Page 95 of Swift Wings Shadowed Heart
“Hi,” I manage like an idiot.
A crooked smile graces his chiseled lips. He strides in my direction with confidence, moving like a predator onto his prey. When he reaches me, his strong hands wrap around my waist and pull me roughly against him. Without pause, he lowers his head and claims my mouth. His kiss is passionate and possessive. His tongue enters my mouth, and I’m lost in the feel of it. His breath is hot and rapid against mine. His scent, a heady mix of musk, wind, and leather oil fills my nose, overwhelming my senses. Our heavy breaths mingle together as our kiss grows more passionate. I respond in kind, my fingers exploring his chest. His strong arms wrap around me, pulling me closer, and our bodies mold perfectly together.
He pulls away abruptly, biting his lower lip. “Can’t get ahead of myself.”
That crooked smile returns as he takes my hand, interlacing our fingers. That rare dimple appears on his right cheek. He is so serious all the time, so it rarely has the opportunity to come to life—and I say come to life because the damn thing must be sentient. It’s too perfect and present not to be.
“Come with me.” He pulls me along toward the boulder, then guides me around it. On the other side, there is a cave, a soft glow emanating from its interior.
“Um,” I pull on his arm, refusing to follow him in. “Is this where I discover you’re one of those serial murderers the news sheets talk about?”
He frowns at me over his shoulder. “If that’s meant to be a joke, it’s not funny.”
“Sorry. My sense of humor seems to be off tonight.”
Letting go of my hand, he turns to face me, his solid frame silhouetted against the glow from the cave. Slowly, he walks backward into the tunnel.
“Are you coming?” he asks, his blue eyes roving the length of my body.
I roll my eyes and follow. “What is this place?”
“Only one of my favorite spots in the entire realm. I found it when I was first training.”
“Youfound it?”
He nods, still moving backward, one of his hands brushing the wall.
“Does anyone else know about it?”
“No.” He steps out of the narrow tunnel into an open area and gestures toward the ground. “I hope you’re hungry.”
I walk into a concave chamber about the size of my room. A blanket and furs are spread over the ground, topped with a bottle of wine, bread, cheese, sausage, and fruit. Two gas lamps hang from hooks on the wall. At first, I’m surprised, then a thought occurs to me, and I frown.
“You don’t like it,” he says.
“Are you sure no one else knows about this place?”
It takes him a moment to catch my meaning, then his eyebrows go up. “I assure you, Rhealyn. I’ve never brought anyone else here.”
I met Vaylen only a week ago. For all I know, he’s lying. He might be the Sky Order’s top rake, an expert at seducing every star-eyed Skyrider who finds it impossible to resist that dimple of his. But if he is that kind of man, wouldn’t that be preferable? Easier even? We could enjoy each other for one night, exhaust this desire simmering between us, then forget it ever happened.
Shrugging, I say, “I wouldn’t be mad if you had.”
His expression tightens, as if he doesn’t like my comment. I think he’s going to protest, but instead his features relax again, and he says, “Let’s eat.”
He sits on the blanket and pours wine into two small metal cups. I sit across from him and stretch my legs, so they rest on the naked ground. The wine is chilled and tastes wonderful.
“Very nice.” I moan, closing my eyes to enjoy the taste and decipher every note.
“Some of the benefits of being the High Prime.”
“I see.”
He prepares a plate with a bit of everything and hands it over. The food is delicious.
“What made you decide to become a rider?” he asks, before popping a grape in his mouth.
I think to offer him the nondescript answer I always use… that, as a child, I was obsessed with dragons and wanted one of my own. It’s a common enough response for most Academy students and gets people off my back. Instead, I find myself saying something entirely different.
