Page 51 of All the Chaos of Constellations
Then again, he wasn’t much better by blatantly attempting to ignore the female currently in his presence.
Asher held out his arm. “Shall I escort you to the wine cellar, my lady?”
“I’d like that very much.”
Novalise tucked her hand into the crook of his proffered arm, and his world tilted on its axis. She was too powerful, too potent. Too much. He inhaled sharply, struggling to remember to breathe, but the scent of her overwhelmed him. She reminded him of midnight roses wrapped in silk, of ripened dark berries, and mouthwatering vanilla. He could devour her whole.
The second the thought entered his mind, images of his deepest desires flashed in front of his eyes. Novalise’s beautiful body writhing beneath him, her legs wrapped firmly around his waist, her hips rising to meet his every thrust. Stars would fall around them. Flames of frostfire would consume them. He pictured her curled into his side, the softness of her hair tickling his chin and chest. Her lips teased him, her kiss ruined him. One blink and her nails were digging into his headboard, and in the next moment they were scouring his back. His cock jumped, pulsing to life. He wanted her splayed on a bed of wildflowers, naked in the cool waters of a faerie pool, but more than anything, he wanted her in the one place he knew she belonged.
His bed.
He gritted his teeth together until a dull ache formed at the base of his spine.
He’d be lucky if he survived spending the next hour with her.
“We’ll both be lucky to survive with an imagination like yours, my lord.”
Asher choked, barely finding the courage to spare Novalise a glance. Though she maintained a sense of effortless calm, her cheeks were flushed a beautiful shade of pink and her heart beat in time to his own.
Far too fast for such a leisurely stroll to the cellar.
The bond had shown her everything. Every thought, wish, and desire.
Damn it, he would have to be more careful.
Tugging on the collar of his shirt, his skin suddenly too warm, Asher tried to focus on anything to distract himself from the female on his arm. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t force her from his mind.
Though he was reluctant to admit it, Novalise was becoming everything he never wanted.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
Novalise busied herself with trying to think of anything except ways to make Asher fall in love with her. If he caught the slightest glimpse of her thoughts, her entire plan would fall apart. It was proving to be difficult when the closeness of him sent her heart skittering out of her chest and muddled her thoughts with elusive fantasies.
Like spending the rest of her life with him.
She dared a glance up at him.
His angular jaw was set, as though he was counting down the minutes until he could rid himself of her company. In the sunlight, his eyes were a lighter gray than usual, but the gold rimming the outer edges flared with power. His raven black hair was swept back from his face, but that stubborn silver streak curled forward, looping lazily across his forehead. She longed to reach up and smooth it back, then clenched her hand into a small fist to keep from doing it.
And the spectacles he wore? He looked painfully handsome in them. They were enough to make her knees wobble.
His burning ember gaze slid to her.
He’d caught her staring, so she said the first thing that came to her mind. “I didn’t know you wore spectacles, my lord.”
“I usually don’t. These particular ones are helpful in reading runes.” Asher reached up, adjusting them. He swept the fallen lock of silver from his face and set the black-rimmed spectacles on top of his head.
Novalise melted.
He hadnoidea what he was doing to her.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Okay, maybe he knew exactly what he was doing to her.
They rounded a corner and came to a stone door built into the side of Asher’s house. Vines of ivy crawled from the base, stretching up over the brick, and each stem burst with a pretty golden flower. He turned the bronze handle and the door groaned open. Instantly Novalise was hit with the smell of musty, damp air and oak. A set of narrow wooden stairs descended into a cellar ensconced in darkness.
“Here, allow me.” He removed her hand from his arm, taking hold of her fingers instead to guide her down the dim stairwell. “It can be difficult to navigate in the dark.”
