Page 39 of Tiger's Quest
In a stilted voice, I said, “Heard that, did you?”
“Yes.” His face was tight, cautious. I suddenly realized that he thought I was going to chooseLi.
He ran a hand through his hair. “What would you like to tell me?”
“I’d like to tell you that I’ve made my choice.”
“I figured that.”
I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck, but he remained stiff and unyielding. I stood up on my tiptoes to get closer. He sighed, reached down to put his arms around me, and picked me up. He held my body snugly against his rock-solid chest while my feet hovered several inches in the air. I spoke softly in his ear, “I choose you.”
He froze . . . then drew his head back to look at my face, “So then, Li—”
“Is out of the picture.”
He flashed me a brilliant smile that lit up the dark night. “So then we—”
“Can be together.”
I pulled his head closer and kissed him softly. He broke away to study my face in surprise and then locked me tightly in his arms and kissed me back. His was no soft, sweet kiss. It was a hot, melty, smoldering one.
There are many different types of kisses. There’s a passionate kiss of farewell—like the kind Rhett gave Scarlett when he went off to war. The kiss of I-can’t-really-be-with-you-but-I-want-to-be—like with Superman and Lois Lane. There’s the first kiss—one that is gentle and hesitant, warm and vulnerable. Then there’s the kiss of possession—which was how Ren kissed me now.
It went beyond passion, beyond desire. His kiss was full of longing, need, and love, like all those other kisses. But, it was also filled with promises and pledges, some of which seemed sweet and tender while others seemed dangerous and exciting. Ren was taking me over. Staking a claim.
He seized me as boldly as a tiger captures his prey. There was no escape. And I didn’twantto. I would have happily died in his clutches. I was his, and he made sure I knew it. My heart burst with a thousand beautiful blooms, all tiger lilies. And I knew with a certainty more powerful than anything I’d ever felt before that we belonged together.
He finally lifted his head and murmured against my lips, “It’s about bloody time, woman.”
8
Jealousy
Ren kissed me again and slid an arm under my knees. He managed to carry me into the house and kick the door closed without ever taking his lips off mine. I’d finally gotten my Rhett Butler moment. He lowered himself into the recliner, snuggled me on his lap, grabbed my quilt, and tucked it around me.
He kissed me everywhere—my hair, my neck, my forehead, my cheeks . . . but always returned to my lips like they were the center of his universe. I sighed softly and basked in the barrage of Ren’s kisses— drowning kisses, soft kisses, sultry kisses, kisses that lasted a mere second, and kisses that lasted an eternity. It was easy to believe that my warrior-angel had captured me and had flown me up to heaven.
A deep rumble echoed in his chest.
I pulled back, laughing. “Are yougrowlingat me?”
He laughed softly, twisted my hair ribbon around his fingers, and pulled gently, loosening my braid. Biting my ear lightly, he whispered a threat, “Youhave been driving me crazy forthree weeks. You’reluckyall I’m doing is growling.”
He trailed slow kisses down my neck. “And does this mean you’ll be over here more often?”
He spoke, moving his lips against my throat, “Every minute of the day.”
“Oh. So . . . you weren’t just avoiding me then?”
He put his finger under my chin and turned my face to his. “I wouldneveravoid you on purpose, Kells.” He stroked the side of my neck and collarbone with his fingertips, distracting me.
“But you did.”
“That was regretfully necessary. I didn’t want to pressure you, so I stayed away, but I was always near. I could hear you.” He pressed his face into my cascading hair and sighed. “And smell your peaches-and-cream scent, which drove me absolutely crazy. But, I wouldn’t let myself see you unless you agreed to a date. When you started purposefully tempting me, I thought I’d go insane.”
“Ah-hah! So youweretempted.”
“Yours was the worst kind ofpralobhana, temptation. I would have had you for a moment, but then I would ultimately lose you. It was all I could do not to grab you and carry you off.”
