Page 42 of Falling Madly
He spoke so casually I could have almost been fooled. I might have thought he was in no danger of losing control, his body not calling for mine. But I’d heard his earlier words and picked up on the evidence. At least I thought so.
I felt bold, glowing from the adoration I saw in his eyes. I stepped so close my shirt brushed against his sweater and I placed my hands on the soft fabric, looking up at him. His chest felt hard underneath, harder than I had expected.
“Have you been working out?” I blurted. “You feel… I mean you look different.”
A sly smile spread across his face. I don’t know how he managed to look embarrassed and proud at the same time, but he did. “A wee bit. I won’t try the pole, though. In case they have that ‘you break it, you buy it’ policy.”
“Honestly, it feels a bit wobbly. Probably not meant for dancing.”
He closed his hands around my wrists, holding me in place. His voice was a rough whisper. “What are you doing, Teresa?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re pole dancing for me. And now you’re… touching me.”
I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip, trying to arrange the conflicting thoughts and emotions swirling in my mind. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Don’t do anything you’ll regret.” His voice sharpened to deliver a warning, but I felt brave and beautiful. I’d had an awful day, and my sister was right about one thing. A rebound with a sexy Scot was a very tempting idea. Even if it was a mistake.
I grasped at his shirt, feeling the solid muscle underneath. “Are you worried about our inter-species pairing? And elf and a human. What if the elders find out? Imagine the scandal!” I raised my brows for emphasis.
“Elf elders?” He watched me so intensely I nearly backed out.
My gut hot and churning, I doubled down on the joke. “Sure! Or your human peers. What if they find out you’ve had relations with an elf?”
“I’ll explain it was a pole-dancing elf. They’ll understand.”
“No! It’ll be a scandal. You’ll be shunned by the community. Someone once told me human beings are herd animals and we need to stay with the tribe. Otherwise, you’ll die in the wilderness.”
Trevor bit back a smile. “Then I’ll die happy, thinking it’s all been worth it. Besides, if we both get shunned, we can be together. I’ll build you a hut, hunt for buffalo and we’ll make beautiful half-elf babies.”
“Buffalo? Where is this taking place?” I asked as my hand crept up his chest, fingernails reaching his beard.
He leaned a little against my touch, lifting an eyebrow. “That’swhat you find unbelievable?”
“Yes. I draw the line at buffalos. I think you should hunt mountain lions and gather nuts and seeds and wild goose eggs.”
His voice was a low growl. “I’ll hunt whatever you tell me to hunt. And I’ll kill anyone who threatens your survival?—”
I rose onto my toes and pressed my lips against his, cutting off the prehistoric babble.
It wasn’t a big move, but it gave him permission. Trevor captured my face between his hands and kissed me back. Fire. That’s all I could think of. Wild and unruly. He held me like he’d captured diamonds in his hands he couldn’t lose. My body turned into hot jello, throbbing in desperate need. I was kissing Trevor. I’d started this. What was I doing?
I pulled away to catch my breath, so disoriented I wondered which way was up.
“I’m sorry,” he panted. “I?—”
“Don’t be.” I kissed him again, this time setting the pace.
He tasted minty and hot, and fresh. Nothing like before. He felt different, too. Reverent. Desperate. Gentle and a little rough all at once, and it took me a beat to truly relax into his touch. The kiss grew in intensity, and my tongue met his halfway, releasing a flurry of sensations down my spine. His hands were on my waist, jingling the bells as his thumbs rubbed my lower back, waking up every nerve ending.
He kissed along my cheek, all the way to my ear, his fingers diving into my curls, until he finally pulled me into a tight hug, drawing a deep inhale.
“Teresa,” he whispered, like a prayer. “Teresa.”
A part of me questioned that tight grip and the slight shift in the mood, but I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to push him away because that would have meant losing the feeling. Being aroused and safe. Loved. I’d momentarily outrun the disappointment and hurt. Maybe I could hide from it tonight, hide from all the confusing thoughts and questions. If I just stayed here and didn’t let the reality in.
Chapter Fourteen
