Page 33 of The Barbaric Fae's Soul

He chuckled. “After I rest.”

We reached his tent, and he maintained his hold on my hand as he opened the flap, letting us both inside. It had only been a few days since we’d been in there together, but it looked and felt so different since the last time.

His bed was in the opposite corner from the place he had been kneeling when I walked in on him that night. And though both of us glanced at that wooden chest with the morphed lid, neither of us commented on it as we walked toward the bed.

Aev released my hand when we reached the mattress. “You’ll stay close?”

“I will.”

He sat down on the edge of the mattress, and his gaze went back to that corner.

My face warmed as the memories flashed before my eyes. Good memories, this time.

No one had ever made me feel like that before. That sexy, or powerful.

“Should you ever want a repeat of that night,” Aev said in a low voice, “The answer is always yes. Any time. Any place. You say the word or touch me, and I can guarantee I’ll be ready in a heartbeat. Maybe sooner.”

A soft laugh escaped me. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

He slid under the blanket on the mattress. “My bed is available, too.”

“Is it?” My voice was soft and playful.

“Always.”

My lips curved upward as he slid beneath the blankets, tugging them over his thighs as he rolled to his stomach. His eyes shut, and it occurred to me how strange this moment was.

We were just friends, and yet, the sexiest moments of my life had been spent in this tent, with the stunning fae in front of me who was lying on his stomach like a normal person.

The stunning fae who I trusted more than I’d trusted any other man in… well, maybe my entire life.

Nev and I were friends, but he was kind of sneaky. And as he proved when he mated with Fovea, he had plans that didn’t include me. It was hard to trust someone like that. And even though I knew none of the other Wild Hunt guys would hurt me, I wasn’t under any kind of impression that I could sit next to them and tell them about my past without being judged.

I knew that most fae men would probably be freaked out by my panic attack in the forest the day before. And maybe Aev was freaked out too—but I didn’t think he was.

“You’re staring at me,” he said quietly, a few minutes later.

“I’m just thinking,” I whispered back.

“Loudly.”

I smiled. “I’ll work on it.”

His lips curved upward. “You don’t need to. Think as loudly as you want.”

I lifted my gaze off his figure anyway, as my thoughts continued to spin.

Aev’s breathing grew even as he fell asleep, and… well, I was a little tired of standing. There were cushions on the other side of the room, but I’d feel awkward sitting on the cushions.

And I was still tired.

Maybe I could get a little more sleep.

Hehadoffered me half of the bed.

So I slowly slipped under the blankets, carefully remaining on my side of the mattress. Our bodies didn’t touch, but sharing the space still felt intimate.

Even though I’d just slept for a bit, I closed my eyes, and somehow managed to fall asleep again.

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