying? When I held you and protected you, were you thinking about me giving you my magic so you could livelonger?”
“Yes.” She could hardly hear her ownvoice.
Leo’s eyeswidened. “What?”
“Of course I was,” she said. “If you were dying and you wanted to live, what would you be thinking of? If mating with another would save your life, what would you be focusedon,Leo?”
He didn’t sayaword.
“Thekareshtahave no power in this world,” she said. “We walk around with a bleeding wound in our mind, at the mercy of the humans and Grigori around us. The Irina spells are a bandage a few of us have been given, but we don’t own it. We don’t own that magic. We don’t have anyrealpower. Do you think every one of thekareshtafinding their way to scribe houses and mating with the Irin is looking for true love? They want tolive, Leo. They want to be safe. The Irin can makethemsafe.”
“So it was all about protecting yourself.” His eyes were blank, staring at the cut frangipani on the table. “You let me touch you—hold you—because you wanted me toprotectyou?”
“Of course I did. Anyone would. I was vulnerable toeverythingthen.”
His eyes narrowed, looked up, and met hers. “Andnow?”
“Whataboutnow?”
“Now, Kyra.” He shifted into her space. “Now, when you’re not as vulnerable. Now, when I touch you. Are you thinking about me giving you mymagic?”
Yes. No.“That’s notall,but—”
“When I kissed you at the night market”—his head dipped and his lips hovered over hers—“you were thinking about my longevityspells?”
“No.”
“Were you thinking about finding aprotector?”
“No!” She could feel the heat of his lips on her own, but he did nottouchher.
“I kissed you because I wanted you more than I’ve ever wanted a woman in my life. Because the thought of tasting you has haunted me for three years.” His breath brushed her when he spoke, but Leo didn’t move the inch forward that would have brought their lipstogether.
Kyra was frozen in place. “I wantedyourkiss.”
“Why?”
“Because Iwantyou.”
His hand reached up, and Leo wove his fingers in Kyra’s hair, letting his wrist sit warmly on the nape of her neck. His lips still hoveredoverhers.
“How much did youwantme?”
Every hair on her body stood at attention. “It was all I could think about. You’re all I can think about. Even when I try to forget you, you come to mythoughts.”
“That’s how I know.” Leo pressed his hand forward, bringing Kyra’s lips tohisown.
Madness andpeace.
She sank into his kiss. It was gentler than the last time. Their mouths more familiar with their partner’s. Leo’s lips moved on her with hunger, but also with exquisite control. He drew away. Paused. Changed the angle of his mouth and took hers again. Everything was slow, deliberate, and maddening. She reached up, gripped his shoulders, and kissed himharder.
