Read Online A Soul For Chaos (The Soulbearer Trilogy) by Crista McHugh - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Crista McHugh
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more frantic than her own, filled her ears. The scent of bay leaf still clung to Kell’s clothes, even this far from home. And though his arms held her as if she weighed nothing, Kell’s hand trembled against her ribs.
He carried her into her room and sat her down in her chair. His face remained drawn and pale as he removed her shoes and stockings, his lungs bellowing as hard as hers. “Thank the Lady Moon you’re alive,” he repeated, pausing to add in a quiet voice, “I don’t think I’ve ever been that terrified in all my life.”
She brushed a lock of hair back from his forehead, trailing her fingers along his face until she could lift his chin. The same emotion she’d glimpsed in Dev played out more fully on his face. She shivered from the intensity of it.
He wrapped his hand around hers. “You’re freezing. We need to get you out of those wet clothes.”
She laughed. “Same old Kell. Always trying to get me naked.”
“I’m serious, Arden. This is no laughing matter.” He caught her face in his hands. “I love you, and I almost lost you just now.”
Her breath could only come in short, sharp bursts. “What did you say?”
“I said I love you.” He then kissed her as though his lips could do a better job of conveying his feelings than his words.
But the words echoed through her mind. He loved her. No one had told her that since her mother died. A glow filled her, melting away her icy fear. She began kissing him back, savoring the touch of someone who cared about her and wasn’t afraid to show it.
The heat of his hands penetrated her wet clothes, reminding her of his intent to remove them. But even if she sloughed off the damp garments, she’d still be left cold. She wanted to feel those hands all over her body, warming her, teasing her, bringing her pleasure. She wanted to know the sensation of his bare skin against hers.
Still kissing him, she dug her fingers into his fine linen shirt and yanked hard enough to tear it. He broke off the kiss long enough for her to pull it over his head. Wariness filled his hazel eyes. “Arden, what are you—?”
She silenced him with another kiss, pushing him back onto the bed while she fumbled with the laces of her bodice. She needed to act now before she lost her courage.
Kell pried her fingers away from them. “Wait.”
Her throat tightened, and doubt replaced her hunger. Had he changed his mind about her?
And yet, desire still heated his gaze as he asked, “Are you certain?”
When Loku accused her of being afraid to live, she realized how much her fear had been holding her back, how much her mother’s memory kept her from discovering her own path. If she told Kell no now, would she ever have another chance to know what it felt like to be loved?
She pressed her hand against the wall, releasing a trickle of magic. The door slammed behind her, and the walls flashed blue from the ward she’d cast. No more interruptions. No more distractions. She wanted time to be alone with Kell and learn what it meant to be his lover.
“Yes.”
A grin split his face, and his arms tightened around her. Then he kissed her so thoroughly, she didn’t even notice that he’d already unfastened her dress and pushed the neckline down far enough to cup her breasts in his hands.
She waited for that nagging voice to tell her to stop, to caution her about the dangers of losing herself like this and the possible consequences, but it never came. Instead, her body hummed in pleasure as her dress fell into a heap in the corner and Kell lowered her head onto the pillow.
***
Dev stared at the closed door from across the cabin, part of him dying with each moan of pleasure he heard. Loku’s warning had come true. He’d pushed her away for too long, and now he’d lost her to Kell.
He closed his eyes and replayed every moment he’d spent with her since they’d met, wondering where he could have done things differently. No matter what he told himself, it always came
He carried her into her room and sat her down in her chair. His face remained drawn and pale as he removed her shoes and stockings, his lungs bellowing as hard as hers. “Thank the Lady Moon you’re alive,” he repeated, pausing to add in a quiet voice, “I don’t think I’ve ever been that terrified in all my life.”
She brushed a lock of hair back from his forehead, trailing her fingers along his face until she could lift his chin. The same emotion she’d glimpsed in Dev played out more fully on his face. She shivered from the intensity of it.
He wrapped his hand around hers. “You’re freezing. We need to get you out of those wet clothes.”
She laughed. “Same old Kell. Always trying to get me naked.”
“I’m serious, Arden. This is no laughing matter.” He caught her face in his hands. “I love you, and I almost lost you just now.”
Her breath could only come in short, sharp bursts. “What did you say?”
“I said I love you.” He then kissed her as though his lips could do a better job of conveying his feelings than his words.
But the words echoed through her mind. He loved her. No one had told her that since her mother died. A glow filled her, melting away her icy fear. She began kissing him back, savoring the touch of someone who cared about her and wasn’t afraid to show it.
The heat of his hands penetrated her wet clothes, reminding her of his intent to remove them. But even if she sloughed off the damp garments, she’d still be left cold. She wanted to feel those hands all over her body, warming her, teasing her, bringing her pleasure. She wanted to know the sensation of his bare skin against hers.
Still kissing him, she dug her fingers into his fine linen shirt and yanked hard enough to tear it. He broke off the kiss long enough for her to pull it over his head. Wariness filled his hazel eyes. “Arden, what are you—?”
She silenced him with another kiss, pushing him back onto the bed while she fumbled with the laces of her bodice. She needed to act now before she lost her courage.
Kell pried her fingers away from them. “Wait.”
Her throat tightened, and doubt replaced her hunger. Had he changed his mind about her?
And yet, desire still heated his gaze as he asked, “Are you certain?”
When Loku accused her of being afraid to live, she realized how much her fear had been holding her back, how much her mother’s memory kept her from discovering her own path. If she told Kell no now, would she ever have another chance to know what it felt like to be loved?
She pressed her hand against the wall, releasing a trickle of magic. The door slammed behind her, and the walls flashed blue from the ward she’d cast. No more interruptions. No more distractions. She wanted time to be alone with Kell and learn what it meant to be his lover.
“Yes.”
A grin split his face, and his arms tightened around her. Then he kissed her so thoroughly, she didn’t even notice that he’d already unfastened her dress and pushed the neckline down far enough to cup her breasts in his hands.
She waited for that nagging voice to tell her to stop, to caution her about the dangers of losing herself like this and the possible consequences, but it never came. Instead, her body hummed in pleasure as her dress fell into a heap in the corner and Kell lowered her head onto the pillow.
***
Dev stared at the closed door from across the cabin, part of him dying with each moan of pleasure he heard. Loku’s warning had come true. He’d pushed her away for too long, and now he’d lost her to Kell.
He closed his eyes and replayed every moment he’d spent with her since they’d met, wondering where he could have done things differently. No matter what he told himself, it always came
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