Page 62 of Bargains with Benefits
Luna
Itold myself I wasn’t running—I was processing. Cliff House Inn was finally visible through the carriage window. The full moon’s light cast a gentle glow across the pines. I wanted to run into the tree cover, to my cottage. I let out a sigh of relief at our approach.
“It makes you feel safe,” Vincent said.
I turned to look at him. He’d been quiet on the ride, giving me space. While I needed it from my family, I didn’t want it from him. He and I, no matter the initial bargain we struck, had always been honest with each other about what we wanted. I hoped to eventually be more honest with him about how much my feelings had changed, about what he meant to me now. When everything I knew collapsed like a house of cards, Vincent refused to let it fall—his wind would hold every piece in place until I was ready for my next move. He was solid ground, even as the continent tilted beneath my feet.
Maybe he made me feel safe, too.
“It does,” I said as he hopped out of the carriage and offered me a hand. I took it, lacing our fingers again as we walked toward the property.
I glanced at the sky and the glowing orb above us. I fingered the necklace he’d given me. The phases of the moon meant more to me than I realized.
“I want to show you something.” I tugged him forward, a smile finally breaking across my lips, maybe for the first time since the meal at Pierce House began.
He looked hesitant but let me lead. “Are you sure you don’t want to be alone?”
I shook my head and pulled. He didn’t fight me.
“I told you about the moonflowers I’d borrow from the property.”
“Yes,” he said cautiously. “It was another reason I was convinced you had magic.”
My steps halted, and I turned. “Because they only bloom in the presence of Norden magic?”
He nodded, then glanced up. “Norden magic and the light of the moon. Guess we’re in luck.”
“They’ve always bloomed for me. Even when Mom and I visited on our vacations.” The words constricted something in my chest, as sayingMomreminded me of all she’d kept from me.
“They have good taste.” He pulled my hand to his lips. They were warm against my cold skin. I shivered as his wind slipped across my hand, encircling it with the touch of his lips. He laughed. “I guess I’m my own competition. This is going to take some getting used to.”
I smiled in return. “Don’t worry, I’m a lot.” I gestured vaguely at everything that had happened since we met. “You might need the backup.”
He stepped closer, his wind working to unbraid my hair so it could slide through it. I was more than a little amazed when it dropped the pins holding my braid in place into Vincent’s pocket, freeing my waves. “We are eager for anything you choose to give us.”
“I might need you to prove that.”
His wind skimmed my arm and danced across my exposed shoulders. My body flushed, heat shooting straight to my core. The smile on his handsome face said he knew precisely the effect he was having on me.
“My wind and I will do so on my knees every day you allow it.” His grin turned feral. “In any way you require.”
A stilted sound escaped my lips. The wind was gone in the space of a breath. I gasped inadvertently at its retreat.
“I was simply illustrating my enthusiasm for the task, Miss Pierce,” he said primly. His gaze held mine, daring me to contest his dedication. “Now, about those moonflowers.”
His fae beauty was always on display, but in the moonlight, it was devastating. His hand still held mine, and I used it to push him back against the nearest tree, bringing my body flush to his. My face was inches from his, our breaths mingling as I said, “The moonflowers can wait.” His wind wrapped around us both at my words. I knew there was something I wanted to show him, more I needed to consider about all I’d learned tonight, but none of it seemed important as his lips pressed against mine. He pulled me closer, and I fell against him, wanting to deepen this growing connection. His hand slid up my side, gently caressing the curve of my breast. I couldn’t breathe; I couldn’t think. I only wanted. I tilted my head, opening myself to kiss him deeper. Our tongues tangled as our kiss intensified. When his hand touched the skin of my neck, I was alight, my body on fire even as a wave of pleasure shot through me.
Light from the full moon snuck through the canopy of trees. The press of Vincent’s body against mine was a warmth on the chilly night. Scents of leather and mint wrapped around me. It felt like home. Suddenly, I gasped as I made the connection. I should have known Vincent’s quiet strength would help me locate it. I pressed my hands against his chest, pushing myself back, and worked to catch my breath. Our kiss revealed the quiet calm lurking beneath the surface, one I’d been searching for all week. “Your magic smells like leather and mint.”
He shook his head, coming out of his own daze. Then, my words must have registered. “What did you say?”
“I think I found it. The quiet, the calm.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “You can smell my magic?”
My lips tilted into a smile. “Come with me.”
Only those with magic could smell the scent of another’s. With how much Vincent’s wind had lavished attention on me, I’d yet to know its signature scent. But out here, under the light of the moon, in the safety of Vincent’s arms, I finally understood. I took his hand, pulled him behind me, and we ran toward the inn.
