Page 44 of Night's Reckoning
He shrugged. “No one important.”
She didn’t question him further. If she truly wanted to know, she’d find out.
“Should we go?” Ben left his hand on her neck. Tenzin didn’t push it away.
“Yes.” She slid an arm around his waist. “Hold on to me. Like you’re hugging me.”
Are you trying to torture me?“Okay.”
Ben put his arms around Tenzin and immediately felt her power rising. The air around him moved, teasing over his skin like a curious cat winding through his legs.
“It won’t feel like we’re going fast,” Tenzin said.
Ben felt his feet leave the ground and pushed back the panic instinct that wanted to rise.
“We’re not flying against the wind but with it.” Tenzin’s mouth was close to his ear. “If I were too close to other elements like water or earth, lifting you would be difficult.”
He clung to her, but she held him tight. He felt cushioned in a bubble of air.
“Up here,” Tenzin said, “nothing interferes.”
They rose up and over the roof, quickly rising into the dense blanket of fog.
“It’s not flying.” Her breath whispered against his neck. “We’re simply asking the air to move us.”
Ben looked down. Tenzin was in his arms, and they were moving through the air. Fog whipped past them, curving around the bubble of air that carried them.
“It loves you,” Ben said.
“Yes.” She smiled, letting her eyes close. “It knows me.”
I know you.
His heart twisted in his chest. “Have you decided what color you want to paint your loft? Chloe wanted to call painters next week since we’re both gone.”
“No.” Tenzin frowned. “I’m not sure… We’ll talk about it at the house.”
I’m not sure I’m coming back.It didn’t need to be said. Ben knew she was having second thoughts about working with him. It was the only thing that gave him any kind of hope. If she truly didn’t care, she’d abandon him without a backward glance. The fact that she was being evasive was probably the most positive sign he could hope for.
“Almost there,” she said.
“Good.”Not good.Of course, she still had to fly him back. “Tenzin, did you bring a backpack?”
“No, but you left one in your room at the house.”
“I forgot about that. I’ll grab it when we land.”
Was this what needed to happen? Should he just pretend nothing had taken place between them in Puerto Rico? Move on? Forget what her mouth tasted like, what her body felt like? Forget that she’d writhed over him in pleasure, making his body ache and tripping her from hunger into pure bloodlust.
She is perfectly content with denial.
It shouldn’t have surprised him, but it did. A little.
If Ben pretended nothing had happened and simply went back to the way things were, Tenzin would follow his lead. He could have his life back, have his friend back. He would never taste her mouth again. Never know what it would be like to sate her hunger. But she would be back.
Could he do that? Did he want to?
Ben felt their descent. The distant lights of Tenzin’s small water village became visible through the fog. Dark channels cut through warm yellow lights and bobbing fishing boats.
