Page 47 of Vex
"Have you tried talking to her?" his brother asked, voice on the edge of sarcasm.
"All we do is talk!"
"Have you tried talking to her about sex?" Zane's expression was perfectly serious now, no trace of his earlier teasing. "Have you had sex with her?"
"Yes," Vex ground out through gritted teeth.
"And you can't do it again because …"
Because the last time they'd fucked it had been to distract him from asking about her past.
The memory was a double-edged blade, cutting him with pleasure and pain in equal measure. Her mouth on his, her body welcoming him home, the way she'd whispered his name like a prayer. But underneath it all was the knowledge that she'd used their connection as a weapon, wielding her body to deflect questions she couldn't answer.
"If I met my mate, brother, I wouldn't let something as stupid as a lack of communication tear us apart. So, as surprising as this might sound, I think you need to go and talk to her. Or did you want to sit here and gossip all day?"
Vex glared and got up.
His chair scraped against the granite as he pushed back from the table. The sun was already starting to sink toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades that reminded him of Luisa's eyes when she was angry. He'd wasted enough time.
Little brothers were useless.
24
Luisa was acting rashly.
Not the first time.
But the stakes had never felt so high.
The past week at Vex's estate had been beautiful torture. Every morning brought shared breakfasts where his fingers would brush hers as he passed the fruit preserves, sending electricity up her arm.
Every afternoon meant long walks through his gardens where he'd take her hand to help her over uneven stone paths, his palm warm and calloused against her skin. Every evening ended with conversations that stretched deep into the night, sitting close enough on the library sofa that she could smell the smoke that always clung to his skin.
They'd talked about everything and nothing—her childhood in the undercity, his responsibilities as a lord, the strange customs of different worlds they'd both visited. He listened to her stories without judgment, shared pieces of his own past that she suspected few people ever heard.
One night, they'd stayed up until sunrise. She'd curled against his side while he told her about learning to fly, and she'd felt more at home than she had anywhere in her life.
Despite all that the easy intimacy of their conversations, despite the way his eyes followed her every movement with barely contained hunger, he maintained a careful physical distance that was driving her slowly insane.
He looked at her like he was dying inside.
But he hadn't kissed her.
He hadn't done more than hold her hand.
She was about to explode with want.
The constant arousal was becoming a serious problem. She'd catch herself staring at his mouth when he spoke, remembering exactly how those lips had felt against her skin. The memory of his hands on her body haunted her dreams, leaving her to wake each morning aching and frustrated.
She was a big girl, and it was time to do something about that. Clearly, one of them had to be brave.
It felt a tiny bit unfair that as the human she had to be brave. He turned into a giant, fire breathing beast and could lob balls of flame at people without effort.
Which was maybe why he couldn't take the leap.
Dragons didn't have to be brave.
But humans who'd survived the undercity of Aetis? They knew how to take risks when the potential payoff was worth it. And Vex was worth every risk she could imagine taking.
