37. Chapter 37 #3
Berian was even worse than I’d imagined. “He should’ve fought for you,” I said, reaching out to squeeze his hand, offering comfort. “I’ll follow your lead in avoiding the Assembly. Though honestly, I’d rather not meet them at all.”
His eyes flicked down to where I still held his hand. By all the magic… I was going to be sleeping with him in truth at this rate.
I stood in a rush. A small flame jumped from my fingertips before I could stop it—my magic throwing a tantrum over what I refused to admit to myself. I almost tripped over my discarded shoe on the way to put some distance between us so I could figure out how to stop it from going wonky again.
Typical messy Luna.
“I’m tired. You?”
Owain lifted one eyebrow as if he knew exactly what I was doing.
Great.
“If you can spare a pillow,” he said slowly, “I’ll make myself comfortable near the hearth.”
“Take five.” My gigantic bed had a ridiculous amount of them in all shapes and sizes. He caught the first one I threw. But not the second, which struck his chest with a dull thud. Unfortunately, he caught on by the third, using a whip of shadows to deflect my feather missile.
I felt a small surge of magic off to my left. “Don’t you dare—”
A shadow snatched one of the larger pillows from the bed and launched it straight at my side. I stifled a shriek as it hit me on the shoulder.
“You cheat!” I grabbed the nearest and flung it at him with as much force as I could muster.
Owain laughed—actually laughed—as he ducked. Its sound was so pure and unrestrained, I found myself wanting to hear it again. The pillow grazed his shoulder and bounced harmlessly to the floor.
He changed tactics. He charged.
“Wait—Owain!”
He caught me around the waist as I fell backward toward the mattress. Shadows cushioned our fall as we collapsed in a tangle of furs and displaced pillows. I let out a startled, joyous laugh. For a moment, we struggled, half wrestling, half trying not to fall off the bed entirely.
Then something changed. My breath slowed as his magic brushed against mine. Mirroring his arms around me, his magic wrapped around mine entirely.
We both fell silent, leaving only the quiet crackle of the hearth, the sound of our synchronized breathing, and the faint rustle of settling furs. My own smile lingered a second longer before slowly softening.
I was still clutching the front of his tunic. He hadn’t let go. But neither of us moved.
His chin rested lightly on the top of my head, one hand spread across my back as if he was afraid I might disappear if he loosened his grip. The heat radiating from him penetrated the fabric separating us.
Owain exhaled slowly, just as I did the same.
“Well,” he murmured above me, voice rougher than before, “that was a decisive victory.”
“For you?” I asked into his chest, voice muffled.
“For the pillows,” he replied.
A tiny giggle slipped out of me.
Almost reluctantly, he leaned back just enough to look down at me. The playful spark in his eyes had faded into something incredibly gentle.
“We should probably sleep,” he said quietly. “Tomorrow will be…unpleasant.”
Right. The Assembly. Because of course they have to come along and ruin a good time.
Reality crept back into the room like a cold draft under the door. I cleared my throat and raised one eyebrow. “You’re still on top of me,” I said briskly, flustered by the contact.
He smirked. “If you snore, we’re trading places.”
“Absolutely not,” I said. When he lifted his weight off me, the emptiness that remained was bigger than I’d thought possible.
He’s right there, and you already miss him.
As soon as I sat up, he began to take off his shirt.
Muscles. Every other thought vanished from my mind, leaving only the sight of a rippling abdomen behind.
I had to try very, very hard to keep my mouth from hanging open. “What are you—?”
“What? This is how I sleep at home,” he said, but his tone suggested he was toying with me again.
Two could play at that game. I got up and started unlacing my bodice then shimmied out of my outer dress until only my nearly transparent silk chemise remained.
When I turned back around, Owain was splayed out in the chair he’d been in earlier, watching me like a man who hadn’t eaten in weeks.
Hah! I win.
I strutted slowly through the room, snuffing out candles as his eyes trailed me. When I finally made it to my bed, I made certain to pull the furs tight under the fabric so my nipples would show through. “Goodnight, Owain.”
His blackened eyes finally made their way up to mine. He roughly cleared his throat before standing up stiffly to grab a few pillows to create a bed for himself by the hearth.
I pretended to sleep while watching him suffer through trying to get comfortable. The fear was still there, but it wasn’t leading me anymore. I finally gave in to what I wanted. “Come on up. There’s plenty of room.”
He was beside me before I’d even finished the sentence. Just for tonight, I would indulge in the possibility that wanting something and having it could be simple and straightforward.