Page 54 of To Stir a Fae's Passion

Before Basil could reply, Isa spoke up.

“And I think we should stop for a good night’s sleep. In this inn.” She peered at Basil from underneath half-lowered lids, and, now he knew, he always spotted that one extra-long, white lash. “In a nice, comfortable bed.”

Her voice dropped to a sinfully low level on the last word, sparking an immediate response in him. He shifted to make room for his growing erection, and cleared his throat.

“Uh, yeah,” he said. “Sounds like a terrific idea. I’m tired. Exhausted, actually. Let’s spend the night here.”

As much as he craved connecting with his magic, when weighed against the look Isa sent his way just now, the insinuation in her tone? If she wanted to do what he thought she wanted to do… To hell with his powers. The oracle could wait.

Whatever had gotten into her after she saved him from that water fae, it had smashed to smithereens any reservations she had about giving in to her attraction. She’d been stealing kisses and touches from him ever since, and now this. Maybe it had something to do with paying her life debt to him? Who knew…perhaps there was some arcane rule about not hooking up with someone when you owed them a life debt?

Well, whatever the reason, he could explore it later—and he did plan to ask her about it—but first things first. He’d grab this chance with both hands and gorge himself on her. His mind already played a vivid selection of all the things he wanted to do to her, so he only half heard Calâr’s protest, his gaze still on the temptation of the fine female in front of him.

“…less than two hours away. You must be eager to claim your magic. Why wait when you can unleash your powers tonight?”

Oh, he planned on unleashing something tonight. Did he ever.

Isa must have read his look correctly, because she snickered. Snickered. His serious Isa of Stone, giggling like a schoolgirl. Over him.

He cleared his throat, and still his voice came out husky. “I want to be well rested when I tap my powers. We’ve been on the road all day, and we need to catch some sleep.” Not that he actually expected to get a lot of shut-eye…

He turned to meet Calâr’s irate look, and he made sure the other male understood he wouldn’t budge on this. “We rest here.”

“As you wish,” Calâr muttered, and stalked toward the inn.

Isa winked at Basil and followed the other fae toward the earth dwelling, which was charmingly reminiscent of a hobbit hole.

With most of his blood already happily rushing south, and his thoughts focused on one thing only, he waited for Isa to secure rooms—one for Calâr, one for Basil and her—and barely spared a glance at the bustle around him, or the kind of architecture he would have geeked out over at any other time.

They wished Calâr a good night, and then Basil followed Isa toward the second room.

“Basil?” she asked as she walked down the hall.

“Hm?”

“You’re prowling behind me like an unfed lion.”

“I am unfed.”

“Right.” She halted abruptly a few feet from the door, turned to him. “We haven’t had dinner. Do you want to—”

He snatched the key from her, grabbed her around the waist, dragged her to the door, unlocked it, and shoved her inside. He slammed the door shut again, turned the key, stripped her of her bow, quiver, and pack within seconds, and then pushed her back against the wood, his hands on her waist, his mouth hot and hungry on hers.

“Priorities,” he murmured against her mouth.

Isa gasped, caught her breath. “For once you do not want to eat? I can’t believe it.”

He kissed her jaw, trailed his lips down her throat, while he worked on the fastening of her pants. “Oh, I have every intention of eating.”

He jerked the front of her pants open, hooked his fingers in the waistband, and dragged them down past her hips. With a few quick moves, he took off his bow, sling backpack, and quiver, and dropped them all on the floor, before he went on his knees in front of her, devouring the erotic sight of the dark curls between her thighs. The scent of her arousal slammed into him this close to its source, and a desperate, hungry sound broke from his throat.

“In fact,” he said, running his hands up her muscled legs toward the vee of her core, “I plan to feast tonight.”

Isa shuddered, her breathing ragged, and her hips shifted toward him. And yet, when he went to kiss those curls glistening with her desire for him, she pushed him back with her hands on his shoulders.

He glanced up at her, one eyebrow raised.

“Maybe I should wash up first,” she said, her voice shaking.

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