Page 30 of Rebel Fae
He drew closer, water rippling around him. His eyes fell to my mouth, then my chest where my two of my buttons had gotten undone, revealing my breast bone.
Heat tingled across my body as if I’d never gotten into the lagoon to cool off.
“Tally,” he said in a low, confidential tone that no one else could hear. “You know I never meant to hurt you, don’t you?”
There was a certain intensity in his question that seemed to unhinge the anger I’d been feeling towards him since he betrayed me. Still, I pressed my lips together unsure of what to say.
“This game the Habermanns are playing isn’t fair on any of us. My little cousin, she’s special. If you knew her...” He stopped as if his emotions were getting the best of him.
I could tell he wanted me to see there had been no other choice. Of course, I understood. I had gone over this a million times, and, halfway through, I’d finally been able to put myself in his place. In the end, I could admit that, in his place, I would have done the same to save Arryn and the others.
For some reason, perhaps because of what Bael had said about Vaughn hurting me again, I couldn’t acknowledge it, though. I thought my silence might get the best of his pride and make him leave, but he drew closer still.
“Can you forgive me?” he asked, a hopeful, vehement expression on his face.
I glanced away from him.
“Answer me, Tally,” he insisted.
And here he was, taking advantage of my weakness, of the fact that I couldn’t lie. Yet, though I thought I might regret it, I answered him, “Yes, Vaughn, I forgive you.” I met his gaze again.
Slowly, a smile spread across his face. “Thank you.”
It was then that I noticed Becca’s squeals of excitement had stopped. I glanced up to find all four of our companions staring at us.
Gòrak!
Awkwardly, I turned away from Vaughn and trudged out of the lagoon, my uniform dripping and heavy with water. Feeling like a fool, I walked away without glancing back and headed into a thicket of trees. Once the foliage concealed me from view, I proceeded to remove my clothes, shaking my head at my stupidity. Cursing, I wrung my shirt as if it were my enemy or Vaughn’s neck. I was shaking it out, getting ready to put it back on when the vegetation behind me rustled. I whirled, ready for anything, except this: Vaughn.
His eyes devoured my almost naked body, the heat of desire burning in his eyes. Shocking me, he came at me without restraint, like a storm on a blind path. I barely had an instant to decide to let him crash into me.
His large hands seized me, one wrapping around my waist, the other clasping possessively to the back of my neck. He drew me into his solidity and kissed me, his hungry mouth meeting mine. His lips molded to mine for an instant, then moved, exploring new territory. He panted in short, shallow inhales as if he barely had time to bother with breathing, busy as he was kissing me and touching me.
I shouldn’t like it, but I did. Very much.
Forgetting all sense, my hands explored his firm torso, every ridge, every span of smooth skin. I returned his kiss as if we were the only two people on the island or even the realm. His breathing grew more ragged.
“Tally,” he said in a near growl as he walked me toward a patch of soft weeds. He laid me down gently, careful not to hurt my wings, then pressed his weight on top of me, finding that he fit perfectly between my legs.
“You drive me crazy,” he growled into my neck as he nibbled his way down to my collarbone, then to the edge of the strips of fabric that bound my breasts.
The passion and desire that flowed through me were like nothing else I’d ever felt. I pulled him closer, the tip of my tongue brushing his earlobe. He tasted of fresh water and sunshine. He let out a low moan that sent a shiver down the length of my body and made me realize that, with him, my will was lost.
In the distance, I heard someone call my name. It seemed irrelevant, and I wanted nothing more than to ignore whoever was interrupting us. It was Vaughn who finally regained his senses and pulled away, his pupils wide, his lips red and swollen.
“I think they’re calling us,” he breathed out.
Reluctantly, we pulled apart from each other, and Vaughn kissed me gently, before slipping away, leaving me with a limp uniform and an unfulfilled craving.
I guess it was clear. There was no keeping away from Vaughn Collins no matter how hard I tried.
Chapter Twelve
The patch of the jungle—whichRonnie finally led us to after half a day’s long walk—was as dark and foreboding as we could have imagined.
We stood together at the sealed entrance of the cave, a solid, gray slab of rock blocking it. Our nerves were knotted, and our eyes darted around the trees, waiting for an attack. The jungle was growing dark as twilight settled over the island and, with the dense branches overhead, darkness had quickly surrounded us. My eyes kept sweeping the green foliage, the vines and tree trunks, watching, expecting the worst.
Would the beast attack the minute the sun went down? Or did it only stalk its prey near the huts? We hadn’t seen or heard anything all day, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t attack us at any second.
