Page 99 of The Curse of Indy Moore
“I say it no differently than anyone else.”
“And yet, it sounds better than ever before. Say it again.” Our hands fell between us, where his heart raced entirely in tune with mine.
“Didn’t I just say I dislike doing anything because you want me to?”
“What if I begged?”
I would combust on the spot, seeing as the mere mention of it brought such heat that a blush crept over me from my head to my toes.
“Speak my name. Please, Indy. Let me hear my name on your lips once more.”
His name swelled from my breast, released in a quiet breath. “Rooke.”
His other hand caught my waist, bringing me closer, like the sun and moon eternally moving through our skies and never meeting, save on those rare days where the moon blessed a blue horizon. He didn’t let go. I didn’t pull away. The sun sat lower, our time running out. I wasn’t sure what he wanted because time and time again I thought I knew, and he’d pull away.
“I thought waiting would be best. You are under enough stress as is, but you know I am a greedy man.”
“The greediest,” I said, and he laughed.
He somehow pressed closer, teasing what I wanted more than air. “I am greedy for you and all that you are and all that you will be. I fear my reasoning for inviting you to Ivory House is entirely selfish.”
“But you are a very selfish man.”
“I hope you don’t dislike that selfish man.”
“Not even a little. In fact, I like him quite a bit, and maybe he could teach me a thing or two about being selfish.”
“Oh, you will be rotten when he’s through with you,” he said when releasing my waist to finally grasp me by the neck.
I closed my eyes before we kissed. It was the first rain, the first snow, the first bloom in spring, everything grand and magical in that blissful moment. The touch of his lips felt like the magic he weaved, that magic coursing through me to make my skin break out with goosebumps. Then there was a moment when we broke apart, and he looked at me like he worried I would shut the door he opened, but I ran to him instead.
I grabbed his shirt and pulled him close, yearning to feel his mouth on mine for every sunrise until our last. Rooke clung with the ferocity he was known for, andsuddenly, I wasn’t so worried about being an addition to his Ivory House, so long as he always held me like he wanted nothing more in the world.
When we separated that time, there was a smile and a laugh that tickled our lips. Rooke settled another kiss upon my mouth that wanted to learn every part of him, to taste his laughter and feel his smiles and know what my name felt like breathed against me.
“Make this quick, won’t you? I’ve waited long enough for a kiss from you. I cannot fathom waiting much longer for another,” he whispered.
“I don’t know. I think I could wait,” I teased, laughing when his hand fell to my waist to hold tight.
“You are going to be my ruin.” Then he cast his gaze upward, where the sky darkened, warning of our time running out. He released me with a reluctance that had his fingers trailing along my waist. “You are the strongest person I have ever known, Indy. Do not let her make you believe otherwise for even a moment.”
“I won’t.”
He kissed my hand one last time.
With hope in my heart and Rooke’s taste on my lips, I fled into the woods while clutching the pendant.
The mist bled around me, carpeting the forest floor. I saw nothing below my waist. The trees loomed, their branches hanging low like splintered bones. A chill rose, and with it came the snow. Little by little, the world grew white. Snow crunched under my boots. I hugged my stomach, keeping as much warmth as I could. Dying light cut through the trees, an endless sea of them, until I found myself on a path. The trees stood like soldiers guiding the way into a familiar meadow.
The cottage hadn’t changed. Candles illuminated the frosted windows, little specks of beckoning light that would fool all. The porch stood slightly crooked. Snow piled on the roof and around the house, where wolves emerged, their eyes watchful. I approached carefully, sensing the wolves wouldn’t attack. Carline expected me to accept her deal, and I would let her continue believing that. I entered the cottage that had forgone the dresses and jewels. All else remained the same, simply furnished witha fire roaring in the hearth. Carline sat on the couch sewing a dress. She didn’t offer me a glance, focused on her work instead.
“Carline, I am here to discuss our deal,” I said while shutting the door and locking it.
The wolves could break through if they wanted. I understood that now, but it still gave me a moment longer to get this done.
Laughter erupted from the world itself. The cottage creaked beneath her power. The fire stopped flickering, suspended in time. The confidence that had grown diminished in the face of her. She smiled with her wicked teeth, standing with the light illuminating her back, leaving her face in shadow. She had such power to her that one could taste it on their tongue, like metal and earth.
“There is nothing to discuss, my dear. You may accept my deal willfully, or fight until the last moment, and your family will receive nothing,” she said gleefully, so confident in her abilities that she couldn’t fathom me as a threat.
