CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT #3
‘Oh,’ I said, still using my soft voice.
‘Mean Theo doesn’t know me that well, does he?
I don’t want to keep you.’ I shuffled forward, giving it a kiss on the nose, still squatting and letting the hem of my dress drag on the metal bedding.
‘But I bet my big sister would give you a nice home. She would, wouldn’t she? ’
‘Okay.’ I felt Theo’s hands under my armpits. Then I was being lifted to stand again. ‘You are not anywhere near rich and powerful enough to start stealing wyverns just because you think they’re cute.’
My face scrunched up in protest. I caught Theo smiling.
‘Ha!’ I got in his face and pointed. ‘Look at those big soft eyes. You’re melting!’
He blinked at me before clearing his throat. ‘No …’
‘Yes,’ I shot back. ‘You think the wyvern is cute too. Awww, softie Vaspre.’
I reached up and cradled Theo’s face in my hands, just as I had with the cute wyvern. His cheeks were warm to the touch. Soft too. His expensive moisturizer definitely did its job – all I wanted to do was run my thumbs across his cheekbones and let my fingers trail along his jaw.
‘Enjoying yourself, Paldon?’ His voice was faint, the words barely audible as his breath caught. He leaned forwards, closing the space between us. His nose brushed mine.
In my head I knew I should have pulled away, but my body wasn’t listening. My lips parted. His name was on the tip of my tongue. I felt the light brush of his fingertips on my elbow as he reached for me.
‘Perfect for a flight along the coast.’ Gordi’s bragging echoed up from the ground floor.
Theo reached up and grabbed one of my hands, leading me out of the stall. We moved in silence, keeping our backs against the wall as we headed back down.
Based on the giggles that had arrived on the second floor, Gordi had been successful in inviting a guest back to wherever he was staying.
‘What the fuck?’ Gordi’s outrage came from two floors down where an empty stall waited for him. ‘Where’s my wyvern? My grandfather paid for this aviary and they lose my wyvern?’
Theo squeezed my hand and closed his eyes briefly, steadying himself before we crept down the next set of stairs. As we went down, Gordi started to head up. My heart thudded and gained speed.
On the next floor I pulled Theo into an empty stall. We crouched down, moving in sync. I counted us down. I lowered my fingers one by one. At five, we ran, pushing past the stunned Boll brother.
‘Oh, you are going to pay for this!’ He slurred his words as he called after us.
We had the edge we needed. I smiled at his date as we ran by, chased down by Gordi. When we reached the ground floor Theo pulled me away from the front doors, instead heading for the back exit the keeper had used.
‘Get in,’ Theo whispered before steering me to the right.
I bumped up against an open doorway and watched as Theo rushed to the back door, shoved it open and then ran back to me.
‘Go, go, go!’ He scooped me into the dark room beyond and shut the door quietly behind us.
We waited, silent as we held our breath and pressed up against the door that separated us from Gordi. Whatever room we were in was dark. My whole awareness was limited to Theo.
Gordi’s stomps got closer. I braced myself to hold the door shut. He went past, further down the corridor and slammed through the back door.
The tension in my muscles let go, no longer bracing for impact. That’s when I realized Theo’s arms were still wrapped around me. As I let myself slump I felt him tense, taking my weight.
‘You can relax, Vaspre, I don’t need your protection,’ I whispered, poking at his bicep. It didn’t give way.
‘He’ll be back,’ he murmured, breath catching in my hair. ‘We should wait until he remembers his date and flies off with her.’
‘I was the one who beat up Gordi last time, remember? I can take care of myself.’
‘If you don’t want me here, Paldon, go ahead and move me.’ He turned on his charm, dropping his voice lower than normal.
‘Please, you’re not even that close.’ I grabbed his belt with both hands and yanked him forwards. His body bumped up against mine, backing me into the door. He steadied himself, but didn’t pull away. ‘This is close.’
I felt him smile as his lips brushed against my forehead. He shifted. I could feel every movement through the thin fabric of his shirt. Heat radiated from him and I could feel it rising inside of me too.
My eyes began to adjust. The light from around the door reflected off the silver chain that hung around his neck, dipping into the hollow at the base of his throat.
A bang cut through the quiet. I flinched. Gordi had returned, slamming the back door open. Theo’s hands flexed on the small of my back.
‘Babe! You still here?’ Gordi called out, passing our hiding place.
An indistinct reply floated from further in the aviary. She had a lot of patience.
‘I can’t believe it,’ I murmured, watching the silver chain shift as the tendons in Theo’s neck moved. ‘He’s going to get laid before me tonight.’
‘It’s for the best, Paldon. No one else could satisfy you anyway.’ His breathing was even and smooth, yet his heart was pounding hard and fast enough that I could feel it while pressed up against him.
‘No one else?’ My tongue ran over my lip as I parsed his words. Then I huffed out a low laugh, bringing a hand up to play with the necklace that was keeping so much of my attention. ‘And you could?’
‘Yes, I can.’ Theo dipped his head down so he spoke by my temple. ‘I’d have you falling apart at the seams, Paldon.’
A shiver ran down my spine, lighting up every nerve in my body as it went. He moved one of his legs so it rested between mine. My breath caught. He was about to lose this test of wills.
‘I think the playboy Volitant rider look is all an act. There’s no fire in that breath of yours.’ I tugged on the necklace, pulling him lower.
‘Oh, but I know you, don’t I? Better than anyone else.
’ His hands began to move. One slipped further around my waist, strengthening his hold on me, the other drifted down.
‘Think about it. Who is the only person who’s ever been able to keep up with you?
Who knows what you want the moment you think it? ’
My nose brushed the corner of his jaw. I bit my lip, desperate to hold back. To not be the first one to break.