Page 9 of Consumed
Closing what little space remained between us, I wound my arms around him and pressed my lips to his.
3
Eoin made a small noise at the back of his throat—surprise, then pleasure.
The forest hummed in harmony, pulsing in time with my heart. The warmth of his lips cut through the autumn chill, making me feel as though the most brilliant light was glowing within me.
As my arms tightened around him, he deepened our kiss. His hands settled around my waist, drawing me firmly against him.
This wasright.
Mine, I thought.All mine.
But far too soon, he startled and let me go. Frowning, I tried to lean up for another kiss, only to have him grasp my shoulders to keep me at arm’s length.
“It’s—that’s—” Eoin sputtered. His voice was caught in a breathless register, his eyes wild. “We shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why?” I traced his knuckles, letting a soft smile curve my lips. “Didn’t you enjoy it?”
A flush was rising into his face, and the shock began to melt into confusion. His brown eyes skated over my expression in an attempt to read me. I wished hewouldfor a moment—I wished Eoin could see straight through my passive mask to the sweet agony burdened inside me.
“I’ve daydreamed about it,” he admitted, words choking out like a sinful confession. He released me and raked a hand through his damp hair. “For years. But I never imaginedactually—” He blinked hard, eyes beginning to go distant. “I don’t even know what you really are.”
“But you knowwhoI am,” I reminded him. “You’ve said it yourself.”
With my fingers soft against his cheek, I guided him gently downward.
“Come here,” I murmured.
He resisted for a moment, unsure of himself—unsure of me. But something in him yielded, allowing me to draw him down and cradle his head in my lap, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like we weren’t divided by everything we were.
For a moment, I allowed myself to believe it.
I threaded my fingers into his golden-brown hair, slow and steady. Eoin’s eyes fluttered, growing heavy. Those long lashes flickered gold in the early sunlight. I hummed a song for him—just for him. Something ancient, something quiet. His breathing slowed, his doubt unfurling like wind against water.
The weight of his body against mine was everything I craved. Couldn’t he feel it too? How we were something rare and wild and wonderful?
“No one else knows.” My voice was soft as silk. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”
Tension rippled through his shoulders. His words were a low rumble. “I don’t know what it means. Whatyoumean.”
I leaned over him, my pale hair falling like a veil between us and the forest. “Don’t let your humanity preclude you from simple pleasures,” I whispered with an impish smile.
Eoin must’ve sensed my smile—he cracked a small grin, too. A small, unconscious moan slipped from his throat as I worked my fingers through his hair.
Although the sun would soon signal the new day, his eyelids fell halfway, a languid sigh streaming through his parted lips—all thoughts of his duties rinsed from his mind. So relaxed. So at home.
Stay with me,I thought.You are happy here.
Stay, the forest echoed.Stay, stay.
It was the pulse of a heartbeat growing stronger. Vibrant flowers and fresh ferns bloomed through the grove.Stay. A home pulsing with life that would never fade, never die.Stay, stay.
“A niamh’s tear is a precious gift,” I murmured, leaning closer to him. “A pure gift. One that requires nothing in return.You can feel like this forever.”
For a moment, Eoin relaxed further as though he might fall asleep. But his eyes snapped open and widened. He sat up suddenly, gasping for breath. He gave me an odd, tense look before composing himself with visible care.
I remembered with a sinking heart that he was a man who had been told too many frightening myths about this place. Aboutme.
