Page 77 of The Baby Dragon Cafe
She awoke then, too, and the moment she realized, her breath caught in her throat. But she did not retreat, or move away, as she had in the springs.
Instead, Saphira looked up at him with those huge eyes he wanted to drown in. She watched him as if waiting.
Desire poured through him. And he could no longer bear it. He felt as though he had been dying to kiss her forever, like everything had been leading up to this.
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and she leaned into his touch, eyelids fluttering.
“Don’t hate me,” he said, voice hoarse, “but I’m gonna do something stupid.”
And then he brought her mouth to his and kissed her. It was a gentle, sweet kiss.
Heat lit his body, and he pulled away, wanting to see her reaction before going further.
She had a funny expression on her face, biting back a smile.
“What?” he asked.
“I’m still waiting for you to do something stupid,” she replied.
He smiled, and she pulled him close to her, kissing him hungrily. His body ached. He cupped her face in his hand, deepening the kiss as she gasped against his mouth.
She angled her body and, in one motion, he sat up and pulled her on top of him. Her thighs straddled his waist as they had in the springs last night, and this time, she let him do what he had longed to do then.
He kissed her desperately, each motion charged with longing. She pressed closer and desire shot straight through him, a low groan rising in his throat. He snatched her closer, tongue slipping into her mouth.
She nipped at his lower lip, and he briefly thought he was going to die, though there was so much to live for in that particular moment.
He moved his hands into her hair, tangling them in thecurls, gently pulling her head back so he could kiss her bare throat. She made a desperate sound as he moved lower, kissing her collarbone, sucking her skin.
She grabbed his face and pulled his mouth up to hers again, all teeth and tongue, and he moved his hands down her body, settling on the perfect curve of her waist.
Her hands roamed over his body, lowering until they reached the edge of his shirt. She lifted the fabric, and he pulled it off, letting her fingers sear into his skin as she explored his bare chest with her hands. Then he gently pushed her onto her back, covering her body with his as they kissed and kissed.
They were both lost in all-consuming desire, lost in the dreamy haze of lips and skin, when suddenly there was a knock on the door.
He paused, desperately hoping he’d imagined it—but then it came again.
With gargantuan effort, he dragged himself from the bed and answered the door.
It was Mireya. “It’s time for Sparky’s big day,” she said. She gave him a look over, and he remembered he was not wearing a shirt. Aiden half-hid behind the door, cheeks hot. Surely the old woman could tell what he had just been getting up to in there. But at least she finally didn’t look suspicious of his and Saphira’s relationship.
Aiden cleared his throat. “Thank you,” he said. “We will be there shortly.”
Mireya nodded, and he closed the door, turning back to Saphira. When their eyes met, she burst out laughing. Her lips were pink and swollen, and he was hit by a wave of desire again.
He lay back down beside her, and she turned her body towards his. He put a hesitant hand on her waist.
“Was that real?” he asked, unable to believe what had transpired between them. He needed to make sure it wasn’t a dream.
“You tell me,” she replied, biting her lower lip, her brown eyes wide. He moved his hand up and down the curve of her hip, relishing the softness of her skin. “Are we still playing pretend?”
“I was never playing pretend.” He took her hand and brought it up to his mouth, kissing her wrist. Her pulse beat against his lips.
She smiled, relieved and happy. “Me either,” she said, face shy.
He kissed her again, feeling her smile against his mouth until she pulled away.
“We really need to go,” she said, rolling away from him. “You know how grumpy Sparky will get if he has to wait for us.”
