Page 104 of The Howl
“Open your eyes, Eliana.”
Listening, I looked up at him as he stepped out of the pool with me. There was a tender look in his brown eyes. I liked seeing it there. For me. It told me that he really cared. Not the pretend kind of caring that Adira and Mrs. Quill had. Or the forceful caring that Mom had. Fenris didn’t want to see me hurt or suffering.
I reached up and placed my hand on his cheek.
“Thank you for caring,” I said.
“Always, beautiful. Let’s cool you off a little.”
He set me on the smooth stone path and sat beside me. The rock began to leech away the water’s warmth and breathing got a little easier. My face started sweating, though. Grabbing the end of my shirt, I lifted it up to wipe away the sweat.
“What is that?” Fenris said.
His fingers touched my stomach and traced their way to the edge of my underwear.
I glanced down, seeing his tanned fingers on my pale skin rather than the glowing line. My insides went molten, and hunger surged forward. I turned to Fenris.
Lightning fast, I had him on the floor and was straddling his torso. With one hand braced on his chest to pin him in place, I took his hand and flattened it over my stomach.
“That is yours,” I said. “If you dare to take it.”
I found myself pinned underneath him. He had my hands restrained against the floor over my head with his legs weighing down mine. I tried to pull myself free, but I couldn’t.
“Don’t fight, Eliana,” he said. “Breathe. Feel the stone under you. The coolness of it.”
It was his earnest expression along with the temperature of the smooth rock underneath me that brought back a semblance of clarity.
I blinked my eyes, pushing back the hunger.
The crooked, teasing smile returned to its usual place on his lips, melting away his worry. But I’d seen it. His fear. I closed my eyes and turned my head.
“Please get off me,” I said, struggling not to cry.
“Hey, no being mad at yourself,” he said.
“Mad?” I snorted. “I’m disgusted with myself. You were being nice, and I—”
I swallowed hard, and a tear escaped from the corner of my eye.
“Don’t cry,” he said.
His weight lifted, and he grabbed me, settling me in his lap before I could get away. Tucked against his chest, I focused on the beat of his heart and tried not to give in to all the tears fighting to get free.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” he said, resting his chin on top of my head. “I only stopped you because I thought you’d be upset if you went through with it.”
I jerked my head up and stared at him.
“You think?”
His crooked grin looked a little tormented.
“There was no right move for me back there. I went with the option I thought you’d want once you cooled off.”
He’d been thinking of me. Again.
“You did make the best choice. I’m just sorry you had to make any choice.” I climbed off his lap and tugged my shirt back into place. “I shouldn’t have come here.”
“I disagree.”
