Page 31 of Song of the Dawn
“I’d rather take you myself,” he assured me. “It is the ideal place for a picnic.”
A few minutes later, the boat bumped against the beach with a gentle jolt. Ezra splashed out into knee-deep waters and tugged the boat further up the shore with surprising strength. Returning to the side, he held out his hand and bowed. “May I assist you?”
I took it, his grip warm, and a tingling sensation went through me. A moment later, my feet were on the island, and I waited for a shift in the air, something to change. Sand-brown rocks covered the beach. A few feet away were a tangle of bramble, bushes, and trees, a shadowy forest waiting to welcome the forest queen. I breathed in deep, enjoying the hints of mint, lavender, and wood. Something was here. I sensed it, and although it was uncanny, it also made me desire to explore further.
My hand tightened around Ezra’s as he drew me closer, as if the magic of the island filled him too. In the distance was a chirping, not quite birdsong but something else, delicate and sweet, and a rushing, crashing sound like faint thunder on the horizon. “What is that?” I asked, delaying the inevitable.
“There’s a waterfall in the distance. You can hear its song from here.” He studied me, pulling me closer until our bodies were inches from touching. I lost my breath somewhere, but I couldn’t tear my gaze from his forest-green eyes. They were calm, hypnotic, compelling. His movements were slow, intentional as he let go of my hand, his fingertips moving up my arm, his other hand resting on my hip, steering me closer.
I rested my hands on his arms. My lips quivered as he pulled me firmly against his hard body. Longing filled me, and I tilted my head, mouth raised, knowing what was to come next. His fingers brushed hair back from my brow, his calloused fingertips grazing my cheek as he cupped my face. When his wide, smooth lips touched mine, a jolt passed between us like steel striking flint, lighting a flame. He held the kiss a beat, and then he slid his lips across mine again, gently prying my mouth open with his tongue. As I acknowledged and accepted his advances, the kiss expanded, like a flame burning the edge of a match, growing bolder, brighter, stronger. I opened my mouth to him as his tongue dipped beneath the seam of my teeth. He pulled back, teasing, skimming my lips with his before taking me again, kissing me hard and long.
My grip tightened on his arm, and the gentle Ezra I knew transformed. Each kiss sent another bolt through me as though I was a small fire and if he kept kissing me, tasting me, teasing me, I’d become a blaze. My breath shifted to hungry pants as his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me tighter against him until a shrieking sound erupted from the forest.
We stumbled apart, and I took advantage of the moment to recover. Ezra’s breath was ragged as his gaze darted up at the treetops. When he faced me again, his eyes were glassy, and he reached for me, drawing me back into his arms. ”It’s a mating call,” he told me, so close our foreheads almost touched.
I couldn’t help but think how appropriate it was, especially while we were kissing. I’d never been kissed like that, and my entire body hummed at his touch, my lips burning to be taken, devoured by him again.
“A mating call,” I repeated, giving a shaky laugh.
“Would you like to see the island now? Or do you prefer the shore?”
“As long as we can return to the shore,” I admitted, my fingers closing around the hard muscle of his arm. My legs were weak, and an ache between them made my face flush. I wanted more, much more of Ezra. He’d only given me a taste, a delightful taste, but it wasn’t enough.
Leaning closer, he brought his mouth right next to the curve of my ear so his heated breath sent shivers of arousal through my body. “We can always return to the shore.”
Then he stepped back, as if unshaken by what had happened between us. Taking my hand, he laced our fingers together and walked toward the shaded path into the forest, leaving the boat and the picnic basket by the shore.
“I’ve heard romantic relationships here are more reserved than I’m used to, and I was very forward back there. You’ll have to tell me if I go too far.”
I squeezed his hand. “I admit, you took me by surprise, but I enjoyed it.” The fire inside threatened to flare up again. “Don’t change anything.”
He stopped, facing me. “‘Don’t change anything.’ Sometimes you say things and I don’t think you know how wonderful you are, but tell me if you change your mind. I don’t want you to have any hesitations or reservations about speaking your mind to me.”
Lifting my hand, he pressed it to his lips, and I suppressed a moan. It was bold of me, but I wanted him to lean me up against a tree, lift my dress, and take me right there in the cool shade of the forest, where the only watching eyes were those of nature.
He did not. Only his eyes danced between mine and my lips.
“I have no reservations,” I told him, and as I spoke those words, I realized I did. Or at least, I had. He was my employer, and a relationship with him should be forbidden. But after that kiss, I wanted to peel back the layers of who he was, unveil him for myself, to understand the depth and idiosyncrasy of his character. And more than that, I wanted to know where he was from and why the customs of the land were uncommon to him. Perhaps it was simply his culture, and I wanted to understand that too.
“Good,” he said, and we continued.
The forest path led us deeper in, and not more than five minutes passed before we arrived at a grassy clearing. A ring of trees surrounded it, and blue flowers grew like a royal carpet. Red toadstools with white dots sprung up in clusters near the trees, and dew glistened like gems. “What is this place?”
“It’s the dancing glade. If you’ve listened to Giselle’s stories, surely she told you this is where those who still believe in the old ways come when the seasons change.”
I stared, wanting both danger and the thrill of excitement. “Do you believe?” I dared to ask.
“I believe many things,” he told me, skillfully avoiding answering my true question. “At least enough to come here, sometimes.”
“It is beautiful, and the air is sweet. Does the island carry any other secrets?”
“This enchantment isn’t enough for you? You want more?”
I tilted my head, smiling at him. “I don’t see a path out of this glade. How does one reach the waterfall?”
He shook his head. “You don’t. The terrain here gets rough, which is why it’s best to come with someone who knows the lay of the land. Mila, I know you are curious, but don’t come here without me. The routes are confusing, and it’s easy to lose your wits. Alone.”
My wits. I bit my lower lip, thinking of Endia, the shadows I’d seen, and my concerns about my sanity. Those were not words I wanted to hear, and the edge in his voice held a warning. Pulling away, I walked to the perimeter of the circle to clear my mind. “Ezra, you keep telling me you’re not from here, but where are you from? Do you have a family? Brothers? Sisters?”
