Page 83 of A Fate of Ice and Lies
That worry remained behind Teddy’s eyes, and the sight of it made the guilt climb through my chest up to my throat.I’d done this to her, brought these nightmarish creatures into her world. It was all because of me.
“Nalari speaks to you nonverbally?” Teddy asked.
The way she asked made me feel like the way Nalari and I communicated wasn’t common among humans. I turned my answer over in my head, trying to simplify the archaic relationship between fae and our Guardians.
“Yes, we speak telepathically. She hears my thoughts, and she projects her own back.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Somehow, I don’t think it’s quite as simple as that.” Her smile was soft if not a bit wary. “It’s a good answer, though. We should eat so Tori can get to bed.”
She turned to pull three plates from a cupboard while I grabbed glasses and filled them with water. I watched her, though, and tried to figure out what was going on in her head. What dreams she was having that spooked her.
And then I remembered. Knowing this would make her happy, I spun to her and with a huge smile, gripped her shoulder. She stilled, watching me with open curiosity.
“I almost forgot.” With a wave of my hand, I reached into my pocket of magic once again. “I’ve been working on trading with other regions, and I got you something.”
When I handed her three bags of freshly ground coffee, she threw herself in my arms and wrapped her legs around my waist.
“I’ll have some sugar and milk for you in a day or two,” I told her, knowing she liked her coffee with a good amount of both.
“I could kiss you right now.”
“You should,” I answered.
In all mydreams about Teddy, I never let myself imagine her liking me, especially with her side of the bond broken. But she did.
There was still so much I had to tell her. Knowing I kept secrets from her ate at me. Especially about the night I killed Javier’s father.
It was hard to look at him without the gnawing guilt of what I’d done to him and his family. While I knew nothing could right the horrible wrong I’d done to them, both George and I went out of our way to help them in any way we could.
None of it mattered, though, unless I was honest with Teddy.
I was foolish to wait until she liked me more in the hope she’d forgive me. Foolish and selfish.
Where Teddy was open and up front.
I could tell her now as I sat unmoving on her couch, and she rubbed the antibiotic cream Dr. Daniels had given her on my healing back. She kissed my shoulder blade, then knelt in front of me to look at my chest. All my worries spilled away when she sniffled, her eyes welling as she took in the raw skin where the thunderbird’s fire had struck. It had been worse before. If I were at my cottage, I’d finish healing it but didn’t want to deplete my energy while I was with Teddy. With a steady hand, she reached for my chest but stopped.
“Tell me if I hurt you.” She peered up at me, her eyes rimmed red and glossy from the tears she held back.
Tears for me.
I cupped her cheek. “Every time you touch me, all I feel is you. There’s no pain, just you, Teddy.”
She licked her lips, and a tremble skittered down my spine. Suddenly, I scented the delicious smell of her arousal, and even though fear still lingered there,thatscentwas euphoric. I wouldn’t allow myself to have her until the fear was gone and all she felt was desire.
She rubbed the cream over the sensitive skin of my chest. My heart raced at the contact. I sucked in a desperate breath when she grabbed a small towel to wipe the ointment off her fingers.
She turned back to me, her eyes roving over me in hunger. I held myself still for her with only the ripples of my desire making my muscles quiver. Her hand slid over my right pec. I inhaled sharply, taking in a lungful of her sweet scent. She pressed the softest kiss on my neck and when she hummed, I arched it to give her better access to my throat.
She coated wet, hot kisses across my heated flesh. The gentleness of it threatened to undo me.
Then she ran her fingers through my hair, and Guardians help me.
Her giggle danced across my throat. “Are you purring?”
“Feels so good,” I murmured.
She did it again, gently dragging her nails over my scalp this time.
