Page 71 of Sophie's Ruin
I heaved a heavy sigh. He was right. We had to take the risk and hope that the meeting tonight would go differently, and we needed to do anything in our power to help ensure that. Tonight felt a lot like the night from a few weeks ago, but it also felt different. The pressure on my chest was not as tight and constricting as it had been then. The feeling inside was more of unease than foreboding. Perhaps the threads were telling me that everything would be okay.
“I think you’re right,” I told Henry, setting my own leathers aside.
Just my teal dress and leggings then,I thought, stepping closer to the vanity.
While I brushed my hair, Henry put away our fighting gear in the tall dresser behind me.
When he turned around and faced the vanity, I let my gaze roam over his reflection. Dressed in a plain white shirt and black breeches, he looked like he had on the night of the Selection. Even his hair looked like it had then, swept back to reveal his masculine features. I had the urge to run my fingers through the glossy mane to dishevel it, and one side of my mouth ticked up at the thought.
“What is it?” Henry asked, coming to stand directly behind me. When he wrapped his arms around my waist, I relaxed into his hold, reveling in the feel of his strong body against mine.
“You look so well put-together,” I told him, setting the brush on the vanity. “I can’t decide if I like this look more, or the unruly, wild one you wear sometimes.”
Henry smirked but didn’t say anything as I let my head fall back against his chest. We stood in silence for a few seconds, simply enjoying the moment of quiet peace.
“I think I love all your looks,” I said, turning around to face him. I slid my hands up his powerful body and wrapped them around his neck. “I love you,” I told him, staring into his eyes. I made sure to tell him every day now.
“I don’t think I will ever tire of hearing you say it,” he murmured, as the black from his pupils began bleeding into the deep blue of his irises.
“I’ll never get tired of saying it,” I assured him with a soft smile.
Stark lust sharpened his features a moment before he brought his lips to mine. There was a hunger to the kiss that hadn’t been there earlier, and I opened up for him, wondering if we had time to go again before the clans arrived. Henry was determined to make time, it seemed, because he lifted me off the floor and sat me on the edge of the vanity, parting my thighs to step between them. I wrapped my legs around his hips, and we both gasped as our bodies aligned. He ground into me, eliciting a breathy moan as tension began building inside me. His hands dove under my dress while mine went to his breeches. He yanked my leggings and undergarments down, and I almost freed him from his pants…when a knock sounded. We both froze, and Henry broke the kiss.
“The clans will be here any minute,” came Isabelle’s voice, causing Henry to growl in frustration. Isabelle huffed out a laugh on the other side of the door. “You’ll have to finish what you started later. You’ll be fine. You two have an eternity together, after all.”
We’d told Isabelle days ago about our plan to get married, and she hadn’t been surprised. Her big brown eyes had locked on me when we’d announced the news.
I told you his feelings for you wouldn’t change,the look had conveyed.
“We’ll be right there!” Henry snapped, and I stifled a laugh. Usually, he was the voice of reason, but it seemed right now his desire for me was stronger than his sense of duty.
“She’s right, you know,” I said, as I unwrapped my legs from around his hips. “If everything goes well tonight, we’ll have an eternity together.”
“It won’t be long enough,” he said with a heavy sigh.
A short laugh did burst out of me then.
“No?” I teased, arching a brow.
“No,” he assured me, his expression serious. “Because when it comes to you, I’m ravenous. I will never get enough of you.”
My heart sped up in my chest at his words. He was right—an eternity would not be enough, because when it came to him, I was insatiable. The more I got of him, the more I craved him.
“Ready?” he asked, seemingly having regained his composure.
When I nodded, he lowered me from the vanity and helped me pull up my leggings. While I rightened my dress, he straightened his breeches.
“I’m glad you got it back,” he said, and I found him watching me, his gaze fastened on the Tear pulsing on my chest.
I’d gotten the amulet back from Amelie the other night after my training session with Celeste. I still felt unworthy of wearing it, but Henry had insisted the Tear belonged with me.
“I wanted to wear it tonight to remind the clans I still had the means to destroy them,” I said, more to myself than to him.
“Great idea, though I doubt they need a reminder. I think everyone is acutely aware of what a powerful witch you are,” Henry pointed out.
Good,I thought,I want them to fear me.I planned never to use my magic to hurt anyone ever again, but the clans didn’t need to know that. I wanted them to believe that if I ever feltthreatened again, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill them in the most gruesome way possible.
Lifting his hand to my chest, Henry tucked the locket holding the portrait of my mother under the collar of my dress and righted the Tear atop it. When he was done, I turned away from him and quickly smoothed out my unbound hair before giving my reflection a nod of encouragement.
