Page 61 of Stealing the Star Stone
“One… Two…”
As she counted, he admired the sparkle in her eyes.This was it.They were so close to being free.
And yet, his chest ached.Everything within him wanted to head the other way.
“Three.”
They bolted, sprinting across the cobbles.Something flicked his hair back, stinging his cheek, but he didn’t stop to see what.She reached the dais first.
The floor disappeared beneath his feet, crumbling in a deafening roar.He screamed and threw himself forward, catching the edge of the dais’ lowest step.A glance down showed nothing but darkness below his dangling feet.His arms began to burn, unable to hold him in place for much longer.Then he was safe, whipped onto solid ground with her hands under his armpits.
“What the hell,” he snapped, gaping at the chasm.“I…I couldn’t pull myself up, like your ass is too heavy for your arms.”
“I can carry my weight,” she said, peering into the darkness below.
“Pfft.I doubt it.This body of yours is useless,” he muttered, touching the sting on his cheek only to stare at the blood on his fingertips.“No upper body strength.”
“Excuse me?”she gritted out, slapping her chest.“Not everyone can bench press planets.”
“Yeah?Well, your body’s clearly allergic to mine because I swear it’s been blushing since we left orbit.”
She leaned in, jabbing a finger into his borrowed chest.He shortened the distance, nose-to-nose, the light flickering red over them.
The tension thickened.Thoughts faded, and he shifted, bringing their faces into kissing distance.Her ragged breathing rubbed her chest over his breasts, tightening the nipples.He’d be damned if he kissed her first, as much as he longed to.She had to do the conquering, proving she wanted this.No more denials.This was sexual.An ache twisted in his gut.
Their lips collided.
He blinked, not sure who’d moved.
A moment of silence followed as he stared into her green eyes wide with shock.
She recoiled, scrambling back like she’d been electrocuted.“You kissed me!”She waved a finger at him.
“Uh uh, you kissed yourself,” he said, fighting the urge to touch his lips where the imprint of hers still lingered.
“This doesn’t count,” she said, straightening her spine.
“We shall see,” he said, casting a glance at the chasm that could’ve been his grave.“Thanks,” he mumbled, jumping away from the void where the floor had been.“We’re trapped, again.”
She caught his wrist and guided his palm to the warm star stone.“Thorne, we’re here.”
A spark zapped his fingers, but he didn’t pull away.She touched the other side, meeting his gaze over the egg-shaped stone.
“It’s been an adventure,” she said.
Minutes ticked by.
He released a breath, allowing the tension to drain from his shoulders.
“I’m still in you,” she said, frowning and slapping the stone.Slap, release, slap again—nothing happened.
“Yeah, and it’sstillcolored.Last time, we broke it.”
“We?”She scoffed.“Now you admit it wasn’t just me?”
He grinned, not about to admit to anything.
She glared at him then dropped her hand.“This isn’t working.See what those symbols mean.”Smacking him on the chest with the book, she sat on the edge of the dais and hung her legs off the edge.
