Page 48 of Heir Of Sun And Moon
I shrug, leaning back and placing my hands behind me. “I used to think I’d never read all the books in here before I died. But reading is often the only thing that distracts me for a long time, and it’s all I really have to do besides cleaning and exercising.” I don’t mean to babble, but my nervousness at having him here in this space outweighs my logic. “Anyway, do you like to read?”
He nods, hands clasped behind him as he browses the different titles. “I do. The library back home is massive and one of my favorite places to be when I’m able to get back there to visit.”
“When was the last time you went home?”
He picks a book off the shelf, a small smile curving his lips as he flips through the pages. “About a year ago.”
My eyes widen at the admission. That is such a long time to go without seeing family. “What made you decide to join the King’s Guard?”
“This should count as part of our question game since I already owe you three,” he says, still holding onto the book and coming to take a seat next to me. I bump his shoulder with mine, a movement he chuckles at before leaning back to mirror my position. “I love my family and would do anything for them. Joining the King’s Guard was something I did for them, to help.” His head leans back to look at the ceiling as he takes a deep breath, the longer top strands of his dark hair shifting with the movement.
I can’t help but trace his face with my eyes, moving down to the strong column of his throat and then to his chest. My fingers grip the fabric of the bench as my heart pounds a little faster. He peers at me from the corner of his eye, making me stop my visual assault and instead reach for the book he chose. I flip it over and groan when I read the title.
“Are you kidding me?” I deadpan, letting it dangle from my hand like I find it offensive.
“What?” he questions, sitting up and running a hand through his hair to move the strands back in place.
What is it about his hair that I can’t ignore? What a weird thing to constantly notice.“This book. It’s one Bella picked out for me to read once. Then she promptly fell asleep from how boring it was.” I turn to the first page ofThe History Of The Five Realmsand snort again, the memory of Bella snoring away while I read playing in my mind.
“One, how did Bella pick a book out? Two, are you not a fan of history tomes?” His decadent laugh coaxes warm feelings from inside me as he takes the book back and lays it on his lap.
“She sort of tapped it with her nose,” I reply, smiling at the memory. “And I’m more of a romance reader.” Reaching back farther on the bench, I grab my current romance read before handing it to him.
“Three Roses In the Wind,” he reads out slowly, before giving me a skeptical look.
“What? I get lonely up here and these books make me feel less so. I enjoy reading about how lovers meet and what they do together and—” Flynn starts coughing, a fist coming to his mouth as he turns away from me. “Are you okay?” I ask, leaning forward slightly to see him. When he regains his composure, he looks at me with that heated sort of gaze he had from the other night. The type of gaze I have definitely read about in a romance book. It makes my toes curl.
“Yep. Yes, I’m fine. Tell me more about these books.”
My eyes narrow as I watch him smile a little too innocently at me. I yank the book from his hand—his laughter filling the library—and grab the book Tienne and Erica gave me instead. “I’ve also been reading this one, and while it does have a little romance in it, it’s mostly quests and battles.” He hesitates for a moment before taking the book from me and tracing the lettering on the cover. I recognize it as an intimate touch I’ve always done with certain books that are my favorite.
“Do you like this one?” he asks quietly, looking over at me. His tone stirs something within me, like it’s telling me this book might be important to him—meaningful in a way I don’t quite understand.
“I do,” I answer, leaning in a little closer. “Have you read it?”
He nods before opening up to the page I have bookmarked, smiling when he sees where I’m at in the story. “Would you want to read the rest together?” he offers.
The look he’s giving me and the tension surrounding us combines inside me, creating feelings I don’t know how to name or even what to do with. I don’t know why that question catches me so off guard either. I’ve never shared a book with anyone before, and it feels far more personal than I think it should. But reading is everything to me—it’s entertainment and escape and freedom through others’ stories. And sharing that with Flynn makes those butterflies reappear in my stomach. My magic warms and hums inside me, the feeling of it tingling down into my fingers and toes. I nod my head and scoot back on the bench until my back is leaning against the stone wall lining it. Flynn kicks off his boots and does the same on the other side.
Our eyes meet, time standing still for a moment as we study each other. I wish I could ask him why he looks at me as if I’m the reason the flowers bloom. My knees draw into my chest and my cheek rests on top as I listen to him start to read, the energy between us comfortable—sweet even. His voice is soothing, and I swear I feel it soften some of the jagged pieces that lay shattered within me. Another layer of that heavy, oppressive ice melts away inside me.
Flynn leaves a few hours later. We finished the book quickly, taking turns reading chapters and talking over our favorite moments and characters. It might have been the most fun I’ve ever had, and I find it unbelievable that it happened within the confines of the tower.
When I asked Flynn how he is able to come in and out of the tower without anyone noticing, he told me that, apparently, there is a door at the very bottom that opens out to the meadows below. He said that he can walk under the bridge undetected and right to that door. He also said there is a pathway that leads from the bridge to the front of the castle and from there to a road that leads to the city of Vitour. It’s a valuable piece of information, and I tuck it away in my mind, even if guilt flickers there for doing so.
The last thing Flynn said before leaving was that he had a surprise for me tomorrow night.
Candles line the tower floor, the flickering shadows of the flames on the stone walls sensuous in their motions. I’m standing in the middle of the living area when movement on the balcony catches my eye. I head towards the open doors, the night sky above filled with sparkling stars. The moon is completely full, its glow bathing the tall figure and causing his dark hair to shimmer in its silver light.
Flynn.
He turns around when I step out onto the balcony and leans back, his elbows resting on the railing as his eyes drag slowly down my body. I’m still for only a moment, letting his gaze paint over me in provocative strokes. My body then moves before I consciously command it to, my bare feet near silent as I step closer and closer. Flynn’s eyes burn like smoldering coals as our breaths fall in sync. He watches me with a hunger that tightens his body and makes my own become more loose. I want him. I want him so badly my mouth practically waters.
He stands up to his full height but keeps his hands gripped on the balcony railing. His black clothing and tan skin stand out against the white stone at his back; his fingers holding it so tightly I wonder if he’s trying to restrain himself. My hands come to his shoulders before I slide them down slowly over his chest, my fingers gripping his tunic there as I tilt my head up to look at him. He moves his chin down, his eyes only leaving mine to linger on my mouth. I lean fully into him, molding into each divot and plane perfectly. It is a fitting of two bodies in a way that feels like fate—like it was always meant to be. Rising onto my tiptoes, I hold him for balance and bring my face as close to his as possible.
Our breath becomes mingled, our noses barely touching, but he keeps his grip onto the railing. I’m done waiting, though, so I drag a hand up to his neck, fingertips gently pushing into his muscles, until I wrap them around the back of it. Feeling the tickle of his hair there, I curl my fingers, nails digging into his skin lightly. And I’m not sure who moves first, but our lips crash together in a sea of lushness and desire. He groans, the sound deep and intoxicating, as it unravels me from within. Our tongues meet, the feel of them sliding against each other heightening my arousal as I grow more slick between my legs, my body aflame with a yearning I’ve never felt before.
Finally, his hands leave the railing to come to my sides, yanking me even closer to him. They slide down my body slowly as we kiss, his taste and scent sending me into a frenzy as I grip onto him harder. When his own fingers graze the curve of my backside, I whimper, but Flynn doesn’t stop. He grips the flesh there as his mouth leaves mine to place desperate kisses down my jaw and neck. It feels like he is everywhere and still, I need more. I let go of his tunic and slide my hand down his chest, down his firm abdomen, past the waistband of his trousers, stopping when I reach the outline of his—
