arms wrap around the back of his neck as I rest my cheek against his chest. Not saying a word, he carries me through the house and upstairs to a room on the opposite wing from Brownie ’s and Bun s ’s rooms. Placing me beside the crackling fire , Reed enters the bathroom, returning with a huge towel. After w rapping it around me, he pulls me against him, holding me to his chest.
I let the towel fall from my shoulders to puddle at my feet. Pulling back from Reed, I gaze into his dark green eyes, seeing raw emotion in them. He knows that I’m in pain and my pain causes him pain. In a fraction of a second, it has become simple again. When I’m with Reed, it all fits. What I want is right in front of me. All I have to do is reach out and take it.
Slowly, I reach my hand out to him, resting my fingertips against his damp t-shirt. Trailin g them down to the hem, I curl my fingers around it. Instantly, his wings sho o t from his back, tearing through his shirt and leaving it shredded in my grasp. I let his shirt fal l from my hand s . My fingers go to the bottom button of my blouse, toying with it as I watch Reed’s eyes zero in . His eyes grow darker as I pull the button through the eyelet, exposing my navel.
Heat from the fire touches my skin as my fingers work the next button , pushing it through the eyelet to expose more of my abdomen. Watching his respi ration increase, I feel a flush of warmth dance over my skin. Reed reaches out , but I step back teasingly, not allowing h im to touch me. Slowly, he moves forward a step, begin ning to s talk me while I take another step back, working on the next button and pushing it through the eyelet, expo sing my ribcage and just the rounded edge of my lacy bra .
As m y knees bac k up to the bed, a smile forms on my lips, knowing Reed is steering me in the direction he wants me to go. Sitting on the bed, I fall back onto it , letting my arms stre tch out . The mattress moves as Reed places his hands on the bed . Leaning down, his lips touch my skin near my naval, making my muscles contract as his face tickles me. If I could see my heart, I’m sure that it would be glowing at this moment.
Reed trails kisses up ward over my abdomen, traversing the linen of my blouse to return to the skin at the column of my neck. Putting my hand on his cheek, I touch the other to his hair, teasing a wet curl by his temple. Gazing into his eyes, I w hisper , “All I want is you.”
“E vie,” my name is barely audible as he touches his lips to mine. His fingers finish opening the buttons of my blouse. The fabric slips from my arms, exposing my bare shoulders. Reed trails kisses over the curve of my shoulder to the hollow of my throat, causi ng his name to slip from me . No more words a re spoken b etween us, but we mak e promise s to each other that words can’t communicate.
**
As I lie in Reed’ s arms, m y fingertip skim s ove r the healing track s of claw mark s etched in his chest. “I want you to sto p fighting with Russell,” I say, before placing my lips tenderly to the scratch.
Lifting m y fingers to his lips, he kisses them before saying, “No.”
I search his eyes, “Why not?”
“I will handle it,” he replies softly.
I frown, “This is between Russell and me. I had a conversation with him tonight. I asked him to stop fighting you for me because I’ve already chosen you.”
“You think that will work ?” he asks , looking in to my eyes.
Biting my lip, I lower my gaze from his. “Maybe…but, you don’t have to worry about it beca use I’ ll handle it,” I reply .
“Love, ” Reed sighs. “Y ou are a frustrating creature.” He frowns .
“What?” I ask , startled by his comment.
“It’ s my right to fight him for you. Don’ t interfere,” he replies , pulling me closer to him.
“Explain,” I demand .
“He has to go through me to get to you. Since we are bound to each other, he can only court you i f I' m defeated by him,” he says .
“Defeated
I let the towel fall from my shoulders to puddle at my feet. Pulling back from Reed, I gaze into his dark green eyes, seeing raw emotion in them. He knows that I’m in pain and my pain causes him pain. In a fraction of a second, it has become simple again. When I’m with Reed, it all fits. What I want is right in front of me. All I have to do is reach out and take it.
Slowly, I reach my hand out to him, resting my fingertips against his damp t-shirt. Trailin g them down to the hem, I curl my fingers around it. Instantly, his wings sho o t from his back, tearing through his shirt and leaving it shredded in my grasp. I let his shirt fal l from my hand s . My fingers go to the bottom button of my blouse, toying with it as I watch Reed’s eyes zero in . His eyes grow darker as I pull the button through the eyelet, exposing my navel.
Heat from the fire touches my skin as my fingers work the next button , pushing it through the eyelet to expose more of my abdomen. Watching his respi ration increase, I feel a flush of warmth dance over my skin. Reed reaches out , but I step back teasingly, not allowing h im to touch me. Slowly, he moves forward a step, begin ning to s talk me while I take another step back, working on the next button and pushing it through the eyelet, expo sing my ribcage and just the rounded edge of my lacy bra .
As m y knees bac k up to the bed, a smile forms on my lips, knowing Reed is steering me in the direction he wants me to go. Sitting on the bed, I fall back onto it , letting my arms stre tch out . The mattress moves as Reed places his hands on the bed . Leaning down, his lips touch my skin near my naval, making my muscles contract as his face tickles me. If I could see my heart, I’m sure that it would be glowing at this moment.
Reed trails kisses up ward over my abdomen, traversing the linen of my blouse to return to the skin at the column of my neck. Putting my hand on his cheek, I touch the other to his hair, teasing a wet curl by his temple. Gazing into his eyes, I w hisper , “All I want is you.”
“E vie,” my name is barely audible as he touches his lips to mine. His fingers finish opening the buttons of my blouse. The fabric slips from my arms, exposing my bare shoulders. Reed trails kisses over the curve of my shoulder to the hollow of my throat, causi ng his name to slip from me . No more words a re spoken b etween us, but we mak e promise s to each other that words can’t communicate.
**
As I lie in Reed’ s arms, m y fingertip skim s ove r the healing track s of claw mark s etched in his chest. “I want you to sto p fighting with Russell,” I say, before placing my lips tenderly to the scratch.
Lifting m y fingers to his lips, he kisses them before saying, “No.”
I search his eyes, “Why not?”
“I will handle it,” he replies softly.
I frown, “This is between Russell and me. I had a conversation with him tonight. I asked him to stop fighting you for me because I’ve already chosen you.”
“You think that will work ?” he asks , looking in to my eyes.
Biting my lip, I lower my gaze from his. “Maybe…but, you don’t have to worry about it beca use I’ ll handle it,” I reply .
“Love, ” Reed sighs. “Y ou are a frustrating creature.” He frowns .
“What?” I ask , startled by his comment.
“It’ s my right to fight him for you. Don’ t interfere,” he replies , pulling me closer to him.
“Explain,” I demand .
“He has to go through me to get to you. Since we are bound to each other, he can only court you i f I' m defeated by him,” he says .
“Defeated
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