Page 36 of Vicious Little Vows
“What the hells happened?” My eyes drifted to the silver carafe on the side table—the source of the coveted coffee scent.
Crispin roused himself enough to fill a porcelain teacup with coffee, though it seemed to take some effort as he leaned forward to hand it to me. “I apologize. I should have seen this coming. It’s been too long since I handled such a powerful wave of magic,and you’veneverheld that amount. In the end, we both released too much.”
The teacup was painted with delicate yellow roses. I held the coffee under my nose, savoring the aroma to make the first sip that much more enjoyable. But it was morning. It shouldn’t be morning already. “Is that why I feel like I’ve been galloped over by a herd of horses?”
“Yes. We all have a measure of innate magic. When we expend it, it’s taxing. It will take a little while to recover.”
Crispin had been teaching me a bit of magic theory here and there, but this new tidbit gave me a horrible thought. “Is this what it feels like when highly magical creatures stay too long outside the boundaries?” The boundaries had been created to contain the individual magic of each realm. The more magical creatures rarely went out into the city, because eventually, they would fade.
Crispin lifted a second cup I hadn’t noticed before and held it just below his lips. “It’s much more subtle, but yes. Those with enough human blood can subsist on the limited magic of this realm, outside the boundaries. The werewolves won’t wane in power because they belong here. But the rest of us, those with no human blood, would fade without the boundaries.”
My brows knit together. “Even you?”
He nodded. “Eventually. It wouldn’t kill me, not for a long while, but over the years I would grow weaker until my body finally shut down.”
I shivered, hating that it worked that way. They all should have been able to return to their realms, but my mother had left them trapped. I knew the shadow creatures were dangerous, but it seemed too high a price to pay just to keep them trapped.
Crispin set aside his coffee, then moved to sit on the edge of the bed, facing me. He took my hand. “I should have prepared you better for the test.”
Just the faintest tickle of moonlit magic seeped into my hand where it touched Crispin’s. He really was just as drained as me. “It’s not your fault. We’ve tested it with four of us. Who knew five would make such a difference?”
His thumb traced small circles on the back of my hand. “I should have known. I’m always far too reckless where magic is concerned.”
“I like you how you are.” And it was true. Maybe he got us into trouble here and there, but it wasn’t just magical situations where he dove in headfirst. He did the same for friends in need. He did the same forme.
“Well then you are the only one.”
“That’s not true,” I argued. “Let those stodgy royals like Rian think what they want. They don’t know you.”
He laughed, his shoulders relaxing. “Yes, his interest was quite troubling. I worry that King Francis may be unintentionally facilitating a revolt.”
“If we can get the elves back to their realm, they’ll forgive him.”
He lifted my hand to his lips, placing a light kiss on my knuckles. “One step at a time, dear Eva.”
His lips on my skin brought a stronger tickle of magic, and with as drained as I was, it felt like a sip of water after wandering the desert for two days.
Crispin’s expression shifted, and before I could form a rational thought, he leaned forward and kissed me. The magic was still weak, but it was there, and his warm lips on mine made my heart beat more steadily. He tasted like coffee and springtime.
When I didn’t pull away he slid closer, his hands on my lower back gently coaxing me to sit up for him. More magic pulsed within me, but it was slow and gentle. I realized I was still in mysilk dress, and the back was cut low enough that his deft fingers trailed across my bare skin.
I lifted my hand to the nape of his neck, arching my back and pulling him more firmly against me. He took it as his invitation to deepen the kiss, his tongue exploring. We had kissed before, but not like this.
I squinted my eyes against the light. Not sunlight this time, but moonlight. And it was coming from me. Crispin kissed my neck, his soft hair sliding across my cheek. He smelled like freshly cut greenery, and like clean flowing water soaking into the earth.
I had assumed from the start that he’d only ever kissed me to test what would happen. That he only viewed me as a friend. But now I could feel his desire. No, not just desire.Yearning. He’d watched me wanting each of the other guys, but not him.
Maybe he could tell that I was sensing his emotions—Sebastian always seemed able to tell—but he didn’t pull away. In fact, he kissed me hungrily, tugging a low moan from my throat.
When his hand skimmed along my side ending with his thumb just below my breast, I knew I should push him away. I knew I already had far too much on my plate, and my life was unbelievably complicated.
But I couldn’t deny that kissing Crispin feltright. Maybe it was just my magic that wanted him, but wasn’t it part of me too?
His hand lightly moved across my breast, just the silk and my thin bra between us. My nipple hardened, and I arched against him more urgently. I was feeling better, more like myself, but at the same time, I felt like a complete stranger to the woman I’d been just a few months ago.
I wrapped my legs around Crispin’s hips, bunching up my dress, feeling him hard against me. This wasn’t just testing another magical theory, and I knew I should stop, but I didn’twantto, and neither did my magic.
I broke our kiss to lick a line up his neck, and even after our long night, he tasted just as good as he smelled.
