Page 9 of Hunted in the Shadows
“What is it?” Jon asked, a slight crease forming between his eyes.
I took my time in answering. I stroked fingertips through his tangle of dark hair, chewing my lip as the action stirred emotion in his face and slowed the feverish beat of his heart.
“Sometimes it stings,” I said, “knowing I could have been this happy all this time.”
A smile spread on his face—my only warning before Jon’s grip tightened, cementing me in place as he effortlessly sat upright.
“Would you like to see what you’ve been missing?” Jon asked.
My legs were wrapped around his waist, our bodies fused so we were nose to nose. Grinning, I leaned my forehead against his.
“I wish we could have shared revels together,” I whispered. “You would have loved the wine. And the company.”
Jon made a noise in his throat. “Based on what you’ve told me about revels, I wouldn’t care for them.”
“Why?” I blurted, unable to mask the defensive edge to my voice.
His dark gaze devoured me. “If you think I’d want to share you, you’re dead wrong,chula.”
He punctuated this by hoisting me tighter to his front and lowering me onto my back, straddling me, arms caging me in as he leaned down to brush his lips to mine. I forgot to breathe for a few moments, silently delighted by his strength. Even here, he was considerably taller. I felt weightless to him.
The pressure of our friction should have ignited discomfort on my bruises after being throttled during the hunt. The spectral plane masked pain and made even the deepest scars fade. While we were able to explore each other’s unmarred bodies with wonder, the aches were always waiting for us when we opened our eyes in the physical world.
Giggling, I brushed the tip of my nose against his. “No onehasto share at a revel,” I said. “There are ways to signal that you’re not available for other partners that night.”
He looked unconvinced. “Like?”
“Special runes.”
His stare darted to my cheek, where a far different rune was etched—the one scar that I could not escape, even here. I dragged my finger over his bare chest, eager for a distraction, and left a cerulean glow in my touch’s wake. My face flushed as the symbol took form. This particular set of interwoven swirls signaled amuch deeper connection than the casual relationship Jon and I had tentatively agreed upon.
Don’t get too attached.
We had promised each other—but he couldn’t tell one Fae rune from another.
After peeking down at the mark on his chest, his eyes slid slowly back up to mine and flooded with wicked shadows. “You want me to mark you?” he asked.
The words alone set me aflame.Fucking stars—even foreverwasn’t long enough when Jon said things likethat.He lowered himself to brush his lips against the side of my neck.
“I’m short on magical runes,” he said, breath tickling my pulse. “I’ll have to mark you my own way. Would you like that?”
Something between a whimper and a laugh escaped me at the thought of being branded by Jon.Yes, yes, yes, I thought, nodding breathlessly.A thousand times yes.
A rare, low chuckle spilled from him at my reaction. His thumb applied pressure over the spot his lips had occupied as though preparing me. When he leaned in again, his teeth teased my skin, digging harder and harder. I opened my senses, allowing myself to feel the delectable pinch.
There would be no visible sign of his passion when we awoke in the motel room, making me all the more determined to sink into the moment. This was the only time he allowed himself to be firm with me, to not treat me like something fragile that would shatter under the slightest pressure.
Jon pressed a final, softer kiss to the spot he marked and then pulled back to admire his work. My heart fluttered at the satisfaction on his face. In an instant, he dropped to leave a trail of kisses down my collarbone, between my breasts, and toward my navel. He paused suddenly, going rigid.
“Jon?”
His expression became shadowed as he raised himself slightly to look at my ribs—no doubt remembering the ugly bruises he’d glimpsed when I stripped down at the laundromat. He traced the area with chilling precision.
“Nothing hurts me in here,” I purred, pushing myself up on my elbows to kiss him. To my surprise, he jerked back, expression darkening. “Hey. What’s wrong?”
Jon searched my face for an unhurried moment before answering. “If we find another case on the way to Aelthorin,” he said slowly, “I’d like you to consider staying back from the hunt.”
My eyes widened before I could temper my expression. The fact that the request was made out of tenderness softened the blow only slightly.
